Extérieurs design⎪Brigitte Dematteis in Extérieurs design
Under the guidance of landscape designer Brigitte Dematteis, a 7,000 m² garden tells the story of the Provençal land in a way that is as authentic as it is contemporary. It all began with a book leafed through by the owners. They were discovering the world of Brigitte Dematteis in her book Dialogue avec des jardins méditerranéens: her projects across the South of France, walks through singular spaces, gardens and terraces — but always one common thread: the vision of its author, a painter and landscape designer, and her love of this South where she was born and which has never ceased to inspire her since earliest childhood. (…) a path that offers itself to the visitor of the house and tells, in its own way, the story of the South of France. Treated like garrigue, a succession of Mediterranean scents and plants — from rosemary to santolina, by way of myrtle and lavender — compose a play of shifting greys and textures. The majestic olive grove welcomes the walker. Another surprise: the ruins of an old mas are set with agapanthus and lavender. Better still, once night falls, the lighting makes them sublime. “I wanted to create the link between the past and modernity, while making the landscaper's hand disappear.” Each space is worked to create rhythm and volume. As Brigitte Dematteis herself puts it, “I devote myself to working the shadow and light that sculpt the plants.” Likewise, the plant palette is chosen as so many hues that will transform through the seasons. The range of greens and greys is enriched in spring with blues and pinks, while come summer the orange of the daylilies sets it all ablaze, beginning with the blue of the lavender. “The place always dictates the landscape palette. It must be achieved with a concern for simplicity that is the culmination of an enormous work of complexity and technical skill (…) simplicity is synonymous with elegance.” This garden, brimming with authentic charm, is a fine illustration of it.