Owned and lovingly restored by Ruby and Dimitri Platts-Mills – a couple whose story begins in Notting Hill in the ’90s and comes full circle in the south of France – La Belle Eco is more than a hotel. It’s the culmination of a romance, a permaculture awakening, and a deep design ethos rooted in sustainability and soul.
Ruby, a theatre producer from a family of artists, and Dimitri, saw potential in a long-forgotten estate and gave it new life – removing plastic and cement from the 1970s and revealing a property that hadn’t been truly touched in 70 years.
She tells The Connexion about the project...
The estate had been abandoned before the renovation, with nature taking over in the outdoor spacesLa Belle Eco
Where is La Belle Eco?
La Belle Eco is located 20 minutes from Carcassonne, Aude.
How and when did you discover the property?
I discovered the property in February 2020 and was just about to organise a viewing when lockdown struck and made it impossible. We were in Thailand for the first six months of lockdown; and during that time I watched the promotional video nearly every day. Dimi was being driven mad by music on the video.
When travel restrictions started to lift, I made Dimi leave paradise to spend the winter in France where there was still an intermittent lockdown so that we could view the property! When we saw it, I knew more about it than the estate agent doing the viewing.
When we first saw the property, it was like walking into the Sleeping Beauty story – which is what we called it. Although it was lived in by a caretaker it was as if it had been abandoned for 70 years because that is the last time anyone had spent any money on it.
Because the forest had been left to its own devices for 70 years it was like nature had won. Part of taking a permaculture approach is letting nature be your guide – observe and then interact. To this end you generally try and leave spaces and let nature tell you what you are supposed to do.
Here because nature had already been taking the lead, our job was to try and minimise our impact on the garden while also ensuring that it was able to meet our needs (produce a yield).
In this case that meant planting enough vegetable no dig gardens and installing enough solar panels.
What was your main interior design inspiration for the project? What sensations do you want guests to have?
Major design inspiration was bringing the building back to life, letting the building speak to us. Obviously when we exposed the art deco hand painted stencil in the salon, that had to be renovated. Its design and colour led the design of that room, but really in each individual room the light, the feeling, the things we found would dictate the style.
The art nouveau staircase was installed in 1910La Belle Eco
There are many wonderful original features – the imposing fireplace in the salon made from green African marble, the original marble floors and terracotta tiling, the lake, and, of course, the trees. Then you have the renovation done in 1910 in the art nouveau style including the staircase, the frieze in the salon and the bathroom tiles moved from the master suite to the apartment bathroom, this was the style we wanted to build on for beauty and authenticity.
The last makeover was in the early 70s and any salvageable pieces from that period were moved to the cabin built in 1969 so seemed to belong there.
As an eco-refurbishment, the number one rule was to use what we had on site, then source from the era and as locally as possible. Fortunately, being in the South of France there are so many amazing brocantes and markets to visit.
We wanted our guests to have the experience of staying at a friend’s house. We avoided any bulk bought items and ensured that every space has its own unique character. We also wanted to keep that feeling of stepping back in time, being transported into another world which you get because we are hidden by the magical forest.
Who oversaw the project?
We managed the project, and my mum worked alongside us as our design expert! She isn’t an interior designer, but she has always produced the most beautiful homes. She used to run a B&B in Scotland that was featured in Interiors magazine.
How important was a sustainable approach?
Very important. The structure of the building itself was already so beautiful that really our main aim was about preserving what was there. The only feature that we changed was changing the chlorine pool into a natural swimming pool – which really is the delight of the whole property. It blends so seamlessly into the forest landscape, the scented garden planted behind brings wafts of lavender and rosemary as you lie watching the dragonflies dance over the water. It is a magical place and a world apart from the pool that was originally there.
The interiors are an eclectic homage to the manor’s original 1870–1930s features, blended with hand-picked antiques sourced locally and restored with care. Design decisions followed a clear ethos:
• Use what exists on site
• Source only what feels native to the home’s history
• Prioritise local, low-impact materials
Where did you source furniture and paint?
Most of our sourcing was from Adolf Alesina a local antique dealer. My mum developed such a close relationship with him that they fell in love and are planning on getting married!
The guest rooms have been individually decoratedLa Belle Eco
Did you use local artisans?
Most of the pieces that came from Adolf required a little bit of love shall we say. Fortunately, we had a wonderful carpenter on site who brought them back to their glory. The only ‘designer’ piece we added was the Barbi lamp in the salon.
We followed the design principles that were dictated by our personal ethical philosophy. Fortunately, the house has a long era (1870-1930s!) but if we had to buy something new it needed to be found as locally as possible and have minimal ecological impact.
What particular problems did you encounter?
The property was built in 1870, then there was a large-scale renovation around 1912 which is where we get all the art deco features from. Then there was another renovation in the 1970’s when they covered everything in cement and plastic vinyl! The magic material of the time.
One of the first things we had to do was peel that off to let the building breathe again – there was a serious damp problem caused by the cement and plastic trapping all the moisture in!
Keeping true to the original style of the building and never wanting to lose the feeling of being at home, each of the nine rooms have been individually decorated with their own character and charm.
All of our rooms have organic mattresses and linen, ensuring you don’t breathe in any harmful toxins in your sleep. They are also deliciously sumptuous, for a wonderful night’s sleep.
We have a mix of cosy retreat rooms, grand rooms and luxury suites like Flora which is one of La Belle Eco’s most romantic and elegant bedrooms with all the luxury you would expect from a suite.
What three pieces of advice would you give to Connexion readers renovating a country property?
1) Make sure you absolutely love the place. It is a true labour of love and very demanding; not only on your bank account but your time and your soul.
2) Take your budget and double or triple it!
3) Make sure you build good relationships with local trades people – even when your renovation is ‘complete’ you will be needing their help.
La Belle Eco is hosting ‘Feel Good Feasting’, a three-night retreat, September 25-28 with renowned UK chef Gemma Ogston. Book at labelle.eco
