A luxury, contemporary villa overlooking the Cote D’Azur, Villa Brash was commissioned by a British couple looking to create a beautiful retreat that embodied tranquility whilst reflecting the aesthetic of this popular holiday destination. Overlooking the Mediterranean, Villa Brash resides in an exclusive address among a winding avenue of stunning properties –specifically designed to give an ocean view from every room. Although the design was executed to a clean, linear and minimalist aesthetic, the architecture also embodies the Mediterranean rusticity that it inhabits. Ceramic tiles on the east side of the façade are randomly laid to produce a textured, almost handmade finish; steep brick steps that descend into the garden lined by young lemon trees are a nod to the narrow streets of old Mediterranean villages –a harmonic juxtaposition of the manmade with nature. The bay-fringed sea and the undulating landscape of the distant St Tropez was, however, the single influential force that shaped the style and composition. A crisp, linear oak wood sunscreen on the northern façade casts dramatic, angular shadows on the interior space enabling the villa to become akin to a habitable sundial, with residents able to ascertain the time of the day simply from the casting of the shadows. Meanwhile, the rich wooden cladding on the west side is a distinct nod to the rambling, thick forestry adjacent to it creating an aesthetic dialogue with nature. The main living room encompasses the villa’s celebration of its view with a concession of frames through double-height windows. A use of clean lines untainted by fussy details enables a pure, untainted view of the panorama that it overlooks. Outside, a decked, sunken kitchen completes the alfresco dining offering, while the infinity pool at sunlounger level melds seamlessly into the blue of the Mediterranean sea. All images © copyright Nick Kane