Tucked away in Landers, a listed residence that has become a luxurious and warm haven

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 fourth stop at La Maison de Magescq in Landes and a meeting with its owner, Anais Filau.

La Maison de Magescq in the Landes, a state-of-the-art restored mansion with a modern and warm spirit.

History of the place

“My husband and I have lived in Singapore for more than ten years. Knowing we were going back to France, we started looking at Lund houses. We liked this region, which met several important criteria for us. proximity to the ocean and access from Paris by train. Our project was to restore a beautiful building. We loved living in Asia, but missed this aspect of heritage, the family home. We knew that real estate was rare in the region, and when we came across the ad while we were still in Singapore, I didn’t hesitate for a second and sent my mother to visit the place. He immediately told us that the place was for us. My father in law who is the project manager also went there and also gave the light. We also booked a “video tour”. And we bought the house in April 2022 without moving in. We trusted our parents, but let’s face it, we were a little worried when we actually met him in June 2022.

However, she was even more beautiful than we imagined. It must be said that he has a lot of character. It is difficult to know when it was built. some say Napoleonic registers date to its existence in the 1700s, others believe it would have been completed in the 1900s. The property was called Le Tuc, which means tall houses overlooking the road, a characteristic of wealthy people. It also has a small tower, which is why the villagers call it the Castle, even though it is just a private house. The interior has all the features of a bourgeois interior: high ceilings, cement tiles, fireplaces… We were very spoiled. And moreover, the house was healthy, even though it had been uninhabited for thirty years. From the beginning, we did not think about creating living rooms… But when we looked at the reconstruction of this 550 m² area, we told ourselves that it is worth to start entertaining, to share this magnificent house with others. This idea also corresponded to my background. I have worked in the hotel and events industry for a long time and had just started my own decor brand. We embarked on this unexpected adventure. »

Works

“The structure is classified and so we had restrictions to respect. But it suited us very well, because we have a love for the ancients. We made sure to preserve what could be preserved. We have concentrated the work on the second level, where the guest rooms are located, and on the roof, which is also intended for our customers.

We have kept all the fireplaces, even if some are not working. There were many beautiful woods, floors found under the tiles, marbles and moldings that we had just restored. This job required 17 trades because we involved experienced tradesmen for each repair.

We made sure to modernize this place, make it comfortable, respecting the environment; the energy class of the house is B, a challenge of such volumes, preserving the essence of the past. We didn’t ask for an architect, just a project manager for the technical part. The project lasted a year and a half and we were able to welcome our first visitors in May 2024.”

Decorative options

“We have eclectic tastes. Mixing styles and influences is close to my heart. When I launched my Manifeste brand in 2022, I wanted to highlight natural stone by sublimating it through a limited series of objects. We find this spirit in the house with very natural and raw materials, stone obviously, wood, ceramics, polished concrete… They leave the impression that there is no border between the outside and the inside.

The colors are also a tribute to nature, they are the ones we see from the window, sandy beiges, greens… Bedding and linens are important in a guest house. We have worked with MPC, which is the standard for hotel bedding, and the linen is Egyptian cotton. Textiles also have an important place: a lot of linen, velvet, cotton, fabric for sofas. It brings warmth, softness and softness. The furniture and things are quite organic.

Since I design a lot of things for my brand, I started for the home. I imagined sofas, dining room tables, chairs for bedrooms, consoles. So there is a lot of custom made furniture. We also have many wooden totems and poles. Incense is always lit in the entrance to awaken the senses. The whole thing invites to slow down, to think, to ponder. Perhaps we brought back this very Asian meditative spirit in our suitcases. »

Favorite brands, objects, furniture

“Obviously there are pieces from my Manifesto brand. But also Tikamoon outdoor furniture. I am very fond of fetish objects, so there are quite a few totems at home. And there are books everywhere, in every room, in every bedroom. For me, it is indispensable to open a book when you feel good and immerse yourself in reading. »

To hunt for treasures

“I love hunting for demijohns, African masks, statues and lots of vases. »

Tips for decorating

“I think when it comes to decorating, if you trust your feelings, your world, you rarely go wrong because you have a backbone that allows you to adjust everything around it. To add lightness to your interior, you should consider playing, even in an extravagant way, with height, low furniture, taller columns and creating a dialogue between horizontality and verticality. It brings rhythm. »

Maison de Magesq, 341 avenue de l’Océan, 40140 Magesq. Contact and reservations: maisondemagescq.com .