Our Autumn In a Provençal Bastide Parcel

luxe provence box autumn

V1: Autumn 2015 Unveiled – Behind The Curation

by Tarik Koivisto, Founder and Creative Director

First off, thank you to all of the subscribers and single parcel clients who made this such a beautiful success and sold-out first season! Our parcels are shipping direct from France this week around the world, and we are very pleased to unveil what’s inside.

As a special thank you to our first season clients, each parcel comes packaged in a limited edition, extra-large Luxe Provence collector’s box. Perfect for storing sweaters, or collectibles.

SPOILER ALERT: Our luxe curation to celebrate life in a Provençal Bastide includes: a Platinum tumbler from Limoges, black truffle sea salt from the Camargue, rich Mediterranean olive wood cutting board, charming limited-edition French linen tea towel, and exquisite seasonal scented products from the famous Grasse region.

Featuring A Platinum Rose et Marius Tumbler (retailing with candle for $156 in the US!)

We splurged! Each parcel contains one gorgeous platinum finish tumbler made of porcelain from Limoges featuring intricate Provençal patterns that are set by hand in France. The pattern design and creation of the tumblers were inspired by the traditional cement tiles of ancient Bastides found throughout Provence. Rose et Marius is one of the first luxury brands of Provence and we are always impressed with the impeccable quality, handcrafted detail and fragrances of their products. To learn more about this brand and why we chose this product to be featured in our first parcel, view this just released short documentary on a very popular french television station here. (It’s in French but you can get a very strong sense for their artisanal appreciation, the founder’s strong Provence values and luxe product development all done in France.)

It’s a showpiece that is both functional and beautiful. Use as a refillable votive holder, prestige water vessel, or any luxurious way you see fit to bring a little Provence into your home.

Each Luxe Provence Box contains one Rose et Marius green, blue, beige or red platinum prestige tumbler

Rose et Marius Figue or Melon Basil Candles

These limited edition fragranced candle combinations capture the rhythm of this season directly transporting you to the hillsides of Provence in autumn. We’ve chosen to include our absolute favorite fall fragrances, fig. Each September to October, the fig trees in Provence are bursting with fruit. The fruit itself has a delicate floral aroma and fruitiness. Figs signify unity, knowledge, and faith, they epitomize the Provençale lifestyle and provide shade for the post lunch “sieste”.

Each box contains either one large fig, or two mini fig and melon basil candles from Rose et Marius

Stone Washed Linen (Lin Lavée) Printed Tea Towels

These whimsical, luxe tea towels from Série Limitée LOUISE offers a taste of a simpler past in France, a “Madeleine de Proust”. These took my breathe away when I first laid eyes on them hanging elegantly in one of my favorite, local Aixoise boutiques. I knew we just had to have them for this parcel and phoned up the artist immediately. Featuring screen printed vintage photography on 100% stoned washed linen, these tea towels are entirely made in France with natural and sustainable materials. Louise Jourdan-Gassin, Niçoise in origin,is the talented designer behind the creations who was inspired to create this line by her family meal time traditions in the South of France. We selected three of our favorite prints for this parcel.

Each box contains one washed linen screen printed tea towel made in France from Série Limitée LOUISE

Hand Carved Olive Wood Serving or Cutting Board

luxe-olive-wood-provence-box

These hand-carved olive wood cutting boards caught my eye at one of my favorite weekly artisan markets. Each is board is beautifully sculpted, solid yet delicate, and were sourced directly from Pascale, a talented local artist who uses  native Mediterranean olive wood to create these refined boards. Each is made from a single trunk of olive wood and are seamless and nonporous. The boards are suitable for cutting bread, cheese, chopping vegetables and carving meat. The hardwood is strong and durable, yet does not retain any odors, germs or stains. I fell in love with the shape and grain of these boards and appreciate that each board can be easily maintained by a light sanding, along with an application of food-safe white mineral oil to retain their beauty for years to come.

Each box contains one of two shape options of this artisanal Mediterranean Olive Wood Serving/Cutting Board, handcarved in France

Aix&Terra Black Truffle Sea Salt from the Camargue

Nothing accompanies a simple French omelette better than this black truffle sea salt from the camargue region. The camargue region of Provence uses sun, sea and wind to make the world’s finest fleur de sel. Combined with the “black diamond” of the gastronomy world, and you have the ideal luxe ingredient to stir up your Julia Child-inspired recipes imaging yourself preparing it all directly in your sunny Provençal kitchen.

Each box contains one Aix&Terra Black Truffle Sea Salt from the Camargue region of Provence

Rose et Marius Hand Carved Soap

We simply couldn’t ask for a more fitting soap to send that represented Provence better. Engraved with the famous Provencal Bastide tile patterns, these natural plant soaps are enriched with poppy oil  to leave your skin as soft as silk and contain only natural pigment coloring from the ochre-streaked earth of Roussillon, along with green clay. Gorgeously scented pieces of art. Unique fragrances from Grasse and handmade in Provence.

Each box contains one handcarved soap from Rose et Marius

Bonus Antique Gift: For our Annual Subscribers, we have included a special found treasure from the brocantes and village antique markets throughout France. We are keeping this little bit a surprise but do please note, these are not “new items”, they are antique or vintage pieces found in France. They may have some small imperfections or age, but we hope you find this as charming as we do.

(Please note: new Annual Subscribers after September 20, 2015 will receive this gift in their last parcel to allow for more time to curate. We offered this as a bonus in the first parcel to our first annual subscribers, thank you!)

All Parcel Deliveries are arriving around the world between September 28 – October 5th, 2015. 

Please tell us what you thoughts about our first Sold-Out season in our comments below.

Ready to indulge for the next season, purchase V2: A Winter Escape to the sunny Côte d’Azur, Dolce Vita style today.

 

 

 

 

6 Comments

  • Reply caroline September 25, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    SO EXCITED. Thank you, ladies

  • Reply - Luxe ProvenceLuxe Provence September 30, 2015 at 10:25 am

    […] and not to be forgotten is the wood that is carved into all sorts of lovely objects. I treasure my olive wood chopping board and use it to slice saucisson at aperitif time or to serve cheese on. Decorative and practical, […]

  • Reply Patricia October 6, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    My beautiful box was crushed so I had to throw it away. Thankfully nothing inside was broken since the tumbler was in a separate box. My antique item is precious!! It is my favorite thing in the whole box.

    • Reply Tarik Koivisto October 7, 2015 at 7:23 am

      Dear Patricia, So pleased it made it through okay despite the crush and thanks for the feedback. We made sure to mark the box “fragile” per your warning, too. I thought long about what you might like so am very pleased you are happy with your antique option. A new box coming your way next season… : )

  • Reply The Luxe Provence Autumn Box Revealed... - Luxe ProvenceLuxe Provence October 21, 2015 at 8:29 am

    […] For those of you who didn’t receive our Autumn parcel, we are sharing a little peak at what was inside. This luxe curation was designed to celebrate life in a Provençal Bastide and featured four surprise items: a Platinum tumbler from Limoges by Rose et Marius, black truffle sea salt from the Camargue from Aix&Terra, rich Mediterranean olive wood cutting board created by a local artisan, charming limited-edition French linen tea towel from SeriesLimited Louise, and exquisite seasonal scented candle and soap from the famous Grasse region. The full unveil is available here. […]

  • Reply Experience the Calanques in our Autumn Box • Luxe Provence August 12, 2016 at 10:11 am

    […] V1: Autumn in a Provençal Bastide […]

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