Medieval Modern

The quiet medieval village of Lagrasse in Corbières is the latest location for a Vipp guest house – the hospitality side-project of the Danish design brand known for pedal bins, modular metal kitchens and other contemporary Scandinavian classics. This is the brand’s 12th guest house, and like the others, the project is a dialogue between architecture, history and industrial modernity.

Lagrasse is one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, an official designation identifying small rural villages with beauty and cultural appeal – so there was never going to be a problem attracting tourists to its winding medieval streets honeyed stone buildings and surrounding vineyards. Vipp’s take on design is always a singular one, though, and it’s the contrast between the ancient building and the modern interiors that makes this place stand out.

Dating back to the 1350s, the 97 sqm townhouse has been carefully restored under strict heritage guidelines by local architects, preserving its thick stone walls and sloping terracotta roof. The facade remains traditional-looking, now gently updated with muted green window frames and doors – but inside, the space has a contemporary sensibility, thanks to the work of longstanding Vipp collaborator and interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard.

“For this project, we looked to a focused set of materials: wood, stainless steel, marble, plastered walls and coarse pebble floors,” says Cloos Mølsgaard. “The idea was to create a sense of calm and coherence; a home that respects its surroundings and lets the history of the space form the foundation of design.”

The pebble floors at ground level create a continuation from the cobbled streets outside, while a feature staircase balustrade made from overlapping metal rectangular frames – created by local metalsmith Alejandro Berconsky – acts as a functional centrepiece. “The staircase acts as a sculptural, connecting element, almost like an integrated art piece, tying the three levels of the house together while paying tribute to local craftsmanship,” says Cloos Mølsgaard.

The guest house is also a place for exploring Vipp’s own design language, in line with the idea that all of its hospitality projects should be places where you can experience the brand first-hand. From the V3 kitchen island on the first floor to the bespoke edition of the Swivel chair upholstered in a fabric by Pierre Frey, every piece is placed to engage with the house’s historical context.

Vipp has released a collection of outdoor furniture – appropriately called Lagrasse – to coincide with the launch of the guest house. The dining chairs that sits on the first-floor terrace are the perfect blend of Danish design roots and contemporary performance materials, with a woven cord seat and back, and aluminium frame.

The top-floor bedroom suite is completely open-plan, with the bed facing the green shuttered windows on to the street, while tucked into the back of the floorplan there is a dramatic shower area featuring a massive circular shower tray, made from local red marble, framed by a tall window. In the space in-between there’s a Vipp wall-hung bathroom basin vanity unit, plus a further dining table and chairs: “The table can be used as a vanity, as a workstation, or even for a late-night snack,” says Cloos Mølsgaard. “It’s unusual to place a dining table in a bedroom, but here it felt natural – the space invites you to live differently.”

Despite all the contemporary design here, Cloos Mølsgaard never forgets the wider context, from the warm white colour of the walls, inspired by the shade found at the nearby Lagrasse Abbey (a tolling-bell’s distance away) to the way that every layout has been designed to embrace window and door openings with views on to the square beyond (the designer sited the kitchen on the first floor to take advantage of the French doors and balcony, for morning coffee or sundowners). Here, sleepy, soulful and Scandi have all synchronised to devise the perfect night’s stay.