The newly minted Casa Santa Teresa is a case study of the transformative power of sensitive design. Set in an awkward triangular plot, the 1950s family home on Ajaccio’s cours Lucien Bonaparte had been abandoned for decades, but the allure of its fabulous beach frontage never dimmed.
For Aix-en-Provence-based architect, Amelia Tavella, the four-storey home – now reopened as a vacation villa – was an opportunity to fully open up the interiors, drawing the eye ever outwards toward the sun dappled terraces where al fresco dining tables and lounges lead down to the bijou five-metre-long saltwater plunge pool and, steps away, the Ajaccio Gulf and, beyond that, the Mediterranean.
Each of the five bedrooms and the spacious living spaces (including a library and games room) features a soothing palette of chestnut, lime plaster, cane, local stone, rope railings, and decorative concrete – the rough tactility of the whole rendered especially attractive in the late afternoon when the sun streams in through the wide pivot doors and interior shutters.
Should restlessness impinge, there are any number of natural diversions, not least swimming off the Capo di Feno beach, scenic jaunts along the nearby Chemin des Crêtes and Chemin des Douaniers, or, for the more indolent, a visit to the market in Ajaccio town.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
13bis, cours Lucien Bonaparte
20 000 Ajaccio
Corsica
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
Thirty years after Dog Man Star, Brett Anderson looks back on Suede's album coversBrett Anderson talks cover art, photography and iconic imagery
-
First look at Maison 3, an eclectic new Parisian bar for sleepless nightsMaison 3 is an enigmatic space with a sensual atmosphere brought to life by the French studio Les Beaux Jours Architectures
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
-
Dine at Paris’s historic Maison Baccarat, reimagined by chef Alain DucasseThe newly opened Ducasse Baccarat restaurant – at the crystal house’s Paris mansion – offers not just a culinary experience but a cultural encounter
-
Stylish Paris ice cream parlours for melting momentsCool off with the best ice cream in Paris: Wallpaper’s favourite scoops span from classics at chef Alain Ducasse's ‘glacerie’ to ice cream sandwiches at JJ Hings
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture loversAuberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
-
Contemporary coastal design rejuvenates Hôtel de la Plage in BiarritzHôtel de la Plage in Biarritz resurfaces with fresh interiors by Olivier Granet and architecture studio Gardera & Pastre
-
Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon celebrates the art of skateboarding with a new exhibitionHôtel de Crillon and The Skateroom anticipate skateboarding’s return at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a special collaboration
-
Ridley Scott turns three French farmhouses into artful holiday villasRidley Scott and family transform French farmhouses into holiday lets, the latest addition to the filmmaker’s Provençal wine estate, Mas des Infermières
