Domaine Casa del Sol

A 1955 Svetchine Villa in the Hills above Grasse

Casa del Sol was built in 1955 by André Svetchine, the Russian-born architect who shaped much of the postwar Côte d'Azur. He remade the Colombe d'Or at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, designed houses for Marc Chagall, Édouard Molyneux, and the Maeght family, and built the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot. In the same years this villa was being built, he was restoring Christian Dior's Château de La Colle Noire, a half hour west. This house is his Provençal modernism at domestic scale.

The restoration, by New York designer Jaqueline Touby of JTD Designs, kept what Svetchine left. Existing materials were retained and repaired, and the new finishes stay in his register of plaster, concrete, wood, and stone, softened with organic cotton and linen. Furniture, antiques, and artwork were chosen to sit with Svetchine's lines rather than compete with them. Above the fireplace is the house's quiet signature, a rose des vents in sculptural plaster, Svetchine's reading of the compass rose Christian Dior carried as a talisman all his life, from the garden of his childhood home in Granville, the same symbol Dior's jewelry house still uses today.

The living and dining room opens through French windows onto the main terrace, and the kitchen keeps its original breakfast nook. But outside is where the house earns its name. Terraces step down the south-facing slope through flowering beds, fountains, and centuries-old olive trees, with the Mediterranean and the mountains of the Côte d'Azur in view from every level. Jasmine, wisteria, lavender, sage, and citrus scent the garden (as they should above the capital of perfume). There's a heated saltwater pool and a covered pergola for the shade hours. And if you opt for a private chef, dinner arrives on the terrace whenever you're ready.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Grasse sleeps up to 12 guests in three connected parts. The main villa holds two bedrooms: a primary suite with a king bed, soaking tub and rain shower, and a queen room served by a hall bathroom and a powder room, alongside a living and dining room with a fireplace. A one-bedroom garden apartment adjoins the villa but locks off behind its own entrance, and a separate studio sits apart with independent access. Four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in total.

Main villa

• Bedroom 1 — King, en suite, soaking tub and rain shower

• Bedroom 2 — Queen, hall bathroom

• powder room

• king sofa bed in the living room

Garden apartment (connects to the villa, own exterior entrance)

• Bedroom 3 — Queen, en suite, bathtub and shower

• sofa bed in the living room

Studio (independent entrance)

• Bedroom 4 — Queen, en suite, walk-in rain shower

Experiences

The villa's concierge team can arrange a private chef for dinners on the terrace, hands-on cooking classes, bespoke day itineraries and private experiences, wellness and in-villa services, transportation, and pre-arrival grocery provisioning so the kitchens are stocked before you land.

Good to know

The domaine sits on a south-facing slope, spread across several levels and terraces linked by stairs, so it is not the easiest fit for guests with limited mobility. The whole property is fully fenced and gated, and air conditioning runs throughout. The center of Grasse is about a 10-minute walk downhill, or three minutes by car. The bathrooms are stocked with Fragonard toiletries, made in Grasse.

Amenities & services

Heated saltwater pool, pétanque court, covered pergola with sectional seating, multiple outdoor dining and lounge areas, sun loungers, panoramic-view terraces, gardens with fountains, olive trees, jasmine, wisteria, lavender, sage and citrus, fully fenced and gated grounds, two-car garage and covered parking, air conditioning throughout, high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs in all bedrooms and living areas, washer and dryer, in-room safes, premium Turkish linens and towels, hairdryers and makeup mirrors, Weber gas barbecue, fully equipped kitchens with Smeg appliances, Fragonard bath toiletries, concierge service (private chef, cooking classes, itineraries, transportation, provisioning)

Around

Grasse has made perfume for centuries, and the town wears it openly. The Musée International de la Parfumerie sits in the center, and the historic houses of Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard still run their workshops. The old town climbs in narrow stepped lanes to the Place aux Aires, where a flower and produce market fills the square most mornings. Saint-Paul-de-Vence, with the Fondation Maeght and the Colombe d’Or that Svetchine remade, is about 30 minutes away, as is the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot. The beaches of Cannes and Antibes are roughly 25 minutes down the hill.