Click on photos to enlarge image
All text and graphics ©2006 Just France

LE MAS DES FLEURS

Le Mas des Fleurs certainly lives up to its name - the Provençal house of flowers. The colors of the handsomely landscaped terrain - substantial for a property situated in a hillside village - range from red rosebushes to the lavender flowers of rosemary hedges to the deep green of cypress trees barbered to cigar-like perfection. Palm trees grow randomly in the smooth lawn that rolls down from the driveway to surround the pool and garden area. Stone boxes and ceramic pots on the two terraces brim with geraniums and other flowers, and above the pool is a berme, supported by a wall of Provençal stone, filled with shrubs and exotic plants. Against this pageant of colors stands the mas itself, a typically Provençal structure with faded red tile roof and beige stucco walls. It is, as the French would say, truly a maison fleurie - a house bejeweled with flowers.

The theme of bright, exuberant colors is continued in the interior décor of the mas. Every room, from the salon to the bedrooms and even to the pretty tiled bathrooms, has its own pleasing color scheme. In the salon, it is deep Mediterranean blue and soft yellow; in the master bedroom, it is beige-yellow on the roughly textured stucco walls, and blue and white in the tilework of the ensuite bath; and in the kitchen, the pale aubergine of the tile counters combines with the soft green of the cabinetry. Complementing these vibrant colors throughout the mas are the handsome paneled wood doors, the burnt orange of the terra cotta tile floors and the dark mahogany tones of the ceiling beams. Add white walls for coolness and contrast, two spacious terraces for summer dining, and an abundance of windows and glass doors to flood the house with light, and you have an environment that is extraordinary for its relaxed, cheerful ambiance and sheer visual appeal.

Le Mas des Fleurs is situated in an exclusive residential area about a five-minute walk from the hilltop village of Mougins. (The highly reputed Mas Candille, a small auberge with an excellent restaurant, occupies the adjacent property.) The compound is entered through an electronically controlled iron gate off a small road that links that village with a shopping area in the valley below, where there is a fine bakery, two butchers, a presse (with the International Herald Tribune and Wall Street Journal delivered daily) and numerous other shops. It is a five-minute drive to a supermarket.

Just beyond the large foyer lies the salon, an exceptionally inviting room, with three large sofas, overstuffed armchairs, a large TV (with satellite reception), stereo system with tape and CD players, and an impressive antique armoire.

Both the salon and and its adjacent "coffee lounge" open through sliding glass doors to a long terrace that runs the entire length of the rear façade. Full-length draperies may be drawn if desired, but they are not required for privacy. The outdoor furniture includes wrought-iron chairs, chaise longues, an oval teak table that will accommodate up to 10, and a free-standing barbecue with charcoal supplied by the owner. The view from the terrace, west over hillsides dotted with red tile roofs of communities that stretch toward Grasse and beyond into the Alpes Maritimes, is superb. And to the east is the village of Mougins, with its steeple, clock tower and villas carved into the hillside.

The kitchen, recently expanded and totally renovated, is well equipped with good crockery and cooking utensils and thoroughly modern appliances, including a large two-door refrigerator with ice dispenser, dishwasher and conventional and microwave wall ovens. The stove has two gas and two electric burners, as well as a built-in grill and deep-fat fryer. The kitchen opens onto the rear terrace and overlooks the pool. Despite its sophisticated equipment the kitchen has a pleasant country feeling, perfect for serious cooks. Laundry facilities are in the basement, where there is a modern washing machine and separate tumble dryer.

The dining room of Le Mas des Fleurs, which also overlooks the pool, is at the end of the villa nearest the kitchen. Here there is a large oval teak table that can accommodate up to 10. The windows can be removed from their arches in warm weather to bring in the soft Mediterranean breezes, and can be replaced for cozy dining at Christmas or during the cool months. As from the rear terrace, the view from the dining room is stunning.

As is typical of many villas in the South of France, the master bedroom at Le Mas des Fleurs opens off the salon and comprises a completely private suite with access directly to the rear terrace. Here there is a king-sized bed that can be split into two twins if necessary, a dressing area with large closets, and, concealed in a cabinet, a TV. The enormous ensuite bath has an oversized bathtub and an excellent stall shower with a shower head that can be adjusted for massage. As with all the bedrooms in the villa, there is a fine view over the hillsides toward Grasse.

From the foyer (where a powder room is discreetly tucked under the stairs) a wide staircase with a railing and terra cotta tile steps winds to the upper level, where there are three bright and sunny bedrooms, two with large double beds and the third comprising a second master suite with king-sized bed that can be split into two twins if necessary. The first two bedrooms, both of medium size, are decorated in a simple but pleasing fashion, with sheer blue and green drapes, white walls and colorful bedspreads. Each of these bedrooms has an independent full bath, one directly across the hall and the other at the end of the hall. Both bathrooms are good-sized and tiled in pleasing colors.

The third upstairs bedroom has an ensuite bath with stall shower, a dressing area with mirrored closets, and a private terrace with a table and chairs. The drapes are sheer white, and the king-sized bed (which can be split into two twins) has a pretty coverlet.

In addition to its great appeal as a comfortable vacation home, one of Le Mas des Fleurs' greatest assets is its proximity to Mougins. As any guidebook will relate, Mougins is one of the most charming villages of the arrière pays, the hilly area, honeycombed with little towns and villages, that rises from the Mediterranean coast.

Having visited Mougins one can never forget its little square with the ancient fountain draped in a cascade of flowers. The windy little streets of the village are lined with antique shops and galleries, and there are no less than a dozen restaurants, ranging from Roger Vergé's Moulin de Mougins to the always busy Resto des Arts, where the 100F menu is, hands down, the best deal between Monaco and Saint-Tropez.

Other opportunities abound: For golfers the prestigious Royal Mougins Golf Club is only a 10-minute drive. For art lovers the Picasso Museum at Antibes, Fondation Maeght at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and Renoir studio at Cagnes-sur-Mer, to name but a few great museums, lie within a 25-minute drive. Mougins is minutes from the Autoroute, which connects Nice and Monaco on the east, and Saint-Tropez and Provence on the west. Cannes, with its fine beach clubs, countless beauty salons and swank shops along the famed Croisette, is but a brief drive to the south.

But best of all is the quiet repose of Le Mas des Fleurs. Here day after day can be spent in tranquillity, with lunch on the terrace, followed by an afternoon by the pool, perhaps followed later by a therapeutic stroll to the village for dinner in yet another different restaurant.