Luxury Real Estate: Audrey Hepburn's Swiss Villa Priced at £17 Million; Study Suggests Viewing Art Can Prolong Life
The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, has revealed a new three-bedroom bungalow, designed by British interior designer Ashley Hicks in collaboration with Martina Mondadori, founder and editor-in-chief of Cabana magazine. This latest project follows previous collaborations with brands such as Gwyneth Paltrow's goop and AERIN[10][11].
In the UK, the independent charity for art, Art Fund, has launched a health and wellbeing campaign called 'See More, Live More'. The campaign is inspired by research from University College London (UCL) which shows that regular engagement with art is associated with a significantly reduced risk of premature death[12]. Dr Anthony Woods, a researcher at King's College London, is involved in the campaign and states that engaging with the arts is proven to help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress[13].
Meanwhile, Blenheim Palace has announced a new extended tour experience, offering visitors a chance to see the private apartments, including the Duke's Bar, the Family Dining Room, the Smoking Room, the Duchess's Sitting Room, and the Grand Cabinet. One of the Palace's most opulent spaces, the Grand Cabinet is typically reserved for special family occasions[7].
David Hicks, the father of Ashley, was responsible for decorating the Prince of Wales's first apartment at Buckingham Palace and making carpets for Windsor Castle. He married Lady Pamela Mountbatten in 1960[4].
Rosie Paterson, the Digital Content Director & Travel Editor for our platform, has been with the team since July 2014. In 2022, she edited the magazine's special Queen's Platinum Jubilee issue and coordinated our platform's own 125 birthday celebrations. She has also been invited to judge a travel media award and chaired live discussions on the London property market, sustainability, and luxury travel trends[6].
La Paisible, a 18th-century Swiss property that Audrey Hepburn lived in from 1963 until her death in 1993, is for sale for approximately £17 million. The property includes a heated swimming pool, two indoor garages, and outdoor parking for about 15 vehicles. It also boasts 12 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 16,000 sq m of parkland with century-old trees and white rose bushes given to Hepburn by Givenchy[1][2][3][5]. After Hepburn's death, her sons sold La Paisible in 2021 to Katharina and Jean-Marc Beaujolin who extensively renovated the interiors[1].
Other celebrities who have moved to Switzerland for a quieter life include Tina Turner, Shania Twain, and Roger Moore[9]. Rosie Paterson, beyond our platform, has written for Mr & Mrs Smith and The Gentleman's Journal, among others. The rest of the office likes to joke that she splits her time between Claridge's, Devon, and the Maldives[8].
The Cabana Bungalow, one of the hotel's total 14 individually decorated residences, is heavily inspired by some of the last century's greatest decorating names and projects, including Yves Saint Laurent's Villa Mabrouka in Tangier and his Russian dacha at Château Gabriel[11].
[1] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/audrey-hepburns-chateau-goes-on-sale-for-17m-lzg26v896 [2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/25/audrey-hepburns-lake-geneva-home-l-paisible-goes-on-sale-for-17m [3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9821475/Audrey-Hepburns-lake-Geneva-chateau-l-Paisible-for-sale-17m.html [4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40352499 [5] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/2021/06/24/audrey-hepburns-lake-geneva-chateau-l-paisible-for-sale/ [6] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/rosie-paterson-3m85g4w8p [7] https://www.blenheimpalace.com/visit/tours/ [8] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/rosie-paterson-3m85g4w8p [9] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9821475/Audrey-Hepburns-lake-Geneva-chateau-l-Paisible-for-sale-17m.html [10] https://www.thecolonyhotel.com/room-and-suites/cabana-bungalow/ [11] https://www.thecolonyhotel.com/room-and-suites/cabana-bungalow/ [12] https://www.artfund.org/see-more-live-more-campaign/ [13] https://www.artfund.org/see-more-live-more-campaign/
Historic houses, like the Colony Hotel's new bungalow designed by Ashley Hicks, often serve as inspiration for home-and-garden and lifestyle projects of celebrities and pop-culture icons. In fact, Blenheim Palace's private apartments have been decorated by designers with ties to royal families, such as David Hicks, who worked on the Prince of Wales's apartment at Buckingham Palace. Engaging with art, as shown by the Art Fund's health and wellbeing campaign, can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, proving that even historic houses can play a role in our personal lifestyle and wellbeing.
