Villa Magnolia | Sotyrys Pantopulos

Mougins, a picturesque Medieval town near Cannes, is without doubt one of the most beautiful places to visit on the Côte d'Azur. It is surrounded by forests and located on a hill among pines, olives and cypress trees. We can admire its charming narrow streets, separated by flower beds and wonderful ancient houses. The town has preserved its original and exceptional shape, together with the remains of its Medieval heritage. Mougins has always had strong links with the art and culture world. The traces of the past preserved with reverence, enchanting details, harmony of colours and excellent daylight caused that the place became of interest to many artists and celebrities, such as Picasso who spent there the last fifteen years of his life, Cocteau, Fernand Léger, Paul Eluard, Man Ray, Winston Churchill, Christian Dior, Catherine Deneuve, Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel to mention but a few. The outskirts conceal unusual mysteries: luxurious properties hidden among magnificent Mediterranean parks and gardens. One of the secrets of Mougins, hiding away in one of such unique locations on the hill, among trees and shrubs, is the Villa Magnolia. The property has the floor area of 1,000 m2 and it is made of the highest quality materials. Its appearance is really enchanting, being both modern and classical at the same time. The three-storey building, with a patio, a garden and a swimming pool, is a kind of oasis where one can rest and seclude oneself from the mayhem of the world around. The façade cladding is made of white sandstone and exotic okoume wood. In addition to wooden blinds, the windows contain external controlled roller blinds, allowing to close the building like a pearl in a shell. Discrete glazed balustrades contribute to safety, and, at the same time, reveal the breath-taking view to the panorama which can be seen for example from the jacuzzi placed on one of the terraces. The master bedroom is situated on the first floor, together with the Salon d'eau bathroom by Jean-Marie Massaud and two cloakrooms. The bedroom has a roomy interior. Its walls are clad with travertine and black shale. The floor is wooden and the ceiling covered with sail fabric. They all create Mediterranean climate. The rooms are furnished with the icons of furniture designs: a bed by Jean-Marie Massaud, two Eames Lounge Chair armchairs, an Isamu Noguchi coffee table and the Poul Henningsen Artichoke lamps give unique character to the interior. In the Salon d'eau bathroom, located next to the bedroom, we can identify two sections: the bathing area, with two Philippe Starck rain showers, and the wellness area, with a Jean-Marie Massaud bathtub standing on a large wooden platform. The atmosphere of relaxation is additionally strengthened by a black stone fireplace, wooden floor, the Jean-Marie Massaud furniture and the Bang & Olufsen fittings. A large living room was designed on the ground floor. One can spend time there resting on white leather sofas by Piero Lissoni at Mex glass coffee tables by the same designer, or contemplate fire in the fireplace, while sitting in a the black Jacobsen Egg armchair. The sail fabric on the ceiling, the Minotti carpets on the wooden floor, large window glazing, white or black furniture: all that give the interior a cosy and serene nature. We can walk from the living room out to the internal atrium, with a Japanese garden. That unusual place of calm contains a statue of the Great Buddha from Kamakura: a large stone figure is standing among bamboo trees and Japanese lamps and lanterns, inviting one to meditate and contemplate. On the ground floor there is another bedroom with a large black leather bed designed by Jean-Marie Massaud, next to which a white Barcelona armchair is placed for a contrast. The walls finished with black stone and bright travertine are decorated with Japanese prints by Hiroschige, and the ceilings are covered with white wood. External window panes are clad with Japanese walls. The space is simple and rough, with references to the Japanese style. We can walk from the bedroom to the Philippe Starck bathroom (fully equipped with Axor Starck fixtures and fittings). In the internal dining room, a lot of space is given to a large and simple table designed by Jean Prouve, with Mackintosh chairs . The white wooden Japanese ceiling and Japanese walls strengthen the impression of harmony and austerity. The dining section is separated from the kitchen section by a movable matt glass wall decorated with Japanese graphic art. The kitchen annex itself is furnished with Bulthaup B3 American walnut furniture and Gaggenau fittings. We can see the wonderful panorama of Cannes, with its green hills and blue sky, straight from the external dining room, furnished with Philippe Starck furniture . On the lowest storey of the Villa Magnolia, the relaxation area was designed in the basement: fitness and spa, where we should especially mention the Duravit Inipi sauna. There is also a wine storage and cellar on the same storey, as well as a cinema room, with the Danish Bang & Olufsen equipment. One can have a good time here in many ways: by relaxing on white Lissoni sofas or Egg armchairs, playing snooker, watching 3D movies, listening to music from Beo Lab5 loudspeakers, or sitting at the bar made of black Nero Marquina marble. A black-stone fireplace is noticeable, with ten Tibetan figures presenting various Buddha aspects, e.g. Medicine Buddha, Green Tara, or Buddha – Loving Eyes. In the Spa section, the corridors are clad with bamboo wood and the floor reminds of a boat gangway: the middle section is made of wood and the sides are decorated with raw stones. A similar reference to a boat gangway can be found on the ceiling. The area of that storey is closed by three spare rooms, with bathrooms by various designers: the Bouroullec Brothers, Antonio Citterio and Philippe Starck. The Bouroullec Brothers bathroom contains glass panes with Tord Boontje prints, while the one by Antonio Citterio with the designer's bathtub, is made of black marble, Nero Marquina. There is a swimming pool in the garden, surrounded with a platform made of teak wood on which Dedon garden furniture by Jean-Marie Massaud is placed. The Japanese pavilion situated nearby, made of white timber, provides a hideout from sunshine and a resting place. Glazed space was designed on the rooftop, subdivided by walls with Tord Boontje's prints. The area contains children's rooms. The rooms are colourful and pleasant, with Edward van Vliet furniture. The area is completed by a Patricia Urquiola bathroom. The pavilion is fitted with a system of controlled blinds and roller blinds assuring full darkness. Above the pavilion there is wooden pergola providing additional air circulation. The Villa Magnolia gained its name after beautiful trees growing around the building. Those delicate and low trees perfectly harmonize with the house's mass. They create the aura of mystery and the promise of something unusual …

Architects : Sotyrys & Aleksander Pantopulos Digital Effect Design Studio

Colaborators: Justyna Zagajska Digital Effect Design Studio

Interior design : Sotyrys& Aleksander Pantopulos Digital Effect Design Studio

Structural: Alutech

Contractor: Speckam

Glass / Windows : Reynaers Aluminium

EiB / KNX : Gira

Audio system , speakers & TV : Bang & Olufsen

Interior lighting : Artemide , Louis Poulsen, Modular , Flos, Ingo Maurer, Foscarini , Tronconi, Tord Boontje.

Exterior Lighting : Bega, Limburg , Modular

Kitchen Furniture : Bulthaup b3

Kitchen equipment: Gaggenau

Interior furniture : Cassina , Vitra , Minotti, Fritz Hansen , Moroso , Walter Knoll , B&B italia , Lema , Porro, Poltrona Frau, USM, Lignie roset, Gandia Blasco, Maggis , Poala Lenti, Kartell, Fiam.

Exterior furniture : Dedon, Driade , B&B Italia

Bathrooms equipment : Axor Hansgrohe ,

Duravit Sauna : Inipi Duravit

Jacuzzi : by Jacuzzi

Stones : travertine, Marble Nero Marquina, slate blackstone , sandstone

Wood : teak, bamboo, American walnut , merbau and okoume

photo: Paweł Ulatowski