Homes & Estates

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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

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-

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

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.