Chateau On the Hill
After looking at several properties within the French region of Rochessauve, Artist Grant Innes and his husband Rony Zibara settled down in the chateau on the hill - and by hill we mean vertiginous mountain.
“Rony and I fell in love with the remoteness of the chateau. On our initial appointment to view the house, even before we arrived, I was bowled over by the winding climb up the hillside. The woodlands and the rolling pastures transported us, it was as if we were lost in time, tumbled into a more magical era, the woes of the world swept away. Rony was not as immediately convinced as I was, but once we arrived and saw the house and the grounds, we both pinched ourselves to see if it was real - we decided there and then that it was a very, very special place”.
They took over the property in early 2015 and embarked on an almost year-long restoration project that was full of discoveries and design adventures. “The previous owners were antique dealers and had amazing taste but the structural challenges were enormous”.
“There were parts of the structure that were literally falling apart. I locked down with our construction team and we figured out how to save the house from falling in on itself”.
“We don't get to stay at the property as often as we would like, we are there perhaps several months out of the year. We have been distracted by other projects, we have been in building mode over the last few years putting together other properties for our portfolio. Rochessauve was however the perfect escape for the lockdown of 2020, we were able to have an extended stay and truly embrace living there - we truly felt protected from the madness of the pandemic. Rochessauve loosely translates to safety rocks, the reaching stone cliffs did indeed protect us in 2020”.
As we look round the property, Grant points out some of his favourite pieces and how each one holds a story and contributes to the evolution of this incredible chateau.
“I did this painting in the early 90s (pictured right). It is a portrait of my dear friend, Marilyn Richardson. Years ago Marilyn and I took a road trip to Cape Cod. This piece comes from that experience. It was the period in my life when I was teaching myself to paint. It was a wonderful time of self-discovery. The image was featured, internationally, on the cover of Applied Arts magazine and this was huge for me, especially at that point in my young life - a lovely success. The piece has been with us in our homes in Toronto, New York, Provence and now Rochessauve. There is meaning in that”.
“The courtyard and entrance to the chateau is the heart of the house. It’s where we greet friends and where we say goodbye. We have had many special meals at the courtyard dinning table which is tucked under the evergreen of a loquat tree. On chilly evenings, we have cocktails and toast birthdays and special milestones around the wee fireplace there. It is place of coming together and being joyful”.
“After they’d battled structural changes the next step was updating the chateau to become a space where they could gather their closest friends and family, “We made many changes, yet did our best to be faithful to the history of the building. Among the larger changes we made we turned an old hayloft into a painting studio and below that, we converted the pig pen to a meeting and ideation space. Perhaps most importantly we added four bedrooms by transforming forgotten spaces and added numerous en-suite bathrooms. We wanted a place where we could gather with groups of friends and family.
The property is full of nooks where guests can hide away on their own and there is also a multitude of places to gather, whether it be poolside, in the various reception rooms or in Club Gigi, a small discoteque in the arcades that underpin the chateau”.
“The placement of the house is incomparable. Built originally as a fortified castle, it is perched on a small plateau, backed by vast cliffs, with a plunging valley to the front (pictured above). The spectacular landscape was forged by an ancient volcano. The natural springs and abundant woodlands support a large variety of wildlife. The farm fields that trace the valley down to the village are home to cattle, horses and ponies. Built from stones gathered from the domain, the chateau and its grounds are alive with nature and in harmony with its surroundings”.
“Rony and I adore the search for forgotten treasures. We are "chineurs". A French word that looses so much in its translation to bargain hunters. The French Countryside is littered with "vides greniers" (empty the attic sales), and other wonderful ways to repurpose unwanted items. Whether it be a car boot sales, a brocantes or serious antique show, a day out wondering and antiquing is a charming way to discover neighbouring towns and villages. Plus, you truly find amazing pieces”.
“Folklore dictates that there is a vast treasure hidden somewhere in the chateau. Many have searched for it over the centuries but it remains unclaimed. We have had treasure hunts, with our younger visitors, that have proved magical. These treasure hunts embody the spirit of the chateau - it's a place where magic blurs its way into daily life. This is a beautiful thing to experience and even more wonderful when it is shared with loved ones”.
“A roaring fire has always held fascination for me, the comfort, the smell, the warmth, all satisfy a primal part of our being. Fireside is a natural gathering place. A place to chat, to share and be with those you adore. I love gathering twigs on the property, saving candle ends and bits of paper packaging, all to use as fire starter. The preparation of the fire is slow build to that lovely end-of-the-day, when we sit down, slippers on and feet up. The roar and the crackle are unbeatable sounds to relax to - nothing better than a wee whisky in a vintage cut crystal tumbler beside the warm glow of a fire”.
Do you collect anything?
“I have a weakness for silver cutlery. I channel my inner grandmother and head to any and every brocante and/or car boot sale I can find in the region. My eyes are trained to find that unique sparkle of silver in the sunshine from a 100 meters”.
If your house was on fire, which three items would you take with you?
“My dad's painting. My dad's painting. My dad's painting”.
Which item would describe your style?
“Our collection of art and objets is, in a way, a history of us as a couple and of the different places we have lived and travelled. The bits and pieces Rony and I have collected over the years, and of course my own work mixed in, speaks to our eclectic sense of curation and is a diary of us”.
How has your taste evolved over the years?
“My personal taste has evolved enormously as my world has opened up, yet remains rooted in who I am and where I come from.
Rony's Lebanese heritage has been a huge influence, and as well his family's glamorous history. Our travels and endless trips to galleries, antique hunting and just being endlessly visually curious. If I see a pattern it is my nature to deconstruct it, if I see a painting I want to know how it was assembled and layered - this curiosity applies to any object that catches my eye. It is my way of seeing the world. I continuously want to understand the construct of beauty”.
who/what inspires your taste?
“We tend to be attracted to properties in various states of dilapidation and in need of TLC. We are drawn to saving a place from falling into nothingness, or worse a bad renovation. To begin, we look to the bones of the structure, the era of its design and the context. We try to be faithful to these aspects with respect to the architecture of the building and allow ourselves a freedom to be expressive with the interior design and objects within.
There is an abundance of wonderfully creative influences in the world, but the French interior designer, Madeleine Castaing, is often a touchstone in how we see magic in an object or in design. Her ability to put the unexpected together has changed how we all live. Arguably, she is the mother of eclecticism. Merci Madame Castaing!”.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
“I am often asked this question. Truthfully, I cannot answer it. I love all of our houses, in some cases the renovation process has been painful, some not so much. That said, I am always sad to leave one of our houses but I am immediately excited to arrive at the next”.
When asked about his favourite space the answer was clear “Easy question, my studio (pictured right)! It is my space to escape and to be in my own head, to be creative and to develop ideas for my work.
At best, the WiFi is spotty in the studio, the thick stone walls dull the signal - this suits me perfectly, I am happy off the grid and away from the many distractions of contemporary life that can disrupt my creative process. A favourite studio day is chilly, a fire burning, our dog, Whiskey, coming and going as she pleases, padding up and down the circular staircase, and my head consumed by the simple decisions that will make up a painting”.
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Photographed by Walter Zak