Mas Céleste, a Provençal farmhouse in Arles, Provence

A 19th-Century Farmhouse Reinvented in Provence

In 2020, Isabelle (after 30 years in the fragrance world) and Séverine (a communications and PR veteran) found a ruined 19th-century farmhouse on the Plaine de la Crau and felt an immediate connection. They moved on site, learned the rhythms of the sun and mistral, and spent three and a half years restoring the home with local craftsmen. The interiors, decorated by Arles-based Julie Barrau, move deliberately away from Provençal clichés, with Fontvieille stone and Crau pebble on the outside, lime, steel, and concrete within, and a personal collection of objects that includes Verner Panton armchairs.

The earliest traces of the farmhouse (a sheepfold, a shepherd's shelter, and a barn, with packed-earth floors and straw insulation) date back to 1847. Abandoned in the 1950s, the buildings were in ruin when Isabelle and Séverine discovered them. The restoration kept faith with the original architecture, while opening up the volumes and adding large openings that draw light and landscape inside.

The volumes are generous and largely open to the outdoors. Three suites sleep up to six guests. The three bathrooms are each distinct, with bold materials and references gathered from Milan and Japan. The ground-floor suite has an open bathroom and a reading nook. The upstairs suite has a separate bathroom. L'Atelier offers a private terrace and a discreet workspace.

A heated saltwater pool sits in a 2,500-square-meter garden, planted for shade, with a magnolia anchoring one corner and hedgerows slowing the mistral. Stone benches face the sunrise. An intimate patio becomes the default evening gathering space. A barn has been converted to covered parking with an electric vehicle charging point.

Arles is 10 minutes away.

What we love

Breakfast arrives at the door before anyone is properly awake, left in a basket without a knock. The stone is from Fontvieille, quarried in 1847. The armchairs are Verner Panton. The bathrooms reference Milan and Tokyo. If you feel like venturing out, Arles is 10 minutes away, and the LUMA campus alone justifies the detour. Isabelle and Séverine spent three and a half years creating this home. And it shows.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in the Plaine de la Crau, Arles sleeps up to six guests in three suites across two independent units. Le Mazet is the 120-square-meter main farmhouse with two suites, one on the ground floor with an open bathroom and reading nook, one upstairs with a separate bathroom. All bedrooms have hotel-quality bedding made in France (crinkled organic linen from Bonsoirs for its environmental credentials). Both units have a fitted kitchen, dining room, and sitting room. L'Atelier is a self-contained independent suite with a private bathroom, private terrace, and workspace. All three share the saltwater pool and garden.

Beds

- Le Mazet, Bedroom 1, queen bed, ground level, open bathroom and reading nook

- Le Mazet, Bedroom 2, queen bed, upper level, separate bathroom

- L'Atelier, queen bed, private bathroom, workspace, private terrace

Experiences

The team at Mas Céleste can arrange a private chef to cook in the farmhouse kitchen and will source locally produced provisions on request. Insider addresses (restaurants, producers, cultural programs) are shared on arrival.

Good to know

A car is essential as the farmhouse sits in open countryside, roughly 10 minutes from Arles and 15 minutes from the villages of the Alpilles. The two units are available separately or together for up to six. The house is also available for four guests at a lower rate. Please inquire.

Each morning begins with a breakfast basket. Arrival includes a stocked fridge. Mid-stay housekeeping is included. An EV charging point is available in the covered barn parking.

Amenities & services

Heated saltwater pool, private garden (2,500 square meters), fitted kitchen, air conditioning, WiFi, sound system, library, private parking (covered barn), EV charging, barbecue, mid-stay housekeeping, breakfast basket, stocked fridge on arrival, private chef (on request), locally sourced provisions (on request), selected toiletry products, hotel-quality beds

Around

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Arles is 10 minutes by car, and notable for its Roman amphitheater, the Alyscamps necropolis, and the LUMA Foundation campus with Frank Gehry's stainless steel tower. Les Rencontres de la Photographie, held each July, draws photographers and collectors from across the world. La Chassagnette, chef Armand Arnal's Michelin-starred farm restaurant in the Camargue, is 25 minutes south. Les Maisons Rabanel, Jean-Luc Rabanel's two-Michelin-star address in the old town, is 10 minutes away. The Alpilles villages of Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence are 20 to 25 minutes north. A car is necessary.