L’Etoile des Baux by Joséphine Fossey Office
L’Etoile des Baux by Joséphine Fossey Office
Based in Paris, Joséphine Fossey Office is a consulting agency specialising in creative strategy and artistic curation. Dedicated to the art of living and the hotel industry of tomorrow, the agency has wholly redesigned a farmhouse in Baux-de-Provence in the spirit of an artist’s home.
The first residence in the Iconic House collection, L’Etoile des Baux reflects Joséphine Fossey’s uniquely artistic approach. While interior architects generally start by restructuring a space and then move on to decorating their walls with works of art, Joséphine Fossey reverses the process. Before any project, she looks into the history of the premises, breathes in its atmosphere, and considers its future uses in order to define an overall concept. From preliminary sketches through to accessorising and operational development, her proposals always consider how the client will look at, play around with and adopt the spaces. Defining a new way of living that is led by art, in this respect, the designer is reviving concepts of the powerful and free-thinking Arts and Crafts movement, whereby art pervades every aspect of daily life.
Regarding each project as unique, Joséphine Fossey sources and commissions artists who she accompanies throughout the creative process. She describes L’Etoile des Baux as “a human and artistic adventure, selecting and working hand in hand with artists and local craftsmen to bring a singular vision to life: an effortlessly chic and cool house, designed as an artist’s refuge.”
Built into the rock in the heart of Alpilles, in Provence, the interior of the eight-bedroom villa features a charming mix of paintings, contemporary photographs and sculptures through to textile art cushions. Vintage furniture pieces in warm wood are paired with curved sofas and textural rattan lampshades.
Joséphine Fossey develops spaces that are rooted in their particular context. This winter, a contemporary chalet in Courchevel will open in a completely different ambience. For the launch of a new vineyard in Sancerre, Joséphine Fossey took over the winery’s design, from a fresco commissioned by artist Elvira Solana, to illustration for the bottle labels, and the estate’s artistic residency. She is also working alongside the new-look Orient Express brand, on both its artistic direction and the development of experiences related to its various projects. Currently underway are the new La Dolce Vita train, designed by DimoreStudio, and the future hotel in Rome designed by architect Hugo Toro. As a strategy consultant, interior architect and art curator, she manages every aspect of the projects.
