André Fu Conceives Beautiful Guest Villas at Château La Coste

Outside, guests see rows of vines striating the land, tall oaks and pines, and the sharp contour of the Luberon foothills, which turn from golden to chalky blue-gray depending on the time of day. On the horizon, towering contemporary sculptures and pavilions by Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Tadao Ando, and Frank Gehry, among 30-odd other celebrated artists and architects, enhance the terrain.

“The challenge here was to design very special duplex suites in a double-height space that has the feel of an art collector’s private home,” says Fu, whose first visit to Château La Coste—an ever-evolving, nearly 500-acre estate outside of Aix-en-Provence devoted to contemporary art, wine, gastronomy, wellness, and hospitality—took place in 2014, when he and owner Paddy McKillen swapped ideas on the possible evolution of the vineyard.

“It all happened organically,” adds Fu, who has since created several public areas at the property, including a bar and a spa. “When I came back to Château La Coste three years ago, Paddy suggested that we continue our journey together on the land right over the restaurant, overlooking the big terrace.”

First and foremost, Fu says, was preserving a certain honesty and authenticity in the design of the 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom suites. “We didn’t impose anything on the space; we just tried to bring out what is already in the air,” he says. “The key was how to capture the light, which is a sumptuous peachy color that is so beautiful.” Accordingly, the luminous living room was conceived as the heart of the interior, to benefit from the soaring windows, framed by floor-to-ceiling raw-linen drapes.

Along with the interaction between inside and outside, the real standout is Fu’s sculptural approach with pippy oak, a precious wood whose bud-like burls and intricate patterns were used for the closets, interlocking timber shelves, and solid-wood textured doors.

“I wanted to bring in a feeling of fluidity, less linearity, more curvature, like the meandering contour of the staircase that leads you from ground level up or the bathroom mirror, which in a quirky way mimics the silhouette of a painter’s palette,” suggests Fu.

A mood of airy sensuousness prevails, from the curvy Italian marble tub and the gauzy white four-poster bed to the Bauhaus-inspired furniture and ivory-painted walls enlivened by a revolving display of stunning art from McKillen’s expansive private collection.

“When you work in a place like this, you don’t need to come up with a narrative because it’s all about emotions,” Fu muses. “I try to appreciate locality with my interpretation of Provence—the familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. That’s the joy of being a designer.”

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Spring Issue under the headline “Suite Escape.” Subscribe to the magazine.