“Are you able to fly to the South of France to look at our new apartment there?” asked a client. Well, I naturally jumped at the chance, packed my tiny Ryanair-compliant bag and set off to Sète.
Sète is a beautiful town about 20 mins south west of Montpellier, comfortably squashed between Étang de Thau, a saltwater lagoon, and the blue Mediterranean sea. Affectionately referred to as the “Venice of Languedoc”, it has a network of canals as well as an ancient port.
My clients had recently purchased a small but perfectly formed apartment “off plan” and wanted some ideas on how to turn the blank canvas into something practical yet homely. They were planning to rent it out for a short period in high season and keep access to it for themselves throughout the rest of the year – travelling by train from their current home in Belgium.
My clients are world travellers, and had instinctively started to pick out pieces that reflected this experience as well as a bright colour palette invoking the bright blues and greens of the Mediterranean, so I felt a scheme emerging quite quickly.
On my first day in Sète my clients gave me a little tour of the town’s interior design shops and brocantes, helpfully pointing out things they liked. I was also able to test their appetite for other things they may not have initially considered. Being able to do this together in situ worked well as we were able touch and see the products and materials in person and we were also able to agree on some things quite quickly. First of all, we wanted to make a nod to the area, and were inspired by the fact that wild pink flamingos visit the nearby lagoon, Étang de Thau. We chose a bold “Midnight Tropic” wallpaper from Graham & Brown, picking out the greens and pinks elsewhere. Secondly, reflecting my clients desire to be sustainable and add character to the scheme, we made sure to include some vintage pieces. We found a gorgeous antique Italian console that fitted our measurements perfectly as well as lovely pieces of art and pottery. You can see more about the pieces we chose and how the project came together here.
I can highly recommend a trip to the South of France to give you some interiors inspiration. Here are my top tips for interiors shopping in Sete:
Ensembles – This shop is like an Aladdin’s cave with beautiful furniture, lighting and decoration for inside and outside. This was the first place I saw the distinctive North African palm fibre pendent lights which are so popular here and I fell instantly in love, although sadly my Ryanair-compliant bag did not allow me to take one home.
Tohu Bohu – A great little store with a vast array of candles, cushions, crockery, glassware, lighting and small furniture pieces.
Maison du Monde – A high street classic in France, who sadly no longer ship to the UK. Huge selection and a good way to find cheaper versions of the trends.
La Maison Sétoise – We sourced three gold petal pendant lights from this store which really lifted our scheme and helped join different areas together.
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