Les Portes-en-Ré, Charente 17880

A contemporary Ile-de-Ré villa, of more than 300 m², with a swimming pool and a fitness room on the outskirts of Les Portes-en-Ré. Behind a long white wall, the property is accessible via a gate that opens on to a gravel courtyard, while a pedestrian door provides access to a large covered, open-air structure, which gives on to the property. From here, an initial garden is planted with bamboo, palm trees, grasses and Mediterranean plants, whereas, past this verdant space, the dwelling, separated into different spaces arranged around multiple patios, gradually reveals itself in the style of traditional Ile-de-Ré houses. Historically, these dwellings often resulted from progressively grouping together buildings linked to salt manufacturing or winemaking, and these homes, salt warehouses or former wine storehouses were then connected via courtyards protected from the wind. This property echoes this rationale, but with a more contemporary spin, with its lime-plastered exteriors, dark shutters and barrel tile roofs, which repeat the island's architectural codes, while its wide sliding glass doors create a fluid relationship with its exteriors. From its overall proportions to its interior layout, the entire project was conceived by the architect Jeanne Dumont, whereas the materials used throughout confirms the dwelling's affluent, but understated character: black brick floors on the ground level, narrow-plank oak parquet floors upstairs, finely-crafted woodwork, wood-panelled ceilings and a variety of custom-made furniture.