Vipp’s New Guesthouse Is in a Charming Medieval Village
The townhome is situated in one of the most beautiful villages in France.
In France’s Orbieu River Valley, the village of Lagrasse has cobbled streets, medieval market halls, and now, a unique guesthouse in a historic 14th-century townhouse. Refurbished by the Danish design firm Vipp, the three-floor townhouse preserves its ancient exterior—thick stone walls, small medieval windows, and a sloped tile roof—while offering the interior of a modern guesthouse.
The townhouse opens into a lounge with neutral beige furniture and pebble flooring referencing the cobblestones of the village square for an indoor/outdoor feel. According to Julie Cloos Mølsgaard, the Danish interior designer who collaborated with Vipp to reimagine the townhouse, the location of the building facing the village square prompted the decision to relate the ground floor to its surroundings. “It’s a tribute to this historic site,” she says.
Incorporating more of the village, the stone stairs leading up to the kitchen and dining space were made by local metalsmith Alejandro Berconsky. “From the very first moment I stepped into this space, it was clear that the kitchen belonged on the first floor,” Cloos Mølsgaard says. The area features a kitchen island, a round dining table, and two-toned Vipp Swivel chairs featuring a motif inspired by a medieval coat of arms, created specifically for the house.
The master bedroom and ensuite washroom occupy the top floor, where locally sourced red marble adds a touch of dramatic colour to the freestanding shower. Cloos Mølsgaard used floor-to-ceiling mirrors to conceal the bathroom and built-in storage, inspired by classic French architecture that used mirrors to amplify light and space. The warm-white walls and muted-green window frames add to the bright and fresh feeling.
Vipp introduced its outdoor furniture collection, appropriately named Lagrasse, to decorate the guesthouse’s outdoors. Intended for smaller spaces, lightweight and flexible have been used on the terrace and the balcony, which overlooks the village’s central square, Place de la Halle.
This is the design firm’s 12th guesthouse, with previous projects in Europe, Mexico, and Tasmania, each reflecting the setting they’re a part of. With the Lagrasse guesthouse, visitors can revel in a new experience—a cultural getaway, rooted in centuries of history.
