Provençal Wish List

A new-build Var villa that is both charming and contemporary ticks all the boxes for Ruth Wood

Who hasn’t daydreamed of a place in Provence? A traditional villa would be nice, with shutters, stone walls and a terracotta roof… but with a fresh 21st-century open-plan interior and lots of French doors… and big windows to let in the light… and insulation to keep the house cool.

Ooh, and it would be good to have a pool without crazy paving and a garden with olive and fig trees… but not so much land that it’s overwhelming. Of course, ideally you’d have beautiful countryside on your doorstep but be able into stroll into a village to buy croissants or dine in a posh restaurant… or catch some live music at a café doubling up as a small shop.

Hmm. That’s a tall order even if you have a million euros lying around your bank account. Then again, look at this bastide built in 2012 on the outskirts of Sillans-la-Cascade, in Var. It ticks all the boxes above and is only an hour from the glamorous Côte d’Azur, yet is on the market for €695,000.