How X-Bond Microcement Enhanced This Luxury French Farmhouse

X-Bond Flooring Complements the Sensory Design of Câlin Valréas

Nestled among rolling vineyards and sun-drenched fields with a backdrop of Mont Ventoux, Câlin Valréas is a secluded retreat in Provence that provides an authentic yet indulgent experience for guests. A dilapidated farmhouse turned sensory estate, the venue’s architectural narrative is seamlessly enhanced by X-Bond Microcement flooring.

A Design Philosophy Rooted in Place

Antwerp-based design studio Contekst rescued Câlin from abandonment, preserving its historic character and rural beauty while breathing new life in the form of Belgian minimalism.

Organic materials including rammed earth, stone, and reclaimed timber anchor the interiors to their Provençal surroundings. Stylist Bea Mombaers has layered vintage furnishings, local crafts, and carefully selected artwork to infuse warmth, depth, and a sense of place throughout.

Microcement: An Adaptable Foundation

Installed by Indico Painting, the X‑Bond Microcement flooring boasts a sandy finish streaked with trowel markings — a marriage of texture and tone that echoes original exterior plaster and the earthy palette of other materials. A seamless, unifying surface helps blend indoor with outdoor, and old with new; forging tactile consistency across the property.

Design Benefits That Resonate

Seamless Transitions & Flow: The fluid continuity of microcement creates visual circulation through the three interconnected guesthouses — Âme, Île, and Tour.

Textural Calm: Its tactile, matte finish complements the rugged finishes of crazy paving, natural timber, and off-form concrete.

Aesthetic Balance: By mirroring the sand-coloured grounds, microcement completes the dialogue between building and landscape. It allows key interior elements — custom lighting, countertops, and furniture — to shine without visual disruption.

At Câlin Valréas, design is a seamless conversation between history, landscape, craftsmanship, and materiality. It isn’t just a place to stay, but a multi-sensory experience unified with its surroundings, where every texture, tone, and surface contributes to a story. This is rustic yet elegant minimalism at its finest, with X-Bond Microcement flooring acting as the understated thread that connects past and present, indoors and out, into one cohesive and tranquil retreat.

Photos by Piet-Albert Goethals