Cover The outdoor swimming pool and terrace of this Cannes villa renovation, with sun loungers, a covered outdoor seating pavilion and views towards the sea
The outdoor swimming pool and terrace of this Cannes villa renovation, with sun loungers, a covered outdoor seating pavilion and views towards the sea
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A Cannes villa renovation by the Paris-based practice Marcoux Mathern & Associés addresses the sequencing failures of a recently built property, reconsidering its volumes, transitions and relationship to the Mediterranean landscape
When Marcoux Mathern & Associés was brought in to renovate La Perle d’Azur, a villa above Cannes, the building was barely finished and already presenting problems. The most evident of these were facades that did not cohere, an unwelcoming monumental entrance, and unresolved proportions.
The Paris-based practice, led on this project by architect and partner Pierre-Guillaume Mathern, proceeded to reorder volumes, smooth transitions, and reconsider the sequence from car arrival to the most private rooms. The underlying problem was straightforward: the villa had spaces but no convincing account of how they connected.
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Above The motor court approach with stone-clad flanking walls, cypress trees, shallow reflecting pools and a mature olive tree in a bronze circular planter
The motor court approach with stone-clad flanking walls, cypress trees, shallow reflecting pools and a mature olive tree in a bronze circular planter
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Above The villa's entrance facade with a large-scale timber louvred screen, white rendered walls, bronze pivot door and established garden planting
Above The villa’s entrance forecourt with timber louvred screens, white rendered volumes, a bronze circular planter and established garden planting
The villa's entrance facade with a large-scale timber louvred screen, white rendered walls, bronze pivot door and established garden planting
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“Our priority was to correct the flaws, but above all to create meaningful spaces: an event as soon as you cross a threshold, experience an emotion with every movement within the house,” Mathern says. “We needed to transform very sleek and minimalist spaces into a warm and welcoming home, where every gesture adds character.”
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The entrance hall with a large dark steel pivot door, floor-level uplighting, vertical timber louvred wall panel and a cylindrical table lamp in the foreground
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The main living room with cream sofas, walnut coffee table, gold abstract patterned rug and suspended gold mosaic ceiling installation, with floor-to-ceiling glazing overlooking the terrace
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The dining room with curved oak chairs, a black lacquered table and a full-height figured marble wall panel alongside brushed brass cabinetry
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The entrance hall is where that thinking is most visible. A double-height volume, previously shapeless, now has a vertical metal framework rising from floor to ceiling, with lighting integrated into the structure. It organises circulation, filters the view deeper into the house, and slows the arrival enough that the interior registers before you are fully inside.
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The spa relaxation area features marine teak flooring, dark mosaic walls and a backlit translucent stone wall alongside white upholstered daybeds
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The principal suite, formed by merging two originally separate rooms, carries the same attention into more private territory. The wardrobe is finished in polished Macassar ebony with topstitched leather detailing drawn from nautical craft traditions. The bathroom contains a bathtub cut from a single block of travertine. Doors are flush with the marble walls, seams and hinges concealed.
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The covered outdoor terrace with circular cream upholstered seating, a teak deck, an outdoor dining area and a pool beyond
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Above The infinity pool with two upholstered sun loungers on a teak deck, with panoramic views over Cannes and the Mediterranean
Above The garden pavilion with a louvred roof, white columns, stone steps leading up from the lawn and layered Mediterranean planting
The infinity pool with two upholstered sun loungers on a teak deck, with panoramic views over Cannes and the Mediterranean
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The ground floor is organised around two distinct living areas: a larger reception room and a more private second salon with a bar and television, the two separated by a double-sided fireplace clad in brushed brass. The kitchen, fitted with a wine cellar, sits adjacent to the dining room but does not open onto it — a deliberate separation that keeps the domestic workings of the house at one remove from its more formal spaces.
The garden pavilion with a louvred roof, stone steps leading up from the lawn through layered Mediterranean planting to the covered terrace
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In the basement, an indoor pool sits at the centre of a spa level that also includes a hammam, sauna and massage room, all finished in marine teak and dark mosaic tile. At the far end, a backlit panel of rock crystal extends from the base of the pool to the ceiling, pushing light through a space that previously sat unused. A cinema room occupies a further section of the basement level.
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The principal bedroom suite with upholstered headboard wall, mirrored shelf, white armchairs and a fluted column side table
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Above The travertine bathtub positioned before floor-to-ceiling glazing with views over Cannes and the Lérins Islands
Above The walk-in wardrobe with Macassar ebony cabinetry, mirrored overhead frame and floor-to-ceiling glazing overlooking the garden
The travertine bathtub positioned before floor-to-ceiling glazing with views over Cannes and the Lérins Islands
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Outside, custom sliding screens modulate light and transparency across the facades, drawing the exterior into greater coherence than it had before. The garden, designed by Aurélien Liuktus of the practice Nelumbo, is planted with olive trees and lavender, and its terraces are arranged to draw movement outward.
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The garden path to the restored stone chapel, flanked by lavender hedging, olive trees and ivy-covered stone walls
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Above The pool edge with a ceramic cactus planter, the restored stone chapel visible through cypress trees in the background
Above The interior of the restored stone chapel with a pointed stone arch framing views of cypress trees and the Mediterranean, a dark upholstered daybed and terracotta tile flooring
The pool edge with a ceramic cactus planter, the restored stone chapel visible through cypress trees in the background
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A small stone chapel on the grounds has been restored and placed as a destination at the far end of the landscape, the sequence extending to the property’s edge. Across the grounds, three staff houses accommodate up to six people, with a guardian’s residence positioned close to the entrance gate. The total living area of the property is 1,400 square metres.
“We wanted each space to express its own intensity,” Mathern says. “Architecture becomes a chain of sensory experiences, capable of elevating the everyday to the level of the art of living.”
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Photography: Marion Roudil
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
