I have strong opinions about many things but when it comes to exploring Paris and its environs, I have no standards at all. Wherever you’re going, whatever you’re doing, I’m pretty much game. So when I had the opportunity to visit a private home designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in Bazoches-sur-Guyonnes, about 40 kilometers southwest of town, I said, “sign me up.”

Aalto designed the home for Parisian art dealer Louis Carré who moved there in 1959. From the exterior, it’s not much to look at but the feeling completely changes once you walk in the front door. It’s built like a wave into the side of a hill with commanding views of the surrounding countryside in every direction. Aalto designed it all (with help from a few collaborators) including the furniture, carpets, lighting, and the two most amazing walk in closets I’ve ever seen.

Carré picked the site because it’s just across the road from where his friend, Jean Monnet, one of the architects of the European Union, lived. You can visit Monnet’s house too, an interesting contrast since it’s a typical French country house complete with thatched roof and fussy furniture. Frankly, either one would suit me just fine.

>more