Belle Epoque Estate Lists in France’s Fragrant Perfume Capital
The eight-bedroom villa asking €3.4 million occupies a hillside site above the old town of Grasse, filled with olive groves and citrus trees, and offering dramatic views of the Bay of Cannes
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A historic Belle Epoque villa in the Provencal town of Grasse, known as the perfume capital of the world, listed for €3.4 million (US$3.64 million) earlier this month.
Known as La Rivolte, the eight-bedroom villa occupies a 1.8-acre hillside site above the old town of Grasse, filled with olive groves and citrus trees, and offering dramatic views of the Mediterranean Sea. The city is still filled with perfumeries, and surrounded by flower fields growing jasmine, iris, geraniums, orange blossom and roses, that supply some of the world’s most well-known perfumes, including Chanel No. 5.
The villa was built in the 1880s at the height of Grasse’s renown as the centre of the perfume industry, and had a string of prominent owners and residents, including wealthy Grasse perfumer and the first Russian to win a Nobel Prize for Literature.
Most recently, it was owned by the Usborne family, who purchased it in the 1990s. The London-based family spent many summers in the South of France, but are looking to sell now that patriarch Peter Usborne has passed, according to his son, Martin Usborne.
“It has a very romantic and a very unique character that when we looked for houses to buy, this one jumped out as being incredibly authentic and with incredible views extending over the whole Bay of Cannes,” Usborne said. “We fell in love with it.”
The home, which spans 3,267 square feet over several floors, maintains its original charm with tiled floors, Juliet balconies, and large windows to take in the views, along with ample terraces, gardens and a pool deck.
Peter Usborne, the owner of children’s book publisher Usborne Books, bought the property from a perfumer and renovated it in keeping with the traditional provencal style. Like the owners before them, they rented out the home and used it themselves, which meant it was kept up to date.
“The property is really beautiful with a magical view to the seas, but not a ten minutes walk from the old city of Grasse,” said Tamara Bourdin of Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty, who is marketing the property with Tarik Bouchenak.
The villa’s unique yellow-ochre facade holds a clue to its history. It matches the nearby Grand Hotel Grasse, a neoclassical masterpiece built around the same time, when the city was gaining some acclaim as a winter destination to rival more popular resort towns like Cannes and Nice.
In fact, the man who built the house, a jeweller named Gustav Roquier, purchased the site from the Cresp family, a prestigious local perfuming dynasty in 1882, likely as an investment—with the intention of renting it out to wealthy vacationers, according to Ruth Midgley, a local historian hired by the Usborne family. (It was described as an “alluring and comfortable villa aimed at winter visitors,” in a local newspaper in 1903.)
There is some reason to believe that Roquier might have commissioned the same Cannes architects who built the Grand Hotel to design his own villa, given some of their similarities, but there’s no direct evidence, per Midgely.
Roquier had good reason to believe in the value of his property. Soon after La Rivolte was completed, Baroness Alice de Rothschild built her own—much more extravagant—home on an adjacent lot, called Villa Victoria in honour of her friend, the British Queen, according to the historian and the Rothschild Archives. And in 1891, the Grand Hotel hosted Queen Victoria herself when she came to visit her friend Alice.
The property stayed in the Roquier family for four generations, until 1949, and it was alternately rented out or utilized by the family. Among its notable tenants was Ivan Bunin, the first Russian writer to win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1933, for an autobiography written while he lived at the villa. “We often get stray Russian tourists coming up the drive because it was the home of the first Nobel-prize winning Russian author,” said Usborne. “He is a household name in Russia.”
Grasse never did become the tourist destination Roquier had hoped for, but it draws plenty of visitors both for its Mediterranean climate and old-world charm, as well as its continuing legacy as the perfume capital of the world.
While the Usbornes have many happy memories there, it’s become too much for Martin and his sister, both of whom are also in publishing, to keep up with the maintenance, he said.
“It needs a refresh inside, but the actual owners used to rent it for like 10 or 15 years, so the property is fully equipped,” said Bourdin. “All the bedrooms are ensuite so it’s well equipped for modern living, but it needs a bit of makeup inside.”
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BNW Developments has established a Sydney presence, joining Arada and Sobha Realty among the growing number of UAE developers pursuing Australian buyers and development opportunities.
Australian shares fell on Thursday as Wall Street weakness, rising oil and persistent rate concerns weighed on most of the market. The S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.72 per cent to 8,702. The All Ordinaries lost 0.66 per cent to finish at 8,897. Mining stocks were hit particularly hard, while real estate also dragged on the index. …
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رغم التوترات الإقليمية، يواصل سوق العقارات الفاخرة في الإمارات جذب المشاريع الجديدة، مع تصدر الواجهات البحرية المشهد. وتستعد دبي وأبوظبي ورأس الخيمة لإطلاق مجموعة من المشاريع السكنية الفاخرة، بينها مساكن تحمل علامات فندقية عالمية مثل Ritz-Carlton وJanu.
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Long-term optimism remains strong in the United Arab Emirates, even as the war in neighboring Iran hinders home sales and demand for now.
While there have certainly been residential and commercial real estate projects across the U.A.E. that have been paused or delayed due to the turmoil experienced across the region, by and large, new developments continue to be launched.
That’s the case in the luxury residences sector in particular, where a string of starry, big-name projects are putting homes on the market before the close of the year. One trend is that the islands of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the U.A.E. at large that are taking their turn in the spotlight, as waterfront living continues to be in demand and come at a premium.
For would-be buyers looking for resort-style homes along the shores, there’s an array of upcoming projects to get excited about. Right at the top of the list are hotel branded residences from the likes of Ritz-Carlton and Janu, the sister brand of powerhouse Aman, among five swanky projects selling this season.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi
Luxury hotel branded residences are thriving, and the exciting Ritz-Carlton Residences Al Maryah Island development is a great example of why. Residents can expect hotel-style amenities and services from a locale within Abu Dhabi’s thriving waterfront district, with the creature comforts of home built into it.
This project was unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025 and promises to offer The Ritz-Carlton brand’s signature, timeless style and unwavering attention to detail. All units will feature floor-to-ceiling windows with enviable views, while residents will be able to take advantage of a resort-grade, infinity waterfront pool, immersive spa and wellness facilities, and a waterfront promenade with curated outdoor spaces as well as high-end retail and dining venues.
Sales launch in October.
Number of Units: 172
Price Range: Starting at $1.2 million
Developer/Architect: Killa Design and Tara Bernerd, with SAAS Properties.
Home Sizes: One- to four-bedroom residences ranging from 882 square feet to 4,962 square feet, and a five-bedroom, 13,713-square-foot penthouse.
Amenities: Wellness facilities including premium fitness center, massage room, meditation and recovery rooms, cold plunge and indoor pool. There’s also a rooftop pool, co-working lounge, executive golf lounge, and a games room and children play area.
Janu Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah
Just 50 minutes from Dubai International Airport, Janu Al Marjan Island aims to both feel a world apart from the city, while also offering supreme ease of access. The property has its own private stretch of beach and marina, ideal for superyacht mooring and serving as the scene of a beach club.
The Janu Residences will be positioned next to the Janu hotel, with residents able to take advantage of its many social and wellness spaces, in addition to resident’s-only amenities and services. Meanwhile, the adjacent Wynn Al Marjan Island, the U.A.E.’s first integrated resort, is in direct proximity as well.
Social life by the sea, with discretion and wellness on tap, not to mention a chance to get in early on burgeoning Ras Al Khaimah.
Sales launch in late October.
Number of Units: 73
Price Range: Starting at $2.3 million
Developer/Architect: Jointly developed by Marjan and Wynn Resorts, with architecture by SCDA Architects.
Home Sizes: One- to five-bedroom residences ranging from 2,117 square feet to 18,955 square feet, as well as five Marina Villas and a residential tower penthouse.
Amenities: An active lifestyle comes to the forefront with the Janu Spa and Wellness center and a padel court. Six dining venues and a signature beach club are key features for residents who want it all, right on-site.
