Villa Grande Paix has an unusually bucolic aura about it, and as such this quiet and charmingly appointed property offers a refreshing change from the cheek-by-jowl feeling that characterizes some of the exclusive but densely packed residential areas on the Côte d'Azur. First, there are the noble iron gates and the long, graceful driveway that lead to the property through a canopy of trees. From its hilltop location the house overlooks a field covered with soft green grass, and only a flock of sheep is missing to complete the pastoral picture, a rare one for an area which has become increasingly populated in recent years. The tastefully chosen antiques also give the décor a pleasantly country aspect, and the overall ambiance of the property is almost that of a small manor house in a rural setting that could be Provence.
For all of its prettily decorated rooms, fireplaces and special comforts, Villa Grande Paix is at its most glorious in the May-through-September period, when the Mediterranean coast is usually blessed by an unbroken stream of balmy days and cloudless skies. This is the period when residents treat interior and exterior spaces as one continuous environment, and swimming pools rather than living rooms become the social center of the house.
At Villa Grande Paix, entire days can be spent at the lovely 10.5m X 6.5m (34' X 21') pool, which has a diving board at one end and curved steps at the other. The pool terrace has parasols and good-quality deck furniture, and is illuminated at night by picturesque lampposts. Framing this little patch of summer paradise are laurel bushes, cypress trees, stands of rosemary and green grass. In short, there is everything necessary here, including an arbor, for one to pass hours in the shade with a good book when not sunning, swimming or exploring this bountiful region with its quiet villages, art museums and nearby beaches.
An especially delightful feature is the poolside summer kitchen, which has a sink, refrigerator and dishwasher as well as a shower, changing room, and WC. There is a built-in stone barbecue for grilling fresh fish or chops, and guests can take a break from the rigors of swimming and sunning to enjoy lunch and perhaps a chilled bottle of Côtes-de-Provence rosé at the table for ten, which is shaded from the midday sun by a sloping terra cotta roof.
Villa Grande Paix, set on a hillside terrain of about 6,000m2 (about 1.5 acres), is surrounded by a terraced garden with grass, shade trees, flowers and flagstone paths. Families with young children will appreciate the designated play area with a portable basketball hoop, badmitton/volleyball net, a playset with swings, a slide and a climbing tower. Next to the play area is a flat grassy area perfect for little ones to run around or older ones to kick around a soccer ball. Parents can supervise children at play from the gazebo which overlooks the entire area and also enjoys long range views of the mountains.
The villa has well-appointed and spacious public rooms, a superb kitchen, and four attractively decorated bedrooms, all with tiled ensuite baths. All rooms are bright and sunny. The furnishings throughout are principally country antiques of good quality (some are reproductions), with a few traditional and contemporary touches that harmonize well with the older pieces. The walls are bright white, the ceilings beamed and the flooring principally terra cotta tile with colorful area rugs.
Two especially inviting rooms are the commodious salon, which is on the middle floor of this three-level villa, and the cozy library area, which is on the uppermost, mezzanine level overlooking the salon.
The salon has three large, plush sofas that face a marble fireplace, and substantial wooden tables and sidepieces in light colors. The overall effect is to lend a cheerful, country ambiance to a room that has a naturally sunny and breezy feel. By contrast, the cozy library and sitting area on the mezzanine above, which has hardwood floors and is lined with wooden bookshelves, has a warm, clubby atmosphere that is enhanced by the comfortable sofas and chairs, and adjustable overhead lighting. There is a large TV here with satellite reception (including CNN and BBC) and a DVD player, as well as an attractive wood desk that is ideal for setting up a notebook computer.
Also on the middle level are the dining room and kitchen. The dining room has a farm table for eight, and double doors opening onto the front terrace, which overlooks the pool and valley west toward Grasse. The kitchen, which also opens onto the terrace, is excellent by any standard: well-equipped for serious cooking, with a double sink and modern appliances that include a huge two-door refrigerator, five-burner stove, dishwasher and both conventional and microwave ovens. The room is filled with light from wide windows with views toward the pool and surrounding hillside. There is a separate pantry with sink, and an adjacent laundry room has a modern washing machine and separate tumble dryer.
The four main bedrooms have ceiling fans and air-conditioning units. Two are on the lower, garden level, and two are on the uppermost level with the library. There is also a fifth bedroom, simply appointed and most suitable for a single adult, perhaps a nanny, on the middle level near the kitchen. This bedroom has a single bed and a private bath with single vanity, stall shower and WC just across the hall.
On the lower level one bedroom has a king-sized bed (it can be split into two twin beds), and its own private entrance to the garden. The bath has a tub and hand-held shower. The second bedroom, on the other side of the foyer, has twin beds plus a single bed with trundle and a bath with stall shower only. Both rooms are reasonably spacious and warmly furnished with simple antique wood pieces, and have excellent closet space (the first bedroom has a separate dressing area) and views over the valley.
The third and fourth bedrooms, on the upper level, are exceptionally sunny, comfortable and private. The third bedroom has a 140cm (54" across) double bed, while the fourth and largest bedroom, the master, has a king-sized bed and a large in-wall closet. The ensuite bath in each bedroom has a tub and overhead shower. Both bedrooms are decorated with great charm. The master bedroom is exceptionally pleasant, having a cozy sitting area with a loveseat, and large glass doors on one side that open onto stone steps to provide a private entrance from the garden.
All of the bedrooms have good-quality bedding and night tables with lamps for reading in bed. The ensuite baths are all bright, have modern fixtures and are tiled in pretty colors.
For outside dining when not at the pool house, guests can choose between the long terrace off the dining room, or a second terrace, also large but somewhat more intimate because it is arbored, that opens off the salon through glass doors. Both terraces have tables for up to eight, and both share the same view that sunbathers at the pool have - west over hillsides dotted with reddish terra cotta tile roofs of houses that line the hillside toward Grasse, and north toward the nearby village of Châteauneuf-de-Grasse.
Other amenities include window screens, high-speed Internet access, and a security system.
Villa Grande Paix lies in an area that is particularly rich in restaurants of all styles and price categories, ranging from the utterly charming and inexpensive Bistro de Valbonne, at Valbonne, to the moderately priced but superb Lou Cigalou, also at Valbonne, up to the Michelin two-star Bastide St.-Antoine at Grasse, where international food writers make perpetual pilgrimages to sing the praises of superstar chef Jacques Chibois. Mougins, a picture-perfect village about 15 minutes to the south, has no fewer than eight restaurants, including the always friendly Resto des Arts, where the 120F menu is the best deal on the entire Côte d'Azur. The Autoroute, which allows easy access to Nice and Monaco to the east, and St.-Tropez and Provence to the west, is less than 20 minutes. The sandy beaches of Cannes, and its famed Croisette, always resplendent with interesting luxury boutiques and even more interesting people, is less than a half hour's drive. The most charming of the arrière-pays villages,
including St.-Paul-de-Vence, Biot and Tourrettes-sur-Loup, are all within a half-hour.
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