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Destinations
Villa Magnan, Biarritz, France
Given its convivial energy and lived-in aesthetic, it’s hard to believe that Villa Magnan was barely more than an overgrown ruin, abandoned for over 80 years, until a few years ago when Anne and Jérôme Israël stirred it from its slumber.
Perched above the bucolic Lake Mouriscot in Biarritz on France’s Basque coast, the villa was built between 1927 to 1931 and inhabited for only five short years by Spanish aristocrats, Queen Fabiola of Belgium and her parents the Marquis and Marquise Casa Riera, after fleeing the Spanish Civil War. With that setting, we present you Villa Magnan and give you a detailed tour of its decorative glory.
Set on three verdant acres of parkland, the property consists of three neo-Basque outbuildings – the caretaker’s lodge, the driver’s house and the gardener’s house – and the main house, Villa Château, which is not currently accessible to guests. Remarkably, despite decades of neglect, when the Israëls first arrived it was as if nothing had changed since 1936, and the estate remained a time capsule to its original Art Deco design.
Take a Tour
The perfect stay
Each room, housed in the trio of outbuildings, is individually decorated, each more eclectically than the last, and offers a different level of accommodation from a classic double to a full-on suite. Throughout, you’ll find original Chantilly parquet flooring and peeling pastel-coloured walls that reflect the villa’s storied history, as well as contemporary art and finishes creating a feeling of comfort and luxury. Discover the different rooms below.
Chambre Bibliothèque - Suite junior
Chambre Atelier - Suite
Chambre Maison du Chauffeur - Suite parentale
Chambre rose - Double classique
Chambre Colombier - Double supérieure
Chambre bleue - Double supérieure
Design
Starting from scratch
It took the new proprietors a year and a half to lovingly restore the villa to its former glory, from the crumbling roofs to the gardens that had turned to jungle through years of dereliction.
When it came to the interiors, Anne drew on her experience as a production designer, sourcing most of the furniture and decor from the many flea markets and second-hand shops in the area, and, of course, Lebonboin – France’s answer to Craigslist or Gumtree. Her approach was very free, she described it as “decoration that isn’t ‘decoration’”, a layered mix of periods, aesthetics and found objects to complement the villa’s architecture and surroundings framed by enormous arched windows. The result is a truly individual mood that feels lived in and welcoming, akin to a family house.
Meet the hosts
Anne and Jérôme Israël
Before taking on the herculean task of refurbishing Villa Magnan, Anne and Jérôme Israël both worked in the film and entertainment industry as a cinematographer and a stylist/production designer, respectively. Having met on a film set at a young age, the couple have been together for over 35 years, have three grown-up children and lived in an old factory in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris for over 15 years when they discovered the villa on a family holiday to Biarritz.
Flâneur favourites
Details we loved
The villa’s recently opened restaurant De Puta Madre (a Spanish expression meaning something is awesome) adds another dimension to the boutique getaway by way of seasonal and locally sourced ingredients alchemised by chefs in residence, in a kitchen that’s situated in one of the garden’s greenhouses. The ever-changing array of dishes echoes the villa’s innovative nature; guests are not told the menu prior to eating to create a dinner party-like experience.
Breakfast, included in the room rates, is a similar communal affair, with guests seated together at a large table on the terrace with an appetising selection of plates and cakes to choose from. Like a real family, guests are invited to chat together “about everything and nothing”, as Anne says, and there’s even a record player and vinyls on the table to inspire the occasional morning boogie.
More details we're obsessed with
Throughout the villa, you’ll notice organic artisanal soap, Loewe’s sculpture-like candles and diffusers in fresh scents, and intricate original mosaics in all of the bathrooms. And, if the guesthouse’s particular brand of eclecticism piques your interest, there is also a small vintage shop on site, stocking a slew of fashion and homeware as well as pieces from Anne’s daughter Zelie’s brand Umlaut.
Our favourite detail though, has to be the family of furry friends that call the villa home. Among them, you’ll find a rooster, a pony, an albino peacock and everyone’s darling, Hector the donkey, who roams freely anywhere he likes, and we mean anywhere.
Once your stay is over, you can recreate the unique mood at home thanks to a specially created Spotify playlist by French publication, Le Fooding.