Sei Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi
Located in the Saadiyat Cultural District, Sei Saadiyat combines its historic locale with a unique spin rooted in the Japanese concept of stillness and calm, or “Sei.” That foundational principle is what this community will be based on, with a mission to foster wellness and relaxation in all forms, including fitness and social connection.
A total of 778 homes will be spread across six Jacobs-designed buildings. Aldar is also introducing a first in their residential portfolio in the form of their two-bedroom Kanso Lofts at Sei Saadiyat, featuring double-height, open-plan living in loft style spaces including an elevated bedroom.
Phase one sales launched in September.
Number of Units: 778 total (265 involved in this phase one launch)
Price Range: Starting at $800,000
Developer/Architect: Aldar with architecture by Jacobs and interiors by Kettle Collective.
Home Sizes: Residences range from 753 square feet to 2,238 square feet, in a range of floor plans including one- and two-bedroom apartments, three-bedroom Kanso Residences and two-bedroom Kanso lofts.
Amenities: Amenities tie into the brand’s ethos of stillness and calm: expect a Zen garden with serenity pool and outdoor yoga decks, along with numerous indoor and outdoor fitness areas, and hot-and cold-pool experiences.
Amali Canal Residences
Amali Canal Residences is located on Dubai Canal in Al Wasl. The community is suspended above the canal, and brings the presence of water even closer to home with a number of features including private plunge pools in every residence, and a swim-through, indoor-outdoor pool with a signature waterfall facade that would make the posh resorts of the Swiss Alps blush.
There will be no shortage of on-site entertainment and diversions, whether in the form of a private cinema and resident bowling alley, cigar lounge and library, padel and sports courts, a panoramic fitness center. Then there’s The Retreat, a wellness center incorporating spa, sauna, steam, onsen baths, hydrotherapy, and yoga and pilates studios. When it’s time for a bit of work in between the diversions, residents can use an executive boardroom, private studies and co-working lounges.
Sales launch in October.
Number of Units: 211
Price Range: Two bedrooms starting at $3.9 million; three bedrooms starting at $5.4 million; four bedrooms starting at $7.4 million; penthouse pricing on request.
Developer/Architect: Amali Properties in collaboration with AHS Properties, with architecture by Killa Design and interior design by HBA Residential.
Home Sizes: Two- to four-bedroom apartments ranging from 2,880 square feet to 7,800 square feet, in addition to four- and five-bedroom penthouses ranging up to 21,000 square feet.
Amenities: 55,000 square feet of interconnected amenity spaces including myriad lounges, infinity pools with cabanas, children’s waterpark and child care center, padel court and a rooftop secret garden.
Rixos Residences Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi
The Rixo Residences on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, are designed to match its island environs with the thriving culture and finance dynamics of the city. Panoramic water and skyline views bring both faces to life, in this East & West Properties project.
Residences showcase expansive terraces offering boundless views from within a community centered around three dedicated amenity zones: the Oasis, the Haven and the Gathering. Together, wellness, fitness, social life and relaxation are all available in a number of formats.
Less than half a mile from the coast, and only 10 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, Rixos Residences offers generous layouts and amenity-rich public spaces that deliver equally as well for family-friendly living as well as investors.
Sales launched in August.
Number of Units: 386
Price Range: One-bedrooms starting at $570,000, with larger loft units starting at $1.8 million.
Developer/Architect: East & West Property Development under the Ennismore portfolio, with architect Aedas and interiors by HBA Residential.
Home Sizes: One- to two-bedroom apartments as well as three- and four-bedroom lofts, from 954 square feet to 2,941 square feet.
Amenities: Wellness treatment areas as well as Turkish hammam and steam rooms, landscaped walking tracks, padel court, rooftop clubhouse and plunge pool, private cinema, and services including concierge, valet and security.
The grand harbourside residence combines sweeping Sydney Heads views, resort-style entertaining and refined designer finishes with a reported $36 million price guide.
Set on one of the city’s last absolute riverfront sites, The Riversdale by Mosaic combines irreplaceable waterfront ownership with one of Brisbane’s most significant residential opportunities.
