ELLE Decoration Country No. 14

What’s your definition of a dream home? You may love the idea of a charming cottage, or minimalist and modern may be the mood that soothes your soul. Most people would agree, however, that the ideal escape involves a place out of town. With this in mind, for the 14th edition of ELLE Decoration Country, we’ve gathered together 12 of the most glorious retreats all guaranteed to inspire whatever your style. From a hilltop castle to architectural villas and even a vintage caravan decorated entirely in fabulous Fornasetti prints, these are homes to make your imagination run wild. Also inside is an uplifting tale of craft revival in rural France, plus an edit of covetable products chosen to bring a touch of contemporary country elegance to your home this summer. Relax…

With its sun-bleached buildings, narrow streets and afternoon games of pétanque, Vallabrègues may seem similar to any number of the pretty villages found dotted throughout Provence. What sets it apart, however, is the abundance of rattan that grows freely in the area, thanks to the river Rhône upon whose bank it sits. It’s here that Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson chose to settle, and where they have used its natural resources to bring a local craft back to life. Having bought and renovated a house in the village in 2007, Benoît, a Parisian-born environmental consultant, and Anthony, a stylist whose family have lived in Provence for many years, were looking to find a new home – not necessarily bigger, but with a garden. ‘We heard about this place and it was…

Drama is very much part of the arrival at Casa Peso, a Brutalist structure balanced high on a hill near Cretas in the northeast Spanish province of Teruel. No fewer than 197 steps lead up to a pair of identical entrances, which open up to a holiday home like no other. A budget and a 50-hectare site were the only things presented to Chilean architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen by French developer Christian Bourdais, after which they were given carte blanche to create their own brief. The result is an imposing, perfectly symmetrical concrete house with a breathtaking 360-degree aspect, where, in the midst of the vast, untouched landscape, one feels magically disconnected from everyday life. ‘This is a house that should be occupied in an informal manner,’ says architect Sofia von Ellrichshausen.…

RIBBON-LIKE FORMS HUG THE CURVE OF THE MOUNTAIN, BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUT INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF AMERICAN MODERNIST JOHN LAUTNER, THIS CLIFFTOP VILLA TAKES MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE OF ITS INCREDIBLE VIEWS It’s hard to decide what’s more spectacular about this clifftop home – the sweeping sandstone architecture or the breathtaking location, surrounded by granite peaks, umbrella pines and views of the South Atlantic Ocean. The owners gave their architect, Francois Hugo of Cape Town practice Peerutin, a very specific brief: they wanted the design to evoke the work of American Modernist John Lautner, famous for the space-age villas he designed in California in the 1960s. Characterised by organic shapes that suggest boomerangs and flying saucers, his concrete creations are worthy of a Bond villain; you can imagine one…

‘Buildings aren’t meant to be looked at, but to be looked out from,’ says Pretoria-based architect Johan Wentzel. It’s an unusual statement in an era of grand designs and show-stopping skyscrapers, but when surveying the acres of sub-tropical woodland, or bushveld, that surround the Waterberg mountain range in South Africa, it becomes easier to understand his sentiment. Johan, together with his team at W Design Architecture Studio, have created a property made up of three thatched-roofed and glass-gabled chalets, all designed to maximise the spectacular views across Marakele National Park. One chalet contains the living area, with a bedroom in each of the other two, and all are connected by a series of uncovered paths. ‘With thatched-roofed homes, the bigger they get, the higher and wider they become,’ says Johan. ‘Separating…

Set on a clifftop overlooking a perfect curve of the azure Mediterranean, this Brutalist villa’s linear windows cleverly frame panoramic views of the rugged Valencian coastline. The spectacular design is the result of an 18-month renovation project by Belgian architect Sébastien Caporusso, which saw the property stripped back to its shell. The villa’s owners, who split their time between Belgium and Spain, gave Sébastien a brief to enhance the connection between inside and out, and create a stronger link to the home’s coastal setting. ‘Each space was designed to be open to the landscape; to enjoy an extraordinary view of the sea or wilderness,’ says Sébastien. ‘No matter which room you occupy, the scenery is breathtaking. This intense communion between architecture and nature provides an incredible sense of the infinite.’ Generously laid…