Cannes-based architecture practice Caprini & Pellerin Architectes reinvent a Neo-Provencal villa in the heart of Cap d’Antibes, France.
When Caprini & Pellerin Architectes were first introduced to this grand villa, it comprised of an exterior decked with traditional balustrades and outdated period features typical of the Neo-Provencal style, prominent in the 1980s-1990s.
Asked to completely overhaul the home, Caprini & Pellerin Architectes have placed careful emphasis on robust materials that pay tribute to villas in the south of France. Balancing elements of Brutalist architecture with traditional French regional architecture, Caprini & Pellerin Architectes’ Villa Fidji is a contemporary family villa that embraces a Mediterranean atmosphere.
Vintage Chandigarh Chairs by Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret in the home’s entrance.
The home’s exterior reflects regional French architecture through limestone walls and a tiered garden, engaging with the contemporary use of concrete and timber cladding. At the front of the home, two curved stone walls form a staircase to the sea-facing mirror infinity pool clad in anthracite mosaic tiles, while the entrance is tucked neatly into the side of the build.
The living room on the ground floor offers views of the lush garden and the Mediterranean Sea through large openings, as seen throughout the home. Chocolate floorboards and a stone and marble-clad sculptural fireplace are a subtle but contemporary nod to the original details found in homes in the Cap d’Antibes region, complete with polished plaster walls. Through large timber sliding doors, a lowered ceiling signifies the transition into the dining room and kitchen.
The stone used throughout the home is reminiscent of the stone used in traditional French villas.
The master ensuite and shared bathrooms recreate the same colour palette used throughout the home’s exterior, with travertine sinks, limestone walls and timber cabinetry. Matt black fixtures such as joinery handles, tapware and shower screens ground the space. Downstairs, a large basement with a timber and glass staircase opens onto a glamorous wine cellar which extends onto a home cinema, gym, sauna and laundry.
Villa Fidji redefines the typical French villa through a series of open-plan spaces, vast monolithic forms and an underlying sense of understated luxury throughout.
The open marble and bronze fireplace conceals the television and cables within the chimney.
