Gabrielle Chanel’s Idyllic Villa on the French Riviera Has Been Restored to Exactly the Way She Left It. Vogue Took A Look Inside


Image may contain Coco Chanel Jacques Rigaut Plant Tree Face Head Person Photography Portrait Clothing and Pants

François Hugo, Pierre Colle, Audrey James Field, Maria Ruspoli-Hugo and Gabrielle Chanel on the olive tree in the cloister at La Pausa, 1938.

Photo Roger Schall © Schall Collection

Indeed, Marino pored over hundreds of archive photographs in order to restore Chanel’s beloved second home to its former glory, from the piano in the living room (where Grammy-nominated singer Alice Smith performed for guests on Friday night) to the books that line the intimate library, the mirrored walls in Coco’s magnificent bathroom, to the bronze Giacometti lamp that sits beside her bed.

While the property—with its calming sea views, graceful stone staircase and cloister garden—is undeniably spectacular, the decor (with the notable exception of that decadent bathroom) is simple—almost austere, likely inspired by the clean lines and hushed atmosphere of Aubazine Abbey in Corrèze, where the designer spent much of her childhood following the death of her parents, and which was so key to the aesthetic she would later establish at Chanel.

In her speech to guests, Peel noted that she was initially surprised to discover that Gabrielle Chanel did not decorate the walls of La Pausa with artworks, but realized that, “for her home, she collected artists. And she gave them the ultimate luxury, which is freedom, time, and space.” Chanel Arts Culture & Heritage is reopening La Pausa, which will remain a private residence but serve as a “seat of creativity, culture and hospitality”, with the ambition of extending that tradition, she said. “The volatility in our world brings us back to the sources of joy that remain everlasting,” said Peel. “Friendship, art, nature, and truly the primacy of human creativity.”

Image may contain Yana Peel Architecture Building House Housing Villa Plant Potted Plant Grass Clothing and Dress

Yana Peel in the central courtyard at La Pausa.

German Larkin

Image may contain Queenie Chu Tom Bahler Gemma Chan Zahra Amir Ebrahimi Blazer Clothing Coat Jacket and Photography

Alvin Li, Anicka Yi, Minjung Kim, Ji Hu Lee, Hans Ulrich Obrist.

German Larkin

Image may contain Flower Flower Arrangement Flower Bouquet Plant Photography Face Head Person and Portrait

Anita Zabludowicz, Francis Sultana

German Larkin

Image may contain Clothing Dress Chair Furniture Formal Wear Plant Vegetation Person Sitting Herbal and Herbs

Stylist Elizabeth Saltzman on the terrace.

German Larkin

Image may contain Alice Smith Clothing Dress Evening Dress Formal Wear Plant Potted Plant Face Head and Person

Alice Smith

German Larkin

Image may contain Grass Nature Outdoors Park Plant Tree Lawn Potted Plant Scenery Grove Land and Vegetation

German Larkin

Image may contain Clothing Pants Adult Person Face Head Photography Portrait Happy Footwear Shoe and People

Boris Charmatz, outgoing artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, performed an excerpt from Herses, Duo, with Johanna Lenke.

German Larkin

Image may contain Tia Carrere Laurent Le Bon Clothing Formal Wear Suit Footwear Shoe Blazer Coat and Jacket

Artist Ayoung Kim, businesswoman Seo-Hyun Lee and gallerist Tina Kim take in the performance on Gabrielle Chanel’s clay tennis court at La Pausa.

German Larkin

Image may contain Tristram Hunt Yana Peel Lisa Scottoline Laurent Le Bon Maja Hoffmann Erhan Albayrak and Clothing

Host Yana Peel addressed guests at the dinner.

German Larkin

Image may contain Isaac Julien Flower Flower Arrangement Flower Bouquet Plant Accessories Glasses Adult and Person

Director and author Lisa Immordino Vreeland.

German Larkin



#Gabrielle #Chanels #Idyllic #Villa #French #Riviera #Restored #Left #Vogue

Related Posts

Willy Chavarria Is A Magazine Curated By’s Latest Guest Editor

A TESTAMENT OF LOVE: A Magazine Curated By has revealed Willy Chavarria as the guest editor of its 28th issue, set to be released in print on Sunday with online…

Masu Spring 2026 Menswear Collection

What happens when a brand stages a fashion presentation not for the press and buyers but for its fans? On a sweaty June evening, Masu’s Shinpei Goto did just that.…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *