From the lavender fields of Provence to the rolling hills of Burgundy and the outskirts of Paris, five extraordinary French châteaux have captured the attention of Architectural Digest over the years. These historic properties, each transformed by renowned designers and decorators, showcase the perfect marriage of classical French architecture with contemporary design sensibilities.
The collection features the work of some of France's most celebrated interior designers, including Pierre Yovanovitch, Jacques Garcia, and Paul du Pré de Saint Maur. Each château tells a unique story of restoration, renovation, and artistic vision, demonstrating how historic properties can be thoughtfully updated while preserving their inherent character and grandeur.
Pierre Yovanovitch's château in Provence stands as a testament to the designer's ability to blend rustic charm with contemporary sophistication. Located in Fabrègues, this former farmhouse sits on 400 hectares of forest-surrounded land, accessible only through a two-kilometer private road that seems to disappear into the wilderness. The approach to the château is deliberately mysterious, with the building's glazed tile towers appearing gradually as visitors descend toward a vast plain known as a cirque.
Yovanovitch discovered the property by chance in March 2009 while searching for a vacation home in the region where he grew up. Despite the château's deteriorated condition, he was immediately captivated by its potential. The eight-year restoration project that followed transformed the space into a resolutely contemporary residence while maintaining countless nods to its historic past, including ancient stone floors and ornate plasterwork executed in the 19th-century tradition.
The interior design reflects Yovanovitch's signature aesthetic, featuring vintage pieces by Scandinavian masters Axel Einar Hjorth and Paavo Tynell alongside furniture of his own design. The music salon exemplifies this approach, with an 18th-century basket banquette reupholstered in colorful floral silk from Marly by Tassinari & Chatel, complemented by gilded wooden armchairs and an 18th-century Aubusson carpet. Contemporary artworks, including pieces by Richard Nonas, Stephan Balkenhol, and Claire Tabouret, are seamlessly integrated throughout the eight palace-quality bedrooms.
The château's grounds, designed in collaboration with renowned landscape architect Louis Benech, feature terraced gardens and intricate yew labyrinths that stretch toward the horizon. A private chapel, stripped of its religious attributes, now houses an 85-figure fresco by artist Claire Tabouret. The property operates as a perpetual work in progress, with family and friends regularly staying as guests even when Yovanovitch is absent, drawn to the stunning views and serene atmosphere.
Near Paris, decorator Jacques Garcia undertook the restoration of Château de Villette in Condecourt, transforming what had become a bourgeois country house back into an aristocratic masterpiece. The château, originally constructed between 1663 and 1669 by François Mansart and completed by his grand-nephew Jules Hardouin-Mansart, represents one of the finest examples of French classical architecture.
When Garcia first visited the property, it bore little resemblance to its former glory. Previous owners had added shutters, converted the courtyard of honor into a garden, partitioned the interior extensively, and even operated it as a bed-and-breakfast for ten years. Working with new owners who were passionate collectors of exceptional properties, Garcia set about restoring the château's original splendor.
The restoration process revealed the building's authentic character layer by layer. In the Regency dining room, craftsmen stripped seven layers of paint to uncover the original sky-blue color, which was painstakingly recreated using traditional glue-based paints. The restoration contrasts the original blue with white ornaments and preserved painted canvases above the doors. Great 18th-century tapestries now grace the vestibule, complemented by lanterns and caned armchairs that highlight the white stone floors and walls.
Garcia's expertise in 18th-century design, honed through work at the Louvre and Versailles, as well as his experience transforming his own Château de Champs de Bataille, proved invaluable. The upper floors, previously converted into hotel rooms, were completely reimagined as aristocratic apartments, each featuring sumptuous bathrooms, dressing rooms, and sometimes separate salons. Luxurious fabrics from prestigious houses like Tassinari & Chatel, Verel de Belval, and Le Manach create stunning wall panels, curtains, and canopies throughout the private quarters.
In Burgundy, architect Paul du Pré de Saint Maur undertook a more subtle transformation of a 16th-century manor house. What began as a simple bathroom addition evolved into a comprehensive three-year renovation that breathed new life into spaces that had slumbered through the centuries. The property had already undergone significant changes in the 19th century, gaining a tower to house a monumental staircase and beautiful entrance mosaic.
Du Pré de Saint Maur drew inspiration from his studies in Rome, infusing the somewhat rigid 19th-century French architecture with the charm of the Italian Renaissance. Rather than creating historical pastiche, he worked through subtle references, using the earth tones, reds, and blacks of the entrance mosaic as a color palette that flows throughout adjacent rooms. The salon's moldings are enriched with small black macarons, while door lintels feature frescoes painted by the architect's brother, Pierre du Pré de Saint Maur.
This approach allows for discrete modernization of the classical framework without denaturing its essential character. The architect explains his philosophy as aspiring to create something historically grounded yet amusing, maintaining both sobriety and contemporary rigor. Details that wouldn't have existed during the Renaissance somehow remain coherent with the overall design, making the spaces difficult to date precisely.
The furnishings combine periods and styles with sophisticated restraint. In the living room, a neoclassical table by Giovanni Banci for Hermès holds Bohemian crystal decanters, while Art Deco armchairs by René Drouet sit alongside a 20th-century Italian pouf and a sofa designed by du Pré de Saint Maur himself. Contemporary art, including works by Nam Tchun-Mo and Stefan Rinck, dialogue with period pieces like an Ignazio Gardella floor lamp.
On the French Riviera, the Château de la Croix des Gardes represents the pinnacle of Côte d'Azur elegance. Perched on the heights of Cannes with sweeping views of the bay, this property has been one of the region's most emblematic residences since the 1920s. Originally built by Swiss industrialist Paul Girod and later owned by the Perrier family, it now serves as a pied-à-terre for a prominent figure in the film industry.
British architect and decorator Katharine Pooley led the château's comprehensive renovation, working alongside architects Guilhem & Guilhem and landscape designer François Navarro. The three-year project aimed to create a contemporary interpretation of this historic and cinematic masterpiece while preserving all heritage elements. The façade was repainted in a deep rose tone unique to the region, recalling the building's original Florentine-inspired architecture.
The property's cinematic connections run deep, having served as a location for Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief." More recently, it has hosted private parties organized by Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio following screenings at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as Versace fashion shows. These events underscore the château's continued relevance in international cultural circles.
The renovation showcased the finest European craftsmanship throughout the property. In the ballroom, silk curtains are entirely hand-embroidered by artisans who work for major fashion houses. The bar features exceptionally precious marquetry work, while delicate Indian embroideries and a mural fresco depicting the château as it appeared in the 1950s complete the décor. The 25-hectare grounds, designed with botanical garden precision, feature lavender, cacti, mimosas, jasmine, and cypress-lined paths that infuse the entire property with aromatic herbs.
Each of these five châteaux represents a different approach to historic preservation and contemporary living. Whether through Yovanovitch's rustic modernism in Provence, Garcia's aristocratic restoration near Paris, du Pré de Saint Maur's Renaissance-inspired renovation in Burgundy, or Pooley's cinematic glamour on the Riviera, these properties demonstrate how France's architectural heritage continues to inspire and evolve. They stand as testaments to the enduring appeal of château living and the creative vision of the designers who have brought them into the 21st century while honoring their illustrious pasts.
