French Riviera Villa La Pausa Reveals French Country Furnishings

The French Riviera Villa that was created by Coco Chanel in 1927 is called La Pausa.  The beautiful French Country Villa was bought by Emery and Wendy Reves in the early 1950's.  After her husband died Wendy donated the furnishings to the Dallas Museum of Art.

 Ms. Reeves began a stunning array of works by impression modern masters including Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Camille Corot, Pierre and  Auguste Renoir.

 The Dallas Museum of Art created five rooms in the villa.  See the bedroom, the library, dining room, salon, and hallway.

 The Dallas Museum of Art has 1,400 items in the collection.

 They bought things that gave them joy and made their home beautiful.

 She wanted the items to be displayed to see how lovely their home was.

 Each room is a work of art.  Wendy collected Birmingham furniture for her bedroom.

 The dining room shows her place settings.

The former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spent a third of each year at La Pausa from 1956 to 1958.  The Reeves created an entire floor of La Pausa at the disposal of Winston.  He had a large bedroom and his own private secretary.  Lady Churchill had her own suite.  He was allowed to invite his own guests to dine at La Pausa.  He edited the "History of the English Speaking people while he was there.  His creative juices flowed at the villa.

Winston Churhill said he felt twenty years younger while he was at the Villa.

 Wendy and Emery Reves photograph of their love is displayed at DMA.  Emery Reves was Hungarian by birth, a publisher, journalist and avid collector of European art.  Wendy Reves, is from Marshall, Texas.  She was a successful model in New York and Paris.  The couple met while Swiss citizens and made a home in at Villa La Pausa in 1954,

Reves bought La Pausa from the proceeds of the foreign language rights to the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's book on the Second World War.

 The Wendy and Emery collection contains 363 Chinese export porcelain, eighty four pieces of European furniture dating from the Renaissance through the Victorian period.

The Reves entertained other important guests such as; Noel Coward, Edward Molyneux, and Somerset Maugham.

 There are fifty two textiles featuring carpets from Spain, Portugal, Anatolia, the Causcasus, and India.

 Wendy's desire was to create the unique environment of the French Riviera Villa.

Emery's collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures are elegantly displayed in each room.

Emery Reeves traveled often for his career.

He made valuable connections with art dealers across the globe. This helped the couple gain unique items from different cultures.

They were on a mission to create a villa full of priceless objects for generations to admire.  Other famous guests were Aristotle Onassis, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and legendary movie stars such as Greta Garbo.  The home was an oasis of charm and beauty.

Pierre Auguste Renoir, La Mare Aux Canards, 1873 is a rare painting on display.

Comfortable seating was important for conversation areas.  Soft pillows with a unique design added comfort and flare.

Many of the furnishings came from Cocoa Chanel's collection.

Odilon Redon, created The Port of Morgat in 1882.  Come see the unique use of light.

Lamps were carefully picked for soft lighting and a French country design with soft pastel colors.

Golden candlesticks were lit for romance.

Chairs were carefully placed next to large sofas as important guest could talk with intimacy.

The library was paneled with wood to create a cozy feeling.

The library contained many rare books.

Visit the DMA to see the rare collection of paintings.

Pretend you flew on a jet to visit the French villa.

La Pausa is an enchanted place to visit.