Can you tell us a bit more about Le Chalet Olivet?

Le Chalet Olivet is a wooden house which was built by the Swiss Delegation in 1862 and shown at the 1889 Paris Exposition, beside the Eiffel Tower, in order to show their expertise of woodwork and construction. It was then bought by a merchant and rebuilt in Olivet, where I grew up, along the Loire river.

Former editor in chief of ELLE and Marie Claire, Claude Brouet had found a postcard of the chalet at a flea market and, jokingly, sent it to my family with the comment of what there was to discover in and around Olivet. My mother found out that the old building was for sale and promptly bought it in 2007. My parents are both painters, artists and wanted to have their own atelier.

15 years later my brother and I decided to renovate the chalet to turn it into a beautiful space for shoots, events, and getaways. It is 1h train away from Paris, or a 1h45m car drive. It is located in the heart of the village with lots of small shops accessible by walk: bakery, butcher, newspaper store… and even a local farmers market every Friday afternoon. The chalet is built on three floors, with on the first floor one living room and a big kitchen-dining room, on the second floor the master bedroom and the bathroom, and on the third floor a second bedroom.

Did you enjoy cooking when you were growing up?

Since I was able to breathe I always wanted to cook, host and eventually open my own restaurant or space where people could join and eat together. My dad was the chef in our house and would cook everyday homemade meals. He would take me to the Friday farmers market and show me how to prepare a meal. I cherish these souvenirs a lot and always find my inspiration through this childhood.

What do you love most about Falcon in and around the kitchen? 

I love the quality of the products. I use Falcon on a daily basis and adore the range of colors they provide. It is super joyful in the kitchen!

Can you share your top tips for entertaining?

I think the loveliest part of setting a table is with foliage and nature. You can forage throughout the year for all sorts and create the most beautiful, seasonal table setting for entertaining.

Are there any local companies you'd like to shoutabout? Where do you usually eat, drink, and source ingredients in your local area?

I launched a tableware brand with my partner Caroline Perdrix called TABLE focused on making playful tables with a lot of colors and super high quality and well sourced goods. We produce our textile line in France, in Burgundy and in the Vosges region and we work only with craftsmen and women for our wood and ceramic capsules.

I share my life between Paris and the countryside so when I'm in Paris I love to go to Asian restaurants like Lao Siam or Loan, to eat Pho soup for example. And when I’m in Olivet I only cook food with ingredients from the local Friday market. I love to shop at La Grange aux Fruits and buy my wine in Le Temps pour Tant cave. For restaurants I only go to Glouglou in Orléans! So good and homemade dishes only.

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Photography credits

GUILLAUME BELVÈZE for Marie Claire OCT 23

BASTIEN LATTANZIO for ELLE Fr AOÛT 23

LUDOVIC BALAY for MILK DECO MAG Sept 23