Francois Catroux is a designer who designed the houses of the Rothschilds and other star families. This house in Provence was his “safe haven”, where he and his wife Betty hid from the hustle and social hype

Living room. The oak table is an antique of the XVIII century. The multi-faceted lamp is made to order according to sketches by Francois Catroux, as is the coffee table on three legs. Leather armchairs, 1940s, designed by Andre Arbu. Curtains, Bernard Thorp. Papier-mache donkey, Blackman Cruz. The lion sculpture on the fireplace is an original sculpture of the XVII century .

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Pascal Chevalier

Parisian designer and decorator Francois Catroux needs no special introduction: among his clients were the Rothschild family, Diana von Furstenberg, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and other equally stellar personalities. In recent years, he himself has increasingly left Paris to spend time with his family at their country estate Les Ramades in the south of France.

The courtyard is decorated with potted plants.

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Pascal Chevalier

Betty and Francois Catroux on the doorstep of their home in Provence.

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Pascal Chevalier

He and his wife Betty bought an old stone house of the XVI century in the town of Lourmarin (Luberon, Provence) in order to escape from the secular noise and bustle of the city to a quiet French hinterland and indulge in “sweet doing nothing.” “I drink rose and admire the beauty,— Betty said of their escapades, “And Francois? Francois is always dreaming.”

It’s not hard to guess why. Everything here really disposes to rest and contemplation. The house stands on 10 acres of land, half of which is occupied by a traditional Provencal garden with a swimming pool (Betty’s favorite place to relax) and a tennis court where their adult children and grandchildren like to play ball. This is a quiet, romantic place, full of peace and tranquility.

The pool in the shade of ancient oaks and olives is Betty Katru’s favorite place to relax.

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Pascal Chevalier

The house was bought in 1990 from three sisters of a very respectable age and was an old ruin with dirty floors. The only thing that even slightly reminded of civilization were two bathrooms, equipped by the previous owners. But it was all the more interesting for the decorator to work on this project. “It’s much nicer to start from scratch than to buy something ready—made,” Francois said.

The backyard, where cypresses, ivy and laurel bushes grow. Three tiled cornices are a sign of former luxury.

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Pascal Chevalier

They say that once there was a monastery on this place, then the building belonged to a rich family, as evidenced by the multi-layered tiled cornices. “A simple person will have one layer, a rich one will have two, and we have as many as three, so the house probably belonged to someone very important,” the owners said.

Summer living room. There is an Indonesian mirror above the custom-made drinks shelf. Wicker furniture, Tectona.

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Pascal Chevalier

Most of all, Francois admired the vaulted ceilings and the courtyard in the architecture of Les Ramades. “Lourmarin was in the very epicenter of the war between Protestants and Catholics,” the designer said. “That’s why the houses here are small fortresses with fortified walls and a central courtyard where residents could defend themselves.” The courtyard also somewhat resembles the traditional houses of Algeria during the French colony, where Francois grew up. He was born in Algeria into a French military family and was a schoolmate of Yves Saint Laurent, with whom Betty brought them together again in Paris and with whom they were friends until the couturier’s death in 2008.

Canteen. The wooden dining table was bought at a flea market. Next to it are vintage French wooden chairs from the 1940s.

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Pascal Chevalier

In the interiors of Les Ramades there is nothing of the heavy luxury that Catroux did for his clients: good-quality furniture, natural materials, a calm range that is in maximum harmony with the natural environment. On the floor there is a traditional local masonry, which is a “tile” of river pebbles embedded in smooth concrete. “If you squint, you can see a Moroccan carpet that “wanders” from room to room,” said Katrou in his monograph published in 2016 by Rizzoli publishing house.

Library. The armchairs and sofa are designed by Katru and upholstered in Bernard Thorp fabric. The bookcase is also designed by the designer, on both sides of it are works by Henri Matisse.

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Pascal Chevalier

There is a sculpture of Jean Derval on the wall.

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Pascal Chevalier

There are several monumental objects in the house, such as an oak polygonal chandelier in the living room, designed by the designer himself, or a pair of exotic wooden screens bought in Paris (Catrou noticed them when he was working on the design of the windows of the Cerruti boutique and immediately agreed on the purchase). Otherwise, the designer relied on simplicity and the “modest charm of antiquity”: the furniture of local artisans is adjacent here with vintage finds from flea markets, iconic design objects like the prototype of the 1930s Axel chair By Axel Einar Hjorth and mass-market accessories like the Crate & Barrel mirror in the guest bedroom.

A straw panel by Alexander Calder serves as a carpet in the kitchen.

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Pascal Chevalier

On the wall in the small master bedroom is a series of collages by Yves Saint Laurent, a gift from the fashion designer. “Yves gave me everything: his love, his clothes, jewelry, a part of his life and his art,” says Betty. — When inspiration came to him, he rushed to write or draw, and gave his works to me.”

The master bedroom of the house. The bed is made to order and upholstered in Bernard Thorp fabric. Bedside tables are vintage, the work of designer Jean-Michel Wilmott. Table lamps, Blackman Cruz. The stool is a prototype of the 1930s by Axel Einar Hjort. On the wall above the headboard — the work of Yves Saint Laurent.

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Pascal Chevalier

A few years ago, Katru added a summer living room and dining room to the house — semi-open rooms oriented so that the walls protected from powerful Mistrals. The roof of the tiled dining room stands on massive stone columns, the design of which Catroux spied in the nearby medieval chateau Chateau d’ansouis. And in the courtyard of the open living room, he installed an old stone drinking trough for horses, turned into a fountain. “This room changed my life,” he used to say.

Summer living room. Wicker furniture and tables, Tectona.

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Pascal Chevalier

Terrace. The fountain of the XVI century is crowned by a modern metal weather vane. The figures of geese are made of wood washed ashore from the sea. An old metal ship lamp serves as a sculpture.

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Pascal Chevalier

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