Christian Hoogewys A Master Craftsman in the St-Tropez Peninsula

Christian Hoogewys, Master craftsman since 1984, located in Cogolin, Saint Tropez area. Wrought Ironwork Art. Christian played a great part in the rediscovery of the ironworks and metal furniture as well inside and outside. From the space conception to the furniture, his house wears his stamp. The colors he used reflect the Provence he loves so much.

Iron lighter than air

At the beginning, this house, already deserted for many years, had a somewhat poor aspect when the future owners found it in 1991. But its privileged location close to the wrought-iron workroom in the heart of Cogolin village, liberated Christian Hoogewys creative spirit, a wrought-iron crafstman. Closed to the sun, dark inside, that 1977 rustic style modern construction, needed to be opened. His first step has been to open that new house towards the south, in front of the sun. The whole of the inner arrangement, as the new stained glass window, extends the house towards the garden. Photo: The woodworks are affixed towards the outside of the wall to enable a total opening. Inspired with the XIX century patterns, irons design is of radiant sun type.

A house turned towards the sun

The summer kitchen opens on the garden through two french windows with four leaves closed by steel woodworks which irons are zinc metallized to protect them from rust. The table has got an iron -plaited top and the basis of its foot are made of stainless steel. Perfectly integrated to the house through its location, the stained glass window, affixed over the pinion wall on the garden side, became a true living room. Its made-to-measure iron structure is wearing darkening wattles directly put on the roof to protect it from greenhouse effect. To take advantage of those eaves without putting up with the sun rays, a " pergola " covered with deciduous leaves greeneries carries freshness. Following, a baked clay paved terrace opens directly on the garden, under the shade of a high weeping willow. The old covered terrace has been changed into a summer kitchen to have lunches there during the hottest hours of the day. On the terrace, the chair shows its foot, called Dagobert foot, while its back is decorated with a flower, sun symbol, put on two irons intersection. (detail, left photo).

Iron makes a remarkable entrance

Iron and its sweet blue shade are the guide of the decoration of the whole house. The result is a serenity felt in all the rooms. Table with plaited-iron top, stainless steel foot of marine quality to guaranty lasting quality the iron profits by a special care regarding functionality and esthetic. Volutes, planished or crossed irons, "crossed flowers" frieze, iron-plaited doors... Christian is boundlessly stating in his workroomand finds his curved patterns in a very personal decorative index. That modern construction is also a theater to play with the house master creations and blend them with pieces created by crafstmen belonging to Signé Provence label : 3 Terres pottery and Art Verre et Miroir vases... become part of the whole decoration. Iron easily goes along with local material such as Salernes tiles which "dress" the floor, Provence coloured carpets and pots from Cogolin, enameled lava summer kitchen work-top which decorate the sideboard. Under the banisters of the set-off staircase slope, is « nestling » a beautiful cupboard door : its openwork braiding, alternating with its central frieze and its old-fashioned bolt, creates an original and very beautiful composition.

A luminous restoration The successful association of wood, stone and iron creates a warm ambiance as well as contemporary. « A 3 materials harmony run along the entire house : stone and baked clay, wood and metal answer one another. The first two only work for compression, the last for the extension » goes on Christian. The main room volume, equipped with a nice height under ceiling, allowed to leave visible the beams. Between the stripped and patinated joists, plain baked clay leaves are used for filling. Made-to-measure, a built staircase perfectly goes along with the skeleton slope to get to an attic changed into a child's play area. Its function is to help hot air currents to heat bedrooms and bathrooms it takes to. Those rooms communicate with the attic through latticed openings. The worked structure of the staircase, with insert of a cupboard under the vault, is "dressed" with a set-off wrought-iron handrail. On the risers run a baked clay tiles frieze created by a ceramist crafstman. Console mirror The console foot evokes the tree with its roots, leaves and branches where « buds » endings support a glass shelf.

To pull in the light and give a view that cannot be obstructed over the garden

Today this place personifies a true way of life in harmony with nature and environment. The house opens on the garden on the east and on the terrace on the south through basket-handle rounded french windows. Well-thought openings and windows, light games create the animation. To avoid corroding, the irons of the outer woodworks are zinc metallized, a rust preventive process guaranteed 10 years, before being painted, patinated and varnished. SP 10 type window glasses against house breaking take care of the inhabitants security.

Fountain Greenery gives way to the beauty of a tactfully worked iron, which curves bloom against the fountain wall. During the siesta hour in the shade of the old parasol pine, that soft armchair with an adjustable back and its " bout de pied " provides a very comfortable seating (photo on the right).

The sitting room Blue and iron gradually settle down in the vast living room. In its highest part the plaited cupboard gets a cocked hat form; the sofas and the table with foot designed with a Saint Tropez gulf subject on a Cogolin carpet . The furniture reflects Christian craftsman identity. The finishing "brass bowl" is like pays a tribute to the sun.

The kitchen Luminous, the summer kitchen has been equipped with plaited-iron storage furniture blended with an enameled lava kitchen work-top and with pastel shade credenza Salernes tiles. To lighten the whole, the high storages are linked with rounded iron shelves. Pots coming from La Poterie de Cogolin.

The shutters At the ground level, the shutters wear in their center a decorative « crossed flowers » frieze that does not allow mosquitoes !. Upstairs, the « à la marseillaise » shutters protect from the opposite persons but give way to the light. They wear stainless steel webs, corrosion -proof and burglar-proof.

An harmony between three materials runs along the house To lighten the place, the owners use simple and discreet means such as the use of only one white colour on the walls, and of only one coating floor. After having scraped the paintings and stripped the beams, the house met with a new joy of living. « Its colours reflect Provence : yellow with the skeleton and the curtains, red inside the baked clay tiles, blue with the furniture, green symbol of a greenery case, make a beautiful chromatic balance, according to the four seasons. » explains Christian.

Text Hélène Roche - Photos Franck Bel Published with the magazine :

Contact : Name:* Town: Tel.:* Fax: Mail:* Message : Message: (*) : REQUIRED

TOP