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Photography by Julien Fernandez

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of Domino, titled “Modern Vintage.” Subscribe to be the first to receive each issue.

When winemakers Camille and Guillaume Boillot—along with their children, Paul (11), Charlie (9), and Joseph (3)—first acquired their dream property in France’s Burgundy region, it was wild and abandoned. The crumbling dry-stone house (then called Mon Caprice) was typical of the area, where historic villages and grand 19th-century châteaus are surrounded by celebrated vineyards. 

Camille, an interior designer, had hoped to restore the existing structure with the help of a local contractor. But when she discovered the building was damaged beyond repair, she recruited Thomas Walter of Atelier Ordinaire—a Strasbourg-based architect she found on Instagram—to design a tailor-made home. “We loved his pure lines and modern way of using wood,” says Camille. “His spaces give a sense of serenity, and we feel like we’re on holiday every day—which certainly makes life with three kids much easier.”

Photography by Julien Fernandez

The open-plan interior of the farmhouse practically glows thanks to an abundance of pale fir-wood paneling, cream resin floors, and textiles in milky neutrals and faded sage hues. Natural light streams in through vast sliding doors that lead out onto a rambling garden, patio, and pool set among majestic native oak and pine trees. Inside, the layout is defined by functionality: a clever combination of closed storage—with plenty of built-in drawers and baskets to hide less appealing necessities—and open shelves, displaying handmade ceramics and vintage kitchenware. The long custom farm table serves as a central hub for family meals and school projects. “I like for us all to be together,” says Camille. Upstairs, the bedrooms are built around a playroom that has all the makings of a tree house—hidden nooks and ladders to climb up into loft beds, a skylight, and leafy green wallpaper included.

Photography by Julien Fernandez

Photography by Julien Fernandez

Color and patterns pop up sparingly throughout the space—some gray-blue tile in the master bath; a whimsical salmon pink velvet settee; more botanical prints on an accent wall—keeping things from looking too sterile while also maintaining a calming, streamlined vibe. Another visual break: nature itself. Big windows frame the outdoors “like paintings,” says Camille. “We preferred to start with a soft and refined base, which emphasizes the warmth of the wood and highlights the surrounding landscape.”

Slowly, the family is restoring the other buildings on the property to include guest quarters for visiting friends and foreign wine importers. Sunny days are spent in the garden and, come harvest time, in the vineyard (Guillaume is a fifth-generation winemaker). If there’s anything the Boillots have learned by spending a lifetime in a business—and an area—that resists the hurried pace of modern life, it’s that it doesn’t pay to rush. “I think we will add little by little,” says Camille. “We’re giving ourselves time.”

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