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by Simon Barnes

Boat International: High and Mighty

BOAT INTERNATIONAL – OCTOBER 2016: This super-chic Armani/Casa-designed villa in St Tropez was raised up to provide some spectacular sea views, says Francesca Steele in Boat International

hbc11sep2016

Earlier this year, Giorgio Armani’s property division, Armani/Casa, completed its first property in London, the renovated townhouse at Queen’s Gate Place, near the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, for £35 million. It was the latest in a growing global portfolio that includes Miami, Mumbai, Istanbul and Rome. But one of the designer’s first property projects was a much more intimate affair.

It’s hard to find a good plot in St Tropez, but they did find one and spent a few years persuading the current owner to sell

Armani agreed to work on a residence in St Tropez for some Milanese friends who were looking for a holiday home they could potentially use all year round. “It’s incredibly hard to find good plots in St Tropez, but they found a spot they saw potential in and spent a few years persuading the current owner to sell,” says the agent (and owner’s son-in-law) Joshua Buckley. But it wasn’t yet perfect.

The land was too low and it took several years just to get planning permission and add enough soil o create a space where a home with sea views could be built.

Today, Villa L’Amour by Armani/Casa is a stunning blend of Tropezienne architecture that is sympathetic to the original fishermen’s cottages.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PDF OF FULL ARTICLE

Boat International - High and Mighty


Villa L’Amour by Armani/Casa is available to rent and buy, POA, through H Barnes & Co, London, +44 20 7499 3434

Francesca Steele is senior property writer at The Times

Filed Under: Luxury, Saint Tropez, Simon Barnes’ Property Scrapbook Tagged With: Armani, Armani Casa, Boat International, Francesca Steele, Tropezienne

by Simon Barnes

This Summer’s Swankiest Holiday Rental

To create the perfect holiday rental property for the discerning client in exclusive destinations, property owners are now not only building phenomenal houses but also retaining the services of world class interior designers designers and architects.

Armani designed interiors at Villa Armani Casa, St Tropez
Armani designed interiors at Villa Armani Casa, St Tropez – photo credit Massimo Listri

Joshua Buckley of H. Barnes & Co observes: “Typically properties at this level were designed, especially their interiors, with function durability in mind for the purpose of such rentals. However in this competitive and now demanding high end level of the market, owners are prepared to create the ultimate luxury for their holiday clients. Take Villa Armani Casa, an exceptional property located in the centre of town in St. Tropez. Created from the ground up eight years ago, this house was a design personally by Giorgio Armani complete with bespoke furniture and unique features that have this property exceed expectation.”

Villa Armani Casa St Tropez
Villa Armani Casa St Tropez pool view at twilight – photo credit Massimo Listri

Holiday Rental – Villa Armani Casa

Additional features and services include:
  • swimming pool with moveable floor
  • Brazilian marble bathrooms
  • Armani designed minimalist kitchen
  • silk bespoke Armani furniture
  • house keeper
  • house manager/butler
  • chef
  • concierge services

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Filed Under: Saint Tropez, Simon Barnes’ Property Scrapbook Tagged With: Armani, holiday rentals

by Simon Barnes

St Tropez – where real people meet and mingle

St Tropez is a place where people ‘meet’ and many friends rent or buy property here to be close to one another during the summer. The most desirable and expensive residential areas are Les Parcs de Saint Tropez – a private gated exclusive residential development where some of the most expensive luxury villas are situated and prices run into tens of millions.

Les Parcs de St Tropez
Les Parcs de Saint Tropez – Alexandra Lloyd Properties

Other desirable areas are Cap Tahiti, Les Graniers, and Capon. Saint Tropez has a varied clientele. It has always been popular with the Belgians, and Italians, French, Swedish, but also loved by the British, Americans, eastern Europeans, and wealthy Middle Eastern families.

Not only is St Tropez an historic and beautiful town surrounded by beautiful villages and Provencal countryside, but it boasts some of the best sandy beaches around that stretch around five kilometres located along the coast in the Baie de Pampelonne.

Cote d'Azur beach
Cote d’Azur beach

The old town of St. Tropez, La Citadelle, is famous for its small unique and famous bars, cafes and hotels. Best spots for shopping, enjoying an expresso, cocktails and dinner, and for partying are The Port, Café de Paris, and Senequier is renowned for people watching and boat envy. During the day people tend to head to the beaches and the luxurious beach day clubs – Club 55 , Les Palmiers, Tahiti, Nikki Beach.

For those wanting to indulge in retail therapy the best designer boutiques, alongside quaint independent shops and boutiques can all be found in the town. For those seeking a more active holiday there is wonderful sailing and the annual sailing race, ‘Les voiles de Saint Tropez’ at the end of September is a celebrated event on the town’s social calendar. Walking along the coastal paths or unspoilt countryside of the Var region, diving and polo are all popular throughout the year.

St Tropez harbour
St Tropez harbour

Accessibility comes in several guises, Nice is the largest airport and dependent on traffic about an 1hr45 mins drive, with direct flights to and from New York, Dubai and most major European cities. The private airport at La Mole is about 30 mins away and Toulon 1hr30mins drive from Saint Tropez; alternatively the nearest helipad is 35mins away.

