Villa Mirabella

VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER

At a glance

Villefranche-sur-Me is the jewel of the French Riviera nestled between Nice and Monaco. It is a charming, authentic fishing village that has maintained its identity while becoming an exclusive location for second homes and vacations. Throughout history, Villefranche has been a sought-after place to be: initially for its protected, deep bay and wonderful climate; more recently as a convenient place for expatriets to live and work with Nice Cote d’Azur airport (France’s second largest airport) only 10 kilometers away.

The village is one of the most charming and authentic on the coast of France,boasting an excellent beach, quality restaurants, Saturday market, one of the Riviera’s best brocante markets and easy access to many healthy lifestyle activities such as the walk around Cap Ferrat, along the edge of the sea, one of the best walks in the world.

This beautifully furnished hillside villa, located on one of the most exclusive streets in Villefranche sur Mer is offered as a long-term or seasonal rental. The views of the bay below are captivating and Villefranche’s lively waterfront along the quai is just minutes away.

The accommodation is actually half of a villa, or what is called a villa apartment. It has just been completely remodeled, including the kitchen and baths. The decor is a tasteful mix of antiques, beautiful oriental carpets, lovely lighting including antique chandeliers, original art and crafts from around the world, and new furniture including very good beds. Although guests love the artistic and creative décor, certainly the most beautiful décor of all is the captivating view that you enjoy from all parts of the villa. It is hard to walk through the villa without being drawn towards the direction of the sea — truly an infinity view.

In addition to the breathtaking views of the sea and the old village from every room in the villa, there is a beautiful lush garden of jasmine, gardenias and bougainvillea, filling the villa with a wonderful perfume.The garden is also abundant with Mediterranean herbs for cooking. Church bells in the distance mark the time of day from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. And although it’s very central and within walking distance to everything, it is very quiet and private.

Entry to the villa is through a private garden gate located on a public stairwell lined with jasmine and bougainvillea that leads down into the town. There are many such stairwells throughout Villefranche that run throughout the old village and also thread through the hillside areas, making walking very pleasant.

Entering the gate, you are greeted with an abundant garden; to your right is the front door, and to your left a path that leads to the front terrace and spectacular sea view. The front hall includes a coat closet, hall table and trumeau mirror, and it
connects to a bedroom and bathroom. The hall leads directly into the main living space where the living room, dining area and kitchen all flow together.

Living, Dining and Modern Kitchen
The living room has an elegant and comfortable atmosphere. It’s a great space for peaceful relaxation, an intimate time together, or a wonderful place to entertain your friends and family. The living room and dining table comfortably seat 6-8. There is a sofa that seats 3-4, and two stuffed chairs complemented by the upholstered dining armchairs. The spacious living/dining area, bedrooms and office/extra bedroom each have large French doors that open onto the stone terrace and garden, with panoramic views of the Bay of Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and beyond. On a clear day you can see Corsica, some 95 miles away.

Because each room opens onto the terrace and the spectacular view, the outside and inside spaces really merge and become one.

On the floor is a beautiful Buhara carpet from Turkey and some fascinating art on the walls. There are lovely sconces from Morocco, a beautiful hand-carved wooden wall hanging depicting a peacock. Throughout the villa is original art from artists the owners have enjoyed meeting from all over the world. The armoire in the living room conceals a television with SKY and French TV.

Kitchen
Kitchen has granite countertops, gas stove, full-sized refrigerator and freezer, dishwasher and butcher-block countertop near the stove. It has lots of light and opens onto the back terrace and lush garden that’s filled with Mediterranean herbs. Although the kitchen opens onto the living and dining areas and is somewhat separate,
it still enjoys great views of the sea. A true gourmet kitchen with all the amenities for
enjoying cooking and entertaining, it features a cute little café table with two chairs.
Entrance just off stairway is surrounded by lush garden.

