Owner: Les bateaux Belmond
Interior design: Humbert & Poyet
Stained glass sky dome: Ateliers Loire
Bar luminaire: Maison Leleu
Fabrics: Nobilis, Pierre Frey, Rubelli, Métaphores
Handmade porcelain sets: Marie Daâge
Artists: Amélie Chassary, Atelier de La Torre, Barbara Billoud
Guests: up to 6
Photos: Ludovic Balay
Exploring one of the world’s most renowned regions from the banks of its embracing river is a contemplative experience, capable of captivating the mind and transporting it to a dimension suspended in time. It was with this philosophy in mind that the designers conceived this vessel for Belmond, a leader in luxury hospitality. The project’s inspiration is deeply rooted in nature and the landscape, particularly the undulating profiles of the hills adorned with rows of vines.
The approach taken was to weave a delicate dialogue between the interior and exterior, ensuring the former echoed the latter. Thus, the barge adopts a chromatic and material palette that evokes the local territory, as if carrying its very essence into the three en-suite cabins, the saloon, the bar, and onto the deck. The green of trees and vineyards, the earthy browns of the soil, and the light tones of reeds and occasional riverbank rocks form the color palette from which Humbert & Poyet drew to “paint” a setting designed to capture the nuances of the views visible during navigation.
The barge’s name itself, Coquelicot (French for poppy), refers to the poppies that abundantly dot the region’s fields, subtly referenced in the red marble side tables found in the saloon. The deliberate choice of natural materials such as walnut and oak wood, marble, rope, and raffia further reinforces the designers’ intention.
Everywhere, there’s a subtle reference and reinterpretation of Art Deco design codes, as seen in the master suite where mosaic art takes center stage, or in the saloon where the stained-glass ceiling recalls the warm colors of the landscape, creating a kaleidoscope of hues that testifies to the dynamic interplay of light. All furnishings were custom-designed and crafted by local artisans.
