La Ferme de Guillandonne

This enchanting 200-year-old farmhouse is the height of country-hideaway chic. Earthy, stylish and magical, it is bordered on one side by a stream. You are wrapped in ten acres of countryside. Rows of lavender run along one side of the pool while on the other a tunnel of wisteria leads down to a sun-trapping terrace. The interior is equally satisfying. Walls are washed in traditional colours – cool yellows, cosy reds, pale greens. There are old beams and a big arched window gives onto the terrace. One of the bedrooms has a magnificent high ceiling and a window that looks out onto a Chinese mulberry tree, another an original open fireplace and views over the pool. Marie-Joëlle, a former English teacher, and her husband, an architect, have renovated with a happy respect for the spirit of the place, for its history and the landscape that envelops it. You are in one of the loveliest parts of the Var and villages here have musical events running throughout the summer. This is a bona fide classic, a very special place. Don’t miss it.