My idea of luxury
is nature

There's a moment I'll never forget. It was a winter morning, the ground still frozen, and I had just set and secured the first post — the one just to the left of the entrance. Around me, only that magnificent view and the silence of the Dourdou valley. At that precise moment, I understood that this project would be something magical.

Two years, alone, hands in the timber

Building a timber cottage, alone, for two years — it's a challenge that shaped every season, every day, every gesture. I had chosen Aveyron, this valley of Grand Vabre, because the nature there is still truly wild. Not tamed, not staged. The oak and chestnut forests descend to the banks of the Dourdou. Roe deer pass in the early morning. The silence is a material in itself.

I learned to work wood by doing. Douglas fir for the structure, oak for the details, polished concrete for the floor. Every element was thought through to last, to resonate rightly, so that the house breathes with its environment rather than shutting itself off from it.

Why timber?

Wood is the only material that naturally regulates indoor humidity and temperature. In summer, it keeps the cool. In winter, it holds the warmth of the stove for hours. It ages well — better than well, it develops a patina, gains character, blends into the landscape over time.

Building in timber is also a coherent ecological choice: a renewable material, low carbon footprint when locally sourced, exceptional lifespan. The Douglas fir used at Lalalandes comes from French forests.

The sauna: the most personal object

I built the sauna last — and it's probably the part of the project I thought about most. A traditional wood-fired sauna in Douglas fir, with volcanic stones for heat retention. No electricity inside. Just fire, stones, steam and warm wood.

The practice of sauna followed by a cold plunge in the pool — something I had discovered while travelling, and that I wanted to share. Not as a spa service, but as a simple, accessible ritual rooted in nature.

That's my idea of luxury

People sometimes ask me why I chose Aveyron rather than a more "trendy" region. Because Aveyron is authentic. Not perfect, not polished, not packaged for tourists. The people are direct, the food is generous, the landscapes are still secret.

My luxury isn't marble, heated pools or hotel spas. It's waking up early and watching the mist rise from the valley. It's heating the sauna with logs you've cut yourself. It's plunging into the cold pool on a December morning under the stars. It's hearing the Dourdou flowing five minutes on foot.

Lalalandes is that kind of luxury — slow, sensory, deeply rooted in nature.