When Italian antiques dealer and interior designer Enrica Stabile bought her cozy centuries-old home tucked within the rolling hills of Provence nearly 40 years ago, she had her work cut out for her. While she saw its potential in the large rectangular structure framed by two enormous trees, her family was “completely against it,” she admits. “It was my dream coming true. This was [the home] I wanted.” So, without much compromise, she bought it and got to work.
As is the case with myriad Provincial homes built long before the modern conveniences of today, Stabile’s home was not exactly equipped for a family of six to move in. In fact, she explains. “It was a ruin when we bought it.” The entire ground floor, which is where the current kitchen resides, was dedicated to the original owner’s collection of animals. The pair of beautiful French doors that open to the garden were thick wooden sliding doors just big enough for a cow to slide through.
More than 800 years later, that space is the heart of Stabile’s home. “This is my wonderfully big kitchen, and we use it for cooking and as a dining room.” The scale and impressive proportion of the room allow the matriarch of her family to host her entire family (four grown children and four grandchildren) at once, as the primary dining table, an antique raised tablet, seats up to 12 people.
“I’ve been living in this house for 35 years, but the beginning was not as comfortable as it is now. It was still a lot of fun and a real adventure.“
—Enrica Stabile
The rest of the surfaces in the space, which include everything from a garden table to a vintage chest, house Stabile’s various collections, most of which are 19th-century porcelain. She even has a ceramic lizard that, in Provence, symbolizes good luck. The reptile sits amongst Stabile’s collection of herb-adorned vases, trays, and jars that are swathed in rich earthy shades that perfectly complement the butter-hued walls on all sides.
Perhaps the only patch of wall that is not covered is the backsplash, which Stabile admits was the toughest to decorate. “When I was planning the decoration for this room, I knew I wanted tiles on the walls. I didn’t want to buy all the same pattern or modern,” she says. On one of her many trips to London, the designer packed four carry-on pieces of luggage with Victorian-era tiles and brought them back to her home in Provence, where she arranged and rearranged until she landed on the perfect display. In total, the designer numbered all 155 tiles for her backsplash and, all these years later, they’re one of her favorite elements of the kitchen.
See the Whole Home
Another favorite amongst her unique pieces is the Gustavian case piece, which the tastemaker actually purchased for her antiques store in Milan. The intention, of course, was to sell it, but Stabile fell in love with it and had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that one of her customers may snatch it out from under her. “I made it so expensive, praying no one would buy it,” she laughs. Eventually, she removed the price tag altogether and brought it home.
Of course, with so many unique treasures in such a large space, there are quite a few pieces that are particularly special to her, including the antique rug, which belonged to her husband’s family for many generations. “When they sold the house, the rug was the only thing I wanted, so I brought it over as soon as I was able,” and it’s been in this same spot ever since.
Like plenty of interior designers would admit, Sabile’s home is never officially done, as she’s always adding and editing, but for now, her kitchen is, understandably, one of her favorite spots in the home’s long and complicated history.
