Photographs and text by Corey Amaro
The first time I met Natalie, the owner of La Madone, was at the flea market in Marseille.
We both were setting up small stands opposite each other. Natalie, came
over, stood in front of my stand and stomped her foot, three times.
Then said, "Jealous, I am jealous! How do you do what you do?" As I
didn't speak French very well, I shrugged my shoulders. Then I looked
over at her stand, my mouth fell, wide open! I pointed to her stand,
and teasingly said, "Shut up."
We have been friends ever since.
Natalie and her husband, Jean Bernard, have a beautiful antique shop in Lourmarin and equally beautiful, holiday rental apartments, in their enormous, 18th century home. Each apartment has been styled with original 18th and 19th century antiques that Natalie and Jean Bernard have found and arranged.
Talk
about jealous, I tell you I can hardly stand it, when I am in their
home I want to scoop it up, and put it in my purse and take it to my
house.
The
other day Natalie asked me to come over and take photos of the newest,
holiday, rental apartment. As soon as I walked in I asked Natalie if I
had died, because certainly this is how my room in heaven is going to
look if ever I get there. Then I slugged her in the arm, and stuck out my tongue. When I am happy jealous I do things like that.
Photo of the dining room in the new holiday apartment.
That 18th century trumeau (mirror)! Are you jealous too? Isn't this gorgeous?
Natalie
and Jean Bernard have restored each room in their newest apartment,
stripping down the walls to the original stone, and adding a touch of
modernity to the kitchen and bathroom, by themselves.
Their newest holiday rental is my favorite.
What
is incredible is their attention to detail. Flower petals, wine,
antique linens on the bed, a true sense of the romantic spirit dances
in their design. Their shop is the exactly same way.Sumptuous.
If
I had a ton of money I would give it to Natalie and Jean Bernard, and
tell them to buy me a house and do what they do, work their magic, and
redo it as they wanted. Then I would
move in and never change a thing.
I have begged them to adopt me, or at least give me their lives… even Natalie's clothes are dreamy.
What I admire
most about them is that they have created everything they have by their
own hands. They have followed their dream steadily. Their desire to
create beauty is evident in theircapability to work diligently towards their goals, without ever forgetting their friends and family.
This
is the bedroom window. Imagine a bedroom window like that. I tell you I
cannot stand it. If I could I would stuff this in my pocket, take it
home and call it my own.
….. and this is the bedroom.
When I walked into this room, and saw the arched painted ceiling, well you can imagine that I screamed, "JEALOUS" on
top of my lungs. But I didn't, honestly I didn't. Instead I took the
keys to the apartment away from Natalie, and shoved her in the closet
with amacaron, and there I will keep her very well.
If you would like to come and stay in my new apartment please ask for me… Corey at La Madone.
p.s. Bring Macarons.
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