TEXTILE DIARIES- Meet The Historic La Mirande Hotel in Avignon
A Tapestry of French Heritage-
Let Me Tell You About The Textile Legacy
of La Mirande Hotel in Avignon
Last week we visited Paris then took a train and car to the Provence region of France. As we drove into the walled-in city of Avignon, we were awe struck by the beautiful towering stone surrounding, and the narrow cobblestone streets. We naively set upon an elaborate driving course into the city but soon realized it is more suited for walking. We arrived at the historic La Mirande Hotel only after the generous assistance from the hotel’s concierge who navigated us through the convoluted streets to the door’s entrance. What a historic treasure! I had already read about the masterful textiles and preservation conducted in 1987 so we were anticipating a stunning palace, and we were not disappointed. The hotel is set just a stone’s throw across the street from the Palais des Papes, and they feel united. Later, I learned this Baroque mansion was originally built during the 14th century for the cardinal's livrée. Upon arrival, we immediately felt the age, the beauty, the patina and the preserved textile story which continued to unfold as we meandered from room to room.
During the 1980s, The Stein family (in collaboration with architect Gilles Grégoire and master decorator François-Joseph Graf ) restored the hotel. The design team did not give into the trend of modern minimalism, but, instead elaborated on the warm French aristocratic residence's aesthetic. The textiles lead the story and not simply by showcasing patterns but they illustrate a visual history lesson on how the French aristocrats lived hundreds of years ago.
Our guest room was designed with a beautiful red and blue and cream historical Indiennes print with tropical florals and leaves. This storied print was upholstered on the bench, upholstered on the walls, and even the trim on the drapery. The repeated pattern enveloped us creating a warm mood and the pattern was masterfully utilized with each placement taken from different perspectives of the large repeated design in order to create smaller patterns within patterns. It was magical!
my video, special views at the hotel
About Toile de Jouy- In France during the 18th century, toile patterns were created by Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf at his Royal Manufacture in Jouy-en-Josas. At that time, Toile de Jouy was all the rage with their iconic scenic illustrations and sometimes monochrome coloring. I just love the florals, pastoral landscapes, sometimes mythological scenes telling fables on simple cotton canvas. These prints are created in a very quintessentially French way- simplicity (the cotton) with high style (the designs), a winning combination.
I was not surprised to hear that the design team collaborated with the legendary French fabric house, Maison Pierre Frey when decorating with these textiles. Tapping into the fabric house’s centuries-old historic textiles to create some beautiful designs makes perfect sense. I myself have had the great pleasure to see these historic archival textiles in Paris. Here, they reinterpreted a historic English block print of delicate botanicals, ribbons and plants and named the pattern, Mirande
I was not surprised to hear that the design team collaborated with the legendary French fabric house, Maison Pierre Frey when decorating with these textiles. Tapping into the fabric house’s centuries-old historic textiles to create some beautiful designs makes perfect sense. I myself have had the great pleasure to see these historic archival textiles in Paris. Here, they reinterpreted a historic English block print of delicate botanicals, ribbons and plants and named the pattern, Mirande
Mirande created by Pierre Frey
La Mirande Hotel is a “living” museum with the rich textiles available to touch and appreciate on a day to day basis. It’s precisely not a museum and not precious and guests dine and sit and sleep upon these beauties day after day reinforcing the beauty and grace of old world living. How refreshing that these textiles show how they were originally intended to mingle alongside gorgeous antiques, Aubusson tapestries, silk damasks and embroideries- we loved pulling back the drapery to showcase the gorgeous views of the Pope’s Palace just outside the window, and dining al fresco in the quaint courtyard overlooking the historic town.
While walking through each public room, the space gives way to more and more beauty and I was particularly struck by the incredible preserved dining room that looks plucked straight from Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon. I love that the hotel team honors the historical relationship between architecture and fabric and as a textile designer, I am thrilled they allowed theirs to be the main vehicle to tell the story of this hotel’s rich European history.
meeting Mr. Frey in Paris
During Deco Off
my stories on Toile Du Jouy
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
all photographs above my own
the ones below from Pierre Frey
photo credit, Philippe Garcia
Maison Pierre Frey reissued several Le Manach and Braquenie archives, incomparable quality traces time back to the refined 18th century, of which they are heirs.
preserves the authentic charm of the enchanting Provencal residence that it once was.
-Pierre Frey
