Riviera Gem

Jewel-box colours and subtle patterns inspired by Hispanic-Moroccan influences breathe new life into an old farmhouse in the south of France.

Down a narrow lane from the old fishing village of Cassis, alongside vineyards with high stone walls and wooded slopes, is a farmhouse that dates back 200 years. Its location high up in the hills overlooking the coastal village and all the way out to sea makes it the perfect holiday home for a French-Moroccan couple, finance professionals who live and work in Paris during the week, as well as their two sons.

The former farmhouse had been converted into a holiday home during the tourist boom in the 1960s, but fell into disrepair. “The exterior was shabby and the rooms were dark and small, the very opposite of the light-filled interior that the client wanted,” says David Price, founder of David Price Design.

David and his team began by reimagining the flow of the house in aesthetic and practical terms. “Even though the property was a sizeable 6,458sqf, we decided to extend it to create the full sense of space and light,” he explains. The new layout includes a kitchen, dining room, living space and terrace on the ground floor that are interlinked to form a vista all the way through to the sea-facing end of the living area and the new swimming pool beyond.