This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.
It takes a savvy marketing department to land a pedal bin in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art – which Vipp did in 2009. The Danish brand has, again, proven its business acumen with its ‘stealth showroom’ concept – since 2015, Vipp has been opening bookable guest houses around the world, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in its homeware.
Each property offers a unique environment for experiencing Vipp’s design ethos, from a Bauhaus-style pencil factory in Denmark, to a 19th-century log cabin in Latvia. The latest addition to this portfolio is the brand’s twelfth guesthouse, set in a 14th-century townhouse in Lagrasse, a village in southern France.
The house, which dates back to the 1350s, has been restored by local architects in accordance with strict heritage preservation guidelines. The exterior maintains its medieval aesthetic while, inside, interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard has created an irresistibly contrarian interior. ‘We looked to a focused set of materials: wood, stainless steel, marble, plastered walls and pebble floors,’ she says. ‘The idea was to create a home that lets the history of the space form the foundation of design.’
The ground floor’s lounge area has coarse pebble flooring – a nod to the village’s cobblestone streets. Warm white walls echo the stone of the nearby Lagrasse Abbey. A sculptural staircase, crafted by local metalsmith Alejandro Berconsky, is described by Mølsgaard as ‘almost like an integrated art piece, tying the house together while paying tribute to local craftsmanship’.
The second floor is home to the kitchen and dining area, featuring Vipp’s V3 kitchen island, its circular Cabin table and a special edition Swivel chair upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric, its two-tone pattern inspired by a medieval coat of arms. From the moment she stepped inside, Mølsgaard envisioned this as the heart of the home: ‘I imagine guests bringing fresh produce from the square’s market to the kitchen for preparation and then stepping out onto the terrace to dine.’
On the third floor, where you’ll find the primary bedroom and bathroom, a large freestanding shower made from locally-sourced red marble makes a bold statement, while a rectangular window frames a picturesque slice of Lagrasse. The suite includes a Vipp bath module, washing station and another Cabin table. ‘It’s unusual to place a dining table in a bedroom, but here, it feels natural – the space invites you to live differently,’ says Mølsgaard. ‘It can be used as a vanity, as a workstation or even for a late-night snack.’
With this latest guesthouse, Vipp continues to blur the line between showroom and sanctuary, offering guests an opportunity to inhabit design rather than merely observe it.
Prices to book the Lagrasse Vipp guesthouse (one bedroom, suitable for two adults) start at €449 per night
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