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LA FERME BONNEFOY

La Ferme Bonnefoy - two centuries ago a working farm and now an impeccably renovated mas that still bears the name of the original family - is one of JUST FRANCE's most striking properties in the eastern Lubéron. With its commodious ground floor living and dining room area, extraordinary professional-style kitchen, five bedrooms (all with magnificent views over the Lubéron) and three pristine baths, the mas is ideal for a family or a group of couples who want an authentic Provençal home with exceptional comforts and a good location from which to explore the hillside villages of the Lubéron. All in all the natural charm and rusticity of the old farmhouse has been preserved, while the modern amenities created by the renovation have brought the house to a level of comfort found only in superior properties.

Bearing in mind that life in Provence during the warm months consists largely of living outside and using the interior mainly for sleeping and preparing meals to be enjoyed al fresco, the crowning touches to this attractive and exceptionally comfortable property are the sprawling stone terrace that runs are the entire length of the mas, and the newly landscaped pool area on the west side of the structure. From the terrace and the pool, to quote our notes taken when we first inspected La Ferme Bonnefoy, "there are panoramic views over the Lubéron and parts of Apt, soft breezes, perfect tranquillity, and a pleasing mix of sunshine and shadow." The view stretches as far as the eye can see, all the way to the Vaucluse Plateau and the limestone cap of Mont Ventoux, Provence's highest peak. One cannot imagine a more spectacular setting for the sunsets of flaming oranges, blues and pinks that Provence routinely produces for its fortunate inhabitants.

Seen from a distance, the mas' distinctive stucco pinkish-ochre exterior makes a typically Provençal picture against the blue summer sky. The house, rectangular in shape and more than 25m (about 82') long, is situated on a terrain of about two-third of a hectare (1.6 acres) on a gentle hillside between Apt and the medieval village of Bonnieux, the drive between these two communities being among the most beautiful in Provence. With its placement in the protected Parc National du Lubéron among vineyards, cherry orchards and lavender fields, the property has a distinctly pastoral feel redolent of old Provence.

At the east end of the long open-plan room on the ground floor is a comfortable sitting area comprised of a sofa with matching armchairs and a coffeetable grouped around an oriental rug in front of a white stone fireplace; at the west end is an elegant farmhouse- style dining table with wooden chairs for up to twelve. From the dining area a curving terra cotta tile staircase leads to the upper-level bedrooms. Near the staircase is a powder room with WC and lavatory. Altogether this space has a vaguely baronial feel to it, the ambiance of refined rusticity deriving from the huge fireplace that dominates one end of the room, the warm wood tones of the dining area at the other, and a ceiling beamed from one end to the other by massive tree trunks brought to a high polish. The entire spaces is connected visually by a floor of terra cotta tile that runs the length of the room.

In the middle of the ground-floor room and between these sitting and dining room areas is the kitchen, whose open plan allows guests who are preparing meals to converse with those in the sitting area. Two doorways open from the long room to the large stone terrace, where there is outdoor dining furniture and a gas barbecue.

The kitchen at La Ferme Bonnefoy is a cook's paradise, and one of the most impressive we have seen in any of our many properties in the South of France. The appliances are new and of the highest quality, with the centerpiece being a professional-level five burner gas stove (the fifth is for large-diameter casseroles) with two ovens, one conventional and one convection, and a full-sized exhaust hood. Other appliances include a large two-door side-by-side American-style refrigerator with water and ice dispensers, dishwasher, built- in microwave oven, and a host of smaller appliances. The counters are of polished granite, and a large island provides abundant counter space for sous-chefs drafted to prepare fruits and vegetables brought home from that morning's village market. Maple cabinets, all beautifully crafted by hand, line the kitchen and its work areas; in the cabinets is a full array of top-quality cookware, table linens, glasses, stemware and flatware. All work spaces are perfectly illuminated by strategically placed overhead lights. And the pièce de résistance - sparing dedicated cooks the necessity of lugging their own cutlery across the Atlantic - is a smartly displayed full set of professional knives.

