Wrought ironwork Art Cogolin Saint Tropez - Christian Hoogewys Forgeron d'Art

As a wrought-iron crafstman Christian Hoogewys played a great part in the rediscovery of the ironworks and metal furniture as well inside and outside. From the space conception to the furniture, his house wears his stamp. The colors he used reflect the Provence he loves so much.


Texte Hélène Roche - Photos Franck Bel

At the beginning, this house, already deserted for many years, had a somewhat poor aspect when the future owners found it in 1991. But its privileged location close to the wrought-iron workroom in the heart of Cogolin village, liberated Christian Hoogewys creative spirit, a wrought-iron crafstman. Closed to the sun, dark inside, that 1977 rustic style modern construction, needed to be opened. His first step has been to open that new house towards the south, in front of the sun. The whole of the inner arrangement, as the new stained glass window, extends the house towards the garden.

The summer kitchen opens on the garden through two french windows with four leaves closed by steel woodworks which irons are zinc metallized to protect them from rust. The table has got an iron -plaited top and the basis of its foot are made of stainless steel.

A house turned towards the sun

Perfectly integrated to the house through its location, the stained glass window, affixed over the pinion wall on the garden side, became a true living room. Its made-to-measure iron structure is wearing darkening wattles directly put on the roof to protect it from greenhouse effect. To take advantage of those eaves without putting up with the sun rays, a " pergola " covered with deciduous leaves greeneries carries freshness. Following, a baked clay paved terrace opens directly on the garden, under the shade of a high weeping willow. The old covered terrace has been changed into a summer kitchen to have lunches there during the hottest hours of the day.