Terrace
The terrace runs the full length of the house.The garden is filled with jasmine, bougainvillea, hibiscus, flowering plants throughout all seasons, and wonderful Mediterranean herbs. Every room opens onto the terrace through lovely tall French doors, each of which fold open completely.The terrace is comfortably furnished with a dining table and arm chairs for six, two teak steamer chaise lounges, a sun umbrella, and the best baby Weber gas barbecue!

Master Bedroom with Ensuite Bathroom
The master bedroom is on the opposite side of the living, dining and kitchen area from the guest room, thereby providing privacy for each bedroom. It has a really comfortable queen-size bed with fine linens, two night stands, both with reading lights, an antique dresser and mirror, spacious built-in closets (with lots of hanging space plus drawers) and mirrored doors that also reflect the sea view. There are two lovely original oil paintings, a antique chandelier and lamp (on dimmers) and two beautiful oriental carpets. It’s a very comfortble, private and romantic room. While lying in bed, dressing or showering, you enjoy the view of the bay and garden. The French doors of the master bedroom open onto a part of the terrace that is very private, where you can enjoy your own moment on the chaise lounges, waking up to the wonderful view and sunrise.

The ensuite master bath is spacious and also has an unobstructed view out to the sea. It includes a soaking tub/shower, a large vanity with plenty of storage, a bidet and toilet. There is a large window that opens onto the terrace from the bath tub so you can enjoy the view as you shower with complete privacy provided by the window of reflective glass. The bed linen for all the beds is a white, silky cotton material with down duvets for the winter and cotton blankets and spreads for the summer.

Guest Bedroom and Bathroom
The guest bedroom has the same queen-size bed as the master bedroom.In addition there is a desk, an armoire, a bookcase and bench for suitcases and such, plus reading lamps and night stands on both sides of the bed. The sub-dued lighting includes a charming chandelier on a dimmer and a precious antique lamp that provides a perfect ambiance in the evening. And, from every part of the room, you enjoy beautiful views of the sea and garden through the French doors that open onto the terrace.

The bathroom has been newly renovated and is just across the front hall from the guest room, making it very convenient and private. There is a very
comfortable shower with glass door, sink, convenient storage areas for bathroom items, plenty of towel bars, a toilet, and overlooks the back garden.

Office or Third Bedroom
The office/third bedroom is entered from the terrace, thereby offering additional privacy and peace. The room is on two levels, separated by one small step.The office area, on the lower level, has a large desk, a comfortable office chair, printer, fax, phone line and wireless DSL. The upper level comprises a sofa bed, bathroom with a toilet, vanity sink and shower, and a closet and storage area. This room also has wonderful views out to the sea and French doors that open onto the patio. This is a great work area as it is very quiet and separate from the house.

Laundry Facilities
The laundry room is located just out the back door of the kitchen in the garden. It has a brand new, easy-to-use washing machine plus a wonderful, old built-in laundry sink. The convenient clothes line is nearby in the back garden.

The Villa is completely updated with the newest locks, decorative yet very secure wrought iron grills on all windows, and French doors. In addition, there are sturdy, old-fashioned wooden blinds that roll down electrically to provide extra security, while also shading the rooms from the sun and providing ventilation.

The apartment is a most comfortable space for living: just the right size, a perfect use of space,and an easy flow of indoor and outdoor living. The villa is fully equipped for relaxation work, as there is a stereo, an iPod with a vast selection of music, SKY TV, French TV, wireless DSL, printer and fax machine.

Parking
There is plenty of free street parking on the street above and below the villa, so you will have no problem parking your car directly in front of the villa any time of the year.

Although the villa is technically a 3-bedroom, 3-bath villa, it is really ideally suited for a couple, or a couple with a child or periodic guests. It is a perfect place for two, but can accommodate six very comfortably. The third bedroom is really a better office than a bedroom, although it is comfortable as a bedroom.

The is also spectacular at night with the twinkling lights of Cap Ferrat, the village below,
Cap de Nice, and the coastline as it fades into the distance into Monaco and Italy.