Mas Roumie

A wonderful choice for families or groups of friends, this former farmhouse displays its traditional roots with a pantiled roof and multiple green-shuttered windows, yet gives a hint of its new persona with tall topiary planters, flanking six sets of French doors as smart sentinels. Indoors, there is rather less of the past and a fabulous emphasis on the present, with pale stone floors and painted beams framing very contemporary furnishings and facilities. In the villa’s five bedrooms, white walls and soft neutrals highlight bright and quirky artworks.

The ground floor is a monochrome masterpiece, where a super-sleek kitchen, complete with breakfast bar, adjoins a stylishly uncluttered dining hall; the cool and chic sitting room is complemented by a TV snug; and all open out to the broad terrace, with its al fresco dining area overlooking the gardens. Long lawns surround the swimming pool, with trees and shrubs providing dappled shade for leisurely lunches at the poolside patio. And, with a couple of restaurants in Mas Blanc des Alpilles, a walkable 1km away, the villa is 5km from St.Rémy and within 25km of Arles and Avignon.