Maison les Buis
Maison Les Buis is a beautiful art retreat tucked away in the French countryside of Charente, offering artists, writers and creative thinkers time and space to step away from everyday life, slow down and get creative.
The owners already had a website, but it was ready for a refresh and they wanted something that better reflected the unique character and atmosphere of Maison Les Buis. The brief was to create a website that felt creative, gentle, welcoming and inspiring, while showcasing the house, studios, surrounding countryside and the wonderful work produced by artists during their residencies.
I wanted the new design to feel as relaxed and unhurried as the retreat itself, with plenty of space for the beautiful photography to tell the story. The result is a calm, image-led website that gives visitors a real sense of what it feels like to spend time at Maison Les Buis, from the light-filled house and gardens to the creative spaces and the landscape beyond.
I suggested adding a new ‘Our Story’ page to share how the three founders came together to create the space, as well as introducing each of them personally. They’ve since told me that several people who booked during the first month after the new site went live specifically mentioned this page. The feedback was that getting to know the people behind Maison Les Buis helped them feel more connected to the retreat and ultimately helped in their decision to book their stay.
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“I was attracted by Caroline’s invitation to work with her, as it was important for me to fully participate in the design process and to learn how to manage updates. I’d like to use an analogy that Caroline works like a midwife, guiding the delivery in a safe, skilful way. The baby is mine, so to speak. I have the mother’s instinct, I communicate my vision and ideas, and Caroline guides the process by weaving a beautiful web of design details, the right words, and layering the story. I felt at ease asking questions and was given space to reflect throughout the process. Caroline is perceptive and intuitive; my ideas were understood at a feeling level and transmuted into visual results. This is what’s most important, the feeling element. Within a month of publishing the site, I received several enquiries citing that ‘Our Story’ page compelled them to write. Tangible results from Caroline’s suggestions on this page. I could not recommend Caroline highly enough, personal, intuitive and supportive.”