While a wonderful kitchen may not be a priority for all vacationers, good beds and sparkling clean bathrooms are standard to everybody's wish list. On the upper level of La Ferme Bonnefoy are five bedrooms, all with new bedding, and three modern and well- appointed bathrooms. These rooms all open off a long, sunny corridor with terra cotta tile floor that runs the full length of the rear wall of the mas. The hall connects with another staircase at the east end of the house.

The first two bedrooms, on the west end at the top of the curving staircase, actually comprises a suite of rooms with a small single bedroom and a separate double bedroom. The two rooms are separated by a heavy wood door.

The first bedroom, which must be entered to reach the second bedroom, has a single bed with a trundle pullout and a lovely antique chest. The adjoining, second bedroom is furnished with a queen- sized bed, chest of drawers and two attractive bentwood chairs. A large armoire provides closet space.

Directly next door to this suite is a bathroom, decorated with pretty green tiles, that has a tub (a modern version of the old clawfoot tub) with a hand-held shower, and a heated towel rack. The WC is directly next door in a separate room.

The third bedroom, which opens near the middle of the hall, is especially spacious and has a queen-sized bed in a brass frame, an oriental rug, an antique chest of drawers with marble top, two bentwood chairs and a huge armoire. Next door to the second bedroom is a bathroom in white tile, especially bright from an overhead skylight, with a stall shower and lavatory. This bathroom shares the independent WC in the hall.

The fourth bedroom has two 1.2m (4') wide beds and an in-wall closet. The beds are in matching antique metal frames, and both have charming patchwork coverlets. Occupants of this bedroom have their choice between the bath or shower room described above that is at the west end of the floor, or the bath described below that is at the east end.

The fifth bedroom, at the east end of the corridor, has a queen-sized bed in a brass frame, an antique chest of drawers and generous closet space. The furnishings in this room are more simple, almost Spartan, which gives the bedroom a farmhouse quality that is find quite pleasing. This bedroom uses a spacious and beautifully appointed bathroom, tiled in white, with a tub and hand-held shower. A separate WC is next door.

As these five bedrooms all have windows on the front of the mas, each receives abundant natural light and has a superb long-range over the Lubéron toward Mont Ventoux. Each bedroom also has two bedside tables, both with a good reading lamps, and terra cotta tile floors. In general the bedrooms have a clean and uncluttered quality, with an attractive combination of woody and bright tones, that we find fresh and visually appealing.

The staircase at the east end of the mas returns to the main seating area, behind which is a secluded and cozy library lined with bookshelves that is ideal for reading and writing, napping or simply contemplating the beauties of the Lubéron. The library has a single bed with a trundle pullout. Taking into consideration the single bedroom upstairs, the mas can therefore comfortably accommodate up to eleven guests.

Complementing the symmetrical approach that characterizes the altogether successful renovation of this venerable old farmhouse, there is yet another sitting area, equally warm and inviting as the one in the main room, at the west end of the ground floor beyond the dining area. Here there are a leather sofa and matching armchairs, television, VCR and a full stereo system (CD and tape deck) grouped around an open fireplace. As La Ferme Bonnefoy has an excellent and environmentally friendly geothermal heating system, in winter months this is the perfect place to light a fire (logs are provided) and catch up on world news after an intimate candlelit dinner - perhaps a rosemary-seasoned leg of lamb from the butcher in Apt whose shop is near the lavender boutique, which in turn is next door to a friendly café with good salads and just across from the bank with the convenient ATM machine.

Other amenities at La Ferme Bonnefoy include a separate laundry room below the house with a two modern washing machines and a dryer, satellite television reception with CNN and SKY TV, and abundant outdoor furniture for the terrace and 5M X 10M (16.5' X 33') pool. There is parking for several cars.

A feature of not to be overlooked is the proximity of La Ferme Bonnefoy to Apt, a busy and thoroughly Provençal small town with all necessary forms of commerce. Here one can find a full selection of bakeries, pâtisseries, butchers, green grocers and poultry stores, as well as an especially splendid wine shop operated by a friendly and highly knowledgeable English-speaking owner. And on Saturday mornings, the town hosts a colorful open-air market where shoppers wend their way through narrow streets and alleys thronged with merchants selling regional products such as lavender, honey, fabrics in bold Provençal patterns, spit-roasted free-range chickens and, unforgettable for its aroma, the pungent banon cheese from local goat herders.