Filed Under: Saint Tropez, Simon Barnes’ Property Scrapbook Tagged With: Baie de Pampelonne., Cap Tahiti, Club 55, La Mole airport, Les Graniers, Les Palmiers, Les Parcs de Saint Tropez

by Simon Barnes

Saint Tropez: pretty as a picture

Earlier this month a famous painting of Saint Tropez by renowned French artist Paul Signac was sold by Sotheby’s for 10,666,000 USD

Saint Tropez has long been a favourite place for artists and creative types to seek peace and inspiration for their art. Since the 19th Century the aspiring and successful artists would leave Paris and head to the South of France for the relaxed pace of life, the light, colours of Provence and beautiful views of the coast and surrounding landscape.

Georges Seurat Portrait of Paul Signac, 1890,
Georges Seurat Portrait of Paul Signac, 1890, conté crayon, private collection

One such acclaimed and highly collectable French artist was Paul Signac (1863–1935). Paul Signac was a neo-impressionist artist, who collaborated with Georges Seurat to develop a specific painting method termed ‘Pontillism’. Parisian born Signac turned to painting after initially studying to be an architect. Based in Paris, he spent time travelling around Europe painting landscapes.

In April 1882, Signac sailed from Concarneau to the south of France for the first of many visits to Saint Tropez, after the death of Seurat in 1881. On reaching the port, which was then only accessible by boat, Signac was struck by the vista houses with terracotta roofs. Such was Signac’s love of the place, he bought a house in Saint Tropez and would spend summers painting, joined by friends. Over several decades, the harbour and coastline continued to be a source of inspiration leading to several other works.

Earlier this month on the 9th May 2016 in New York, Paul Signac’s painting, ‘Maisons du port Saint Tropez’ (inscribed Op.237) was auctioned for the first time at Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Impressionist & Modern Art. For 58 years this painting was in the family collection of Ambassador John Langeloth Loeb, Jr. since his parents acquired it in July 1958. The painting sold for approximately $10.6m, having carried an estimate of $8-12 million USD.

Paul Signac - Maisons du port Saint Tropez
Paul Signac – Maisons du port Saint Tropez

Paul Signac painted ‘Maisons du port Saint Tropez’ at the height of his time as the forerunner of neo-impressionist painters, when he allocated ‘opus numbers’ to his works. Signac explained that this in this particular painting, ““The separated elements will be reconstituted into brilliantly coloured lights.”

Jeremiah Evarts, Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sales in New York, comments: “Maisons du port, Saint-Tropez is a true manifesto of Pointillism. Through this stunning view of Saint-Tropez, Signac is searching for the musicality and beauty in the world around him, and the resulting ‘Opus’ is the greatest we have seen come to auction in almost a decade.”

Credit: ART DAILY:  Sotheby’s to offer Paul Signac’s ‘Opus’ masterpiece Maisons du port, Saint-Tropez

 

Filed Under: Saint Tropez, Simon Barnes’ Property Scrapbook Tagged With: Maisons du port Saint Tropez, Paul Signac, Pontillism, Sotheby’s

by Simon Barnes

St Tropez – luxury living on the French Riviera

Treasure seekers, H. Barnes & Co have been hoarding some of the finest luxury rental properties in St Tropez – an authentic gem glittering on the Cote d’Azur. A long standing affinity and personal connection with this dazzling town has led to H. Barnes & Co establishing an exclusive local alliance with a like-minded property partner to source and secure the perfect holiday property for their clients in St Tropez.

St Tropez Harbour
St Tropez Harbour

History

Up until the beginning of the 20th Century, St Tropez was neither glitzy nor glamorous, but an authentic and typical French fishing village, located on the Cote d’Azur or ‘French Riviera’  in one of the loveliest coastal settings imaginable.

It was not until the 1950’s through the 60’s and 70’s that it began to attract a ‘rich rock and roll’ crowd, which today continues with many celebrities and millionaires owning second homes in the old town and surrounding villages and holidaying here through the summer. Famous names such as Brigitte Bardot, Mick Jagger and Gunter Sachs have helped to raise the town’s profile and create an ‘exclusive’ feel.

St Tropez today

As this ‘jet set’ crowd poured in, it created a demand for more stylish amenities and many entrepreneurs and business people spotted an opportunity to profit from the influx of money and spending power. This saw some of the most iconic beach restaurants, clubs and hotels becoming established – Club 55 beach restaurant (established in 1955) , Chateau de la Messardier , Les Caves du Roy nightclub . Aside from some of the best beach clubs and restaurants in St Tropez, the convenience of the town and the beaches only seven minutes from the town centre make it very unique compared with Ibiza or Mallorca and incredibly convenient as a relaxing destination.

View of the bay of St Tropez
View of the bay of St Tropez

Today St Tropez offers something for everything and is one of the most popular European holiday and second home destinations.

Josh Buckley at H. Barnes & Co has been going to St Tropez for many years and has close family ties with the place, highlights that, “Behind the glitz and the glamour which people think St Tropez is all about, the town has a very different persona.  It is a place rich in history and French Provencal culture, that appeals to all the senses ranging from food and wine, architecture, sailing and of course luxury real estate.”

Filed Under: Saint Tropez, Simon Barnes’ Property Scrapbook Tagged With: Chateau de la Messardier, Clib 55, French Riviera, jet set, Josh Buckley, Les Caves du Roy, St Tropez

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