Cote d'Azur: A villa built by a duke for his workers in the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is selling for €4.5m, writes Kate McMorrow
Once a homely fishing village, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is now one of the most expensive regions in France, where Russian oligarchs rub shoulders with billionaires.
The rich and famous - like advertising guru Maurice Saatchi, Count Hubert Givenchy and the Grand Marnier family - maintain summer homes there, as does Irish financier Derek Quinlan, who recently purchased a lavish villa on the Cap.
Charlie Chaplin sold his house to the late actor David Niven, who has a square named after him. The Ephrussi de Rothschild Museum is unmissable.
Positioned on a peninsula between Nice and Monaco, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the neighbouring villages of Villefranche, Saint-Jean, Bealieu and Eze are a mecca for celebrities.
The only criteria is lots of money, with one Saint-Jean property changing hands recently for €65 million.
By this yardstick, the price tag of €4.5 million for a very pretty villa here seems positively frugal.
Jean-Claude Capute of Savills associate, Riviera Estates, is the selling agent. The owners are convinced that their house will be bought by an Irish or Russian buyer, both major players in this part of the south of France.
Le Laureat was built in 1936 by a generous Duke of Connaught for his retired cook and chauffeur. The villa was ready for a revamp when Peter and Carolyn Oswald saw and fell in love with it 18 years ago.
After rewiring, re-plumbing and re-plastering, they tackled the garden, which was bare except for a solitary 500-year-old olive tree.
Creating the green oasis has made keen gardeners out of them both and they are intent on doing the same with their new home near Avignon. A pool was also installed and a double garage, which has a quaint atelier loft for budding painters.
Le Laureat is on the west side of the Cap, overlooking Villefranche-sur-Mer. "The sound of the church clock in Villefranche ringing across the water is so beautiful," says Peter.
The village centre is a short walk and the best beach in Cap Ferrat is two minutes along a laneway below the house.
Le Laureat's decor is a mix of Swedish and English painted furniture and French linen. Prospective buyers will be tempted to make an offer for the furniture, collected over the years. It is beautiful but possible to replicate.
Living space encompasses 230sq m (2,476sq ft), with 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) of garden.
There are two sittingrooms, one with a big French-style fireplace, four bathrooms, a formal diningroom and a kitchen/ breakfastroom painted grey, with wood worktops and stone shelves to house a collection of Spanish plates.
Lime-washed floors suit the Gustavian pastel mood of the interior. Blue shutters are thrown open to the sea air.
At the top of a curved staircase with original bannisters there are five bedrooms, or four beds and an office if needs be. The atelier over the garage is used as a study.
Outside, a decked summer dining area overlooking the pool is shaded by a curved bamboo screen.
Clipped box balls and hedges and Grecian-style urns give the garden a formal Italianate look. Cycas umbrella palms and olive trees provide shade, bougainvillea scrambles over pergolas and a scented white jasmine is at its best in May.
Beyond the garden, the Mediterranean is a permanent and unutterably beautiful backdrop.
• Peter and Carolyn Oswald can be contacted at www.capferratone@mac.com
• Riviera Estates: 0033493874115
• Savills: 0044 207 016 3740
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