In the Pyrenean Piedmont, a guest house like a cocoon in a green environment

New luxury for the holidays. Take your summer accommodations to a charming guest house. With just a few rooms (maximum five), often located in bucolic locations, furnished and decorated with care by hosts who put their whole soul into it, they are the guarantee of a quiet, unique, unforgettable vacation. They can also become a source of inspiration in terms of interior architecture. A roundup of our favorite addresses, with a second stop at Maison Bellamant in Allan, Piedmont Pyrenees, and a meeting with its owner, Stéphanie Bernet.

Maison Bellamant in the Piedmont Pyrenees, where warmth, tranquility and wild nature intertwine

History of the place

“With my husband, Laurent, it took us two years to find the house that met our expectations. We essentially wanted a place where we could combine our private lives and our living rooms. We visited many properties but nothing convinced us. The castles were not open enough to the outside, too dark; Beautiful residences did not allow us to harmoniously design family areas and living rooms. And then, one day, shortly after his detention, Laurent noticed an advertisement. An old farmhouse converted into a house in the Pyrenean Piedmont in Comminges is for sale. It was not at all the region where we wanted to settle. We were looking for Tarn, more touristic, therefore with better potential for us. But when we discovered Cominges landscapes, we immediately fell under their spell. Better! As soon as Laurent pushed open the gate, even though we hadn’t gone home yet, he said to me: “We’re going”: And it turns out he was right. We bought… We immediately liked the atmosphere and the configuration of the two buildings was perfect for our projects. Today we have a main house where we live on the first floor and where there are also two guest rooms on the first floor. There are three more guest rooms in the second building. The five rooms have individual entrances and balconies so that our guests are independent, but we also live with them, which is very friendly and warm. I wanted people to be welcomed into my home as I would be with friends; I couldn’t see this activity any other way. »

Works

“The house was very well preserved by the previous owners, a Dutch couple. It was completely habitable as it was. But we broke everything. In fact, it had to meet our wishes. We wanted all the rooms to be independent, comfortable, with nice bathrooms, very open to the countryside, each with a balcony. We had made the plans even before the sale was signed. We only used an architect to create the dimensions for the craftsman. We lived in the house for the entire duration of the job, a year and a half, which also allowed us to fine-tune the details, modify some initial choices, and react quickly when trouble arose. For example, when we split the kitchen, the walls were so thick that it took three weeks, which we hadn’t planned for, and we had to put in beams. All installations had to be brought up to standard. So we replaced the oil boiler in the main house and installed a reversible air conditioner in the other. But ultimately, for this project, as well as for the decoration, we allow ourselves to be carried away by the house, its history, its identity and our encounters with the craftsmen. For materials, we preferred stucco, lime, concrete, iron, wood… which were available and also compatible with the environment. We also used the magnificent local stone. Orinyak stone – the quarry in the village. We also took care to preserve everything that could be preserved, such as the floors we just stripped. The house fits perfectly into the nature that surrounds it, and that was important because we have no one around. It is with him and us that our guests live. »

Decorative options

We have always been passionate about furniture and homes. So we came here with a lot of stuff. Then I distributed all this around the house, trusting myself, letting myself be carried away by the personality of the place. I told myself that if I liked these choices, they would make the visitors happy. The subjects here are really those we love, that we find beautiful, and they belong. I’m not afraid of mixing styles. I might buy a Napoleon III mirror and let it coexist with the Saarinen pieces found in Brussels. I’m not looking for perfection, rather spontaneity. In particular, this gives an old plate with a rooster and two glasses, bought from Maisons du Monde, carefully placed on a Scandinavian sideboard. In general, I often appraise furniture and accessories that no one else wants, which allows me to get good deals. And then I like to combine it all to create a very personal atmosphere. Some decorative details are also related to meetings with craftsmen. For example, we discovered a plasterer whose work touched us. So we asked him to make headboards out of plaster and wood in collaboration with our friend Pascal, who owns a sawmill. We had fun with this project. It is obvious that all this is guided by our taste, our desires. We love beautiful materials, we avoid bright colors to get natural, soft tones…”.

Favorite brands, objects, furniture

“The decor for the bedrooms was dictated by the choice of bed linen. We started with Belgian linen textiles from Libeco, which we combined with linen products from Draperie Française. We were looking for something beautiful, raw, very natural. As I said, we avoid bright colors. These choices allowed us to work with a common palette for all rooms, but where each one has its own version, that is, on a white base, work on gray, pink, ocher. It is around these nuances that we abandoned the arrangement, added sheep furs, woolen accessories, wooden armchairs… Lamps are also very important for me. I discovered the pet lamps at Maison Générale in Saint-Malo, lamps made from recycled plastic that are all unique. I bought one that looks like a large spider and hung it above the Knoll table. It works very well.

I am also very proud of my garden table and my reclaimed wood benches from Gescova. We placed them under the lime and they can hold a dozen people. We spent a long time looking for the perfect furniture for this place because the exterior is just as important as the interior of our home. At first we worked with old wooden tables that we arranged according to time, but now this collection is part of the landscape. I also frequented Métairie de Montgeard, a very nice boutique run by my friend Carol Gillham. This is especially where I found a great bench, huh? day bed With big Gasparini pillows, which I love.”

To hunt for treasures

“I have a passion for glasses. I hunt them all the time. I love plain glasses as well as crystal. I think the table with the mismatched glasses is cute. I do the same with plates. Dishes are important to us, as we also prepare the table. »

Tips for decorating

“I recommend always buying a piece of furniture or an object that you love. Even if we don’t know what to do with it at the time, if it is loved, it will always find its place at home. I am also very connected with enlightenment. It is important in the interior. Investing in a beautiful lamp, whether standing or hanging, is like buying a handbag; they are expensive accessories.

I really like putting the lamps directly on the floor, I think it’s pretty and you can move them around however you want. I do the same with pictures and large mirrors. I don’t hang them like that, I can transfer them from room to room. I don’t like the frozen interior. I love when things move. »