Janet de Botton's Provence Estate: A Collector's Vision Transforms 1,000-Acre Bull Farm into Legendary Garden

Janet de Botton, a discerning English art collector, transformed a 1,000-acre bull farm in Provence into a celebrated contemporary estate with her late husband Gilbert de Botton. The couple, possessing significant resources, rejected traditional bastides for a property near Les Baux with expansive views. They enlisted decorator and landscape architect Jean-Louis Raynaud and his partner Kenyon Kramer, based in Aix, to realize their vision. The original granary barn became a spacious residence featuring a double drawing room with a 17th-century fireplace from Houdan and a breakfast room displaying de Botton's collection of 18th-century Marseilles faience. Architect John Pawson designed a minimalist office wing for Gilbert. The grounds include an elaborate box maze inspired by the Minotaur legend, an allée of over 300 plane trees leading to an 18th-century Romanesque temple, ancient Spanish olive trees, a lake, and a quarter-kilometer lavender bed. Lady Mary Keen collaborated on a two-hectare potager, an English-style cutting garden defying the mistral. The house reflects de Botton's desire for light and comfort, mixing art by Francis Bacon, Chris Ofili, and Damien Hirst with royal provenance furnishings. The project, described by Lord Jacob Rothschild as uniquely beautiful, began over a decade ago after Gilbert's death in 2000. A guest book features signatures from Anthony Kiedis, Joel Rosenthal, and Nicholas Haslam, who praised the estate's magic.