In photos, Sarah Poniatowski opens the doors to her bohemian hideaway in Cap Ferret

Horizon, Dunes, Mimbeau… The names of the beaches go by, then at the end of the cul-de-sac, Sara Poniatowski welcomes us to “paradise”. This is the name of his refuge on the Cap Ferret Peninsula. The decorator has always been familiar with this small, extremely preserved strip of sand between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arcachon basin; It was a unique atmosphere, a sense of freedom, but also of security, we were always in a group of friends, we found ourselves around large family tables, where all generations mingled without distinction. Everyone was talking together, the pines warmed by the sun and this golden light, so special. The house was open and the decoration was simple, that’s what I reproduced in the house.” Its roots are here. Before my father, my grandparents also had a house on the basin.

So when an opportunity arose to purchase a plot of land with four log cabins very close to the dunes, Sarah knew immediately that she had found her vacation home. The proof is: six years later, it’s still here that he spends the summer with his family and comes to recharge his batteries when he can. “I kept the cabins, gave each one an identity by playing on contrasting color combinations. It’s a place in Brazil called Trancoso, where all the houses are painted in different shades, that inspired me. It’s fun and adds style to very simple wooden structures.” Sarah fell into style at a young age. “My mother was a decorator, and I had the opportunity to train my eye with her,” he explains. I understood early on the importance of an anchor in which we feel good, the need to have a universe that fits us. I think the place that most resembles me is my holiday home.’

And the first feeling you get when you enter is that you feel good. Painted yellow on the outside and paneled with natural wood on the inside, the main cabin immediately steps into a large, warm room. On one side, a long green-lacquered wood table topped with an impressive chandelier custom-made by a ceramicist friend, shelves mingling with books, baby photos, vases, candlesticks and board games; on the other, the living room and its welcoming red couch; between the two, a fireplace to light up on cool evenings. We feel that everyone gathers here.

It is the beating heart of the house with its small open kitchen. “Very functional in minimal space and I even managed to fit a huge fridge in there. I like to cook on vacation, I have more time, and the products here are delicious.” On open shelving, vintage slips mingle with Maison Sarah Lavoine tableware and contribute to the decor. “That way everyone can set the table,” he jokes. Above all, I have a passion for plates, I even put together my parents’ wedding service. The other part of the vessel is Sarah’s cocoon. For the bedroom, she chose warm and soothing tones, eggplant and sand yellow, with hints of the famous “Sarah blue” for her bathroom zelligs.

This mastery of chromatic play is the signature of Maison Sarah Lavoine, the brand founded by Sarah Poniatowski in 2012. Interior architecture, furniture and object design, but also ready-to-wear, that’s his whole universe, which he presents in the collections. which today include more than five hundred links present in twenty-one countries. Success that allows him to get involved in things that are close to his heart. His architecture studio designed the visual identity of Cafés Joyeux, whose mission is to include people with disabilities. She has also designed modular furniture for the Paris Hospital Foundation and most recently helped create shelters to house abused women in their own homes. “I truly believe that beauty is comforting. In addition to the simple arrangement of furniture, there is a constant search for this harmony in the decoration, which vibrates our senses and calms our mind.

Harmony, that could be the name of this vacation home made for hosting and sharing. The garden, all around the cabins, is an invitation to settle down and relax, tables, couches, armchairs and armchairs are scattered there, as are many places to meet in groups or one-on-one. “There are many corners most of us can be without getting in the way. From the beginning I thought of this place for me and my three children. At first, everyone had their own cabin. Today they have grown up, so I made one of the bedrooms a dormitory, so they can entertain their friends, organize parties. I like the idea that the house evolves with us, it’s a living place.”