“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
Leonard Cohen, American Poet (1937-2016)
After decades of neglect, Domaine Lescure is slowly awakening, very much at its own pace. Totally at ease with its blemishes and scars, the estate shows us that the passing of time can be kind. It teaches us about accepting ourselves as we are.
Worn shutters and cracks in the walls. Old wooden floors. Natural materials and the worn patina of antiques, every object calm and soothing. Works of art that tune your soul into reflection. Moss and lichens on dead trees. A garden gone wild. Shift your perspective from one that chases perfection to one that appreciates what is.
To Véronique beauty is a need. The softness of worn fabric, cracks in a ceramic pot, stains on a wall, an oddly-shaped tree, everything presents an opportunity to see beauty, because beauty is ordinary. Since she first set foot on Domaine Lescure, whispers have filled her ears, the house praying that she would free it from a dark spell and breathe new life into its old bones.
WABI-SABI
Right from the start, when the house wasn’t habitable – there was no power, plumbing, water – we knew we wanted to preserve its faded beauty. We made the choice not to restore Lescure (the houses, the chapel, the orchards and the park) to its elaborate 19th century glory, but maintain the serenity that comes with age. Through our failures and mistakes, we learned that Lescure will not be rushed, so we’re taking it one step at the time, allowing this project to unfold itself. Many parts of the estate are patiently waiting to be repaired in the years to come.
Throughout the restoration we apply the principles of the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, a view of the world where beauty is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Patina and wear, visible repairs, anomalies of previous restorations, these all add character. We’ve decorated the rooms with things we’ve made ourselves or that were designed for us by artisan friends, with found objects and weathered furniture. Everything in the house has a story to tell.
THE ORDINARY IS EXTRAORDINARY
Daily life contains countless details that have beauty and meaning, that mostly goes unnoticed, as we lose ourselves in our modern hectic lifestyles. At Domaine Lescure nothing is too common or too ugly to captivate Véronique’s love and attention. She transforms what is available. She touches it and makes every detail matter. Everything appeals to the senses: the scent of wildflowers, colourful meals, the play of light and shadow, the caress of cashmere throws, the wind blowing through sheer linen curtains. The combined effect reminds us of the fragility of our humanity. We can find beauty in the everyday, allowing ourselves to be moved by it and feeling gratitude for life.