Homes & Estates

Interior designers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli decorated Villa René Lalique’s six exclusive suites with Art Deco-inspired furnishings and cr ystal accessories inspired by original René Lalique motifs.

vivre,” says Denz, who purchased Lalique holdings, in- cluding the factory, the villa and a 20-acre park in 2008. At first, he pondered turning the villa into a guesthouse to receive the company’s customers and business partners. He knew the 1920 villa “merited thorough restoration, true to the original,” but he soon realized that it was too small for a guesthouse and res- taurant. He asked his friend Mario Botta — the Swiss architect of international renown, whose designs have included the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, the Tinguely Museum in Basel and the Cymbalista Synagogue at Tel Aviv University — to develop a de- sign concept that “embodied the Lalique lifestyle at the highest level,” while ensuring adequate space to accommodate guests and contemporary comforts. Botta conceived a modern rectangular build- ing for the restaurant, made of glass and borne on columns of red Vosges sandstone, resurrected next to the original villa and linked to the house by an all-glass walkway. The four glazed sides and plant-covered roof blend seamlessly on the property’s six acres of park- land, dotted with the calm of hydrangea, chestnut, birch, beech, oak, spruce and blue cedar trees. Botta saw the juxtaposition between the two buildings as a true expression of architecture, which often seeks to merge the past with present.

“The history of architecture is a history of different periods,” he once told Denz. “Villa René Lalique dates from the early 20th century and has the character of that period. The restaurant will be a contemporary ex- pression, sensitive to present day.” With this in mind, an ambitious design scheme was developed that encompassed the villa’s six exclusive suites, a lounge, a bar, a breakfast room and an adjacent restaurant with

played in Lalique’s shops and showrooms worldwide. “Lalique has always been inspired by Art Deco,” explains Denz. “Lady Tina Green loves Art Deco and she loves Lalique, so her style is a perfect fit with ours.” In the end, the massive three-year renovation of Villa René Lalique produced a true homage to the craftsmen at the Lalique factory and to the century-old heritage of René Lalique himself. His philosophy — “Better to seek beauty than flaunt luxury” — endures in the family home, which was faithfully and authenti- cally preserved. The designers worked closely with Denz to transform six distinct suites, each different and bearing the name of an emblematic René Lalique cre- ation. (The exception is the “Zeila” suite, named after

a large kitchen and a vast wine cellar. The exterior was restored exactly as it once appeared, complete with exposed timber and blue shutters, faithfully reproduc- ing the look of the original building. Denz then sought out the vision of interior de- signers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli for dé- cor. Best known for their interior design in the yachting world, the pair first met Denz in 2010 when they col- laborated on the interior for M/Y “Silver Angel” yacht, which was refurbished in Lalique décor. Together, they fashioned the “Lalique Maison” Art Deco-inspired fur- niture and decorative accessories collection in 2011, inspired by original René Lalique motifs. In total, they created over 360 pieces of furniture, which are dis-

GUEST ROOM PHOTO ©GILLES-PERNET: LOUNGE PHOTO ©RETO GUNTLI

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