Marine Montagut opens the doors to her enchanted hideaway in Normandy

There used to be a Marine Montagut. A charming illustrator and creator, a creator of delicious wonderland made of tableware, stationery, candles, pillows, scarves, secret books… dressed in her exquisite paintings. Its iconic motifs include roses, lemons, four-leaf clovers, the Eiffel Tower, a chair in Luxembourg Gardens, Guimard metro entrances, street signs… and the House of Happiness. Fireplaces, lots of windows, front door with heart. it has all the features of a dream home. Features reminiscent of a “real” Marin country house, located in Evre, in a well-hidden green setting.

Because if Marine Montagut likes to get around Paris on her Vespa, navigating between her home in the 12th arrondissement and her small factory in the 20th arrondissement, where she employs a team of about ten people, passing by her shop at 48, rue Madame ; if he likes the atmosphere of this city, to which he dedicated the self-published guide Hello Paris! which launched his career, he also created a refuge in Normandy, where he escapes when he has time.

“I try to come every weekend. When I have a big project, I settle here for two weeks to work quietly. When the garden gate closes, I’m in my own world. The first thing I did when I arrived was set up my workshop on the ground floor in an old bedroom with a picture window. I painted it completely green. The white studio, which some artists appreciate, is not my thing. it bothers me. I also need to be surrounded by my objects, to feel in a cocoon.”

Around him are meticulously displayed masks, figurines, watercolors, vases, objects under bells, travel souvenirs, small treasures… On his desk, the same care is shown to each object. It was here that Marie drew her Tarot of Marseilles, her novel. “My grandmother, an artist, drew cards for me,” he recalls. He arrived at our house, his car was full of pictures. And whoop! When everything was unloaded, it was the first ceremony between us. My mother also drew the cards. And later I consulted fortune tellers. So I really wanted to create my own tarot. Beyond the divination aspect, it’s a universe I like that allows me to escape from everyday life. It was important to me to create a game that you can also enjoy without knowing anything about it, but just because it’s beautiful. It took me two years to design it in this workshop. When I had a moment, I drew a map. This project reflects my way of working. i do everything by hand. Then my team will scan and enable my images to be reproduced in various media.”

The birth of this Tarot, within these walls, has no doubt instilled new good vibes in this house that has already sheltered many. “I met Ines de la Fressange fifteen years ago,” Marie explains. He asked me to go with him to India. On this trip, he showed me photos of this place, of this house, where he had never been. And I immediately understood that it is “my” house of happiness. Then he offered me to take the place. Since he is a person with good taste, everything was already perfect. We immediately felt comfortable there.”

Mari will still put her foot down. Furniture and things, in fact, are found. a passion inherited from his family, his mother is a salesperson, his father and grandparents are antique dealers. In each room, the eye stops at the artist’s palettes, ex-votos, butis, kilims… “Collecting for me means preserving the child’s soul,” he claims. When we are small, we have obsessions: miniature cars, perfume samples… That’s why I gave a book to collectors. I was interested in interviewing them and understanding their way of working.”

If Marie makes a few small changes every now and then. “here, I’m going to draw lines on the stairs,” he doesn’t revolutionize anything anymore. He is now enjoying every moment he spends here. He entertains his friends in the summer in the garden, which allows for large meals, barbecues and parties. And if the weather is not good, it is also good to settle in the living room or the kitchen, so cozy, so welcoming. Regardless of the weather or season, Marie is happy. “I like to have a good reason to gather here, fire up the stove, watch a movie under my blanket,” enthuses the boy, who enjoys walking barefoot in the fresh grass as much as marveling at the peonies and tulips blooming in his hedges. Yes, the house of happiness exists. And we visited it.

marinmontagut.com: