La Folie Barbizon, an artists’ refuge finally opens to the public
A hotel? Not really. A museum? Not at all.
La Folie Barbizon, which reopens its doors on June 12, 2025, reinvents the codes of hospitality. Nestled on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest, this house imagined by Lionel Bensemoun and reinvented by Nicolas Saltiel becomes a unique setting, between poetic refuge and artistic manifesto.
A heritage reinvented: between forest and avant-garde
La Folie Barbizon, a former bohemian haunt, was born of a dream: to transform a country house into a creative laboratory. Here, every room tells a story, every wall becomes a narrative medium. The inspiration? The painters of the 19th century – Millet, Courbet, Corot – who made Barbizon the cradle of a free and sensitive movement.
In 2025, this legendary address will be transformed into a 4-star hotel with 21 rooms, each designed by a contemporary artist. The result: an immersive experience, somewhere between a sylvan escapade and an inner journey.
A living, sensory art house
Marion Collard, in charge of interior architecture, has preserved the soul of the place while dressing it in natural materials and discreet poetry. The furniture is second-hand, the floors recycled, the stained-glass windows… made from eggplant peelings. Everything is designed to let nature permeate the space.
Under the artistic direction of Sarah Valente (Greenline Foundation), La Folie becomes a collective canvas. Each room is a work of art, the result of a month-long artistic residency. The Tale of Barbizon, a narrative thread, runs through the premises: a dreamlike tale peopled with symbols, forest spirits and mythical characters.
Total experience: art, gastronomy, nature
La Folie Barbizon is more than just a hotel: it offers a continuous program of cultural activities, including ceramics workshops, botanical walks and open-air screenings. Children discover the garden and the treasures of the forest; adults plunge into an artistic and contemplative bath.
The table, entrusted to chef Éric Fava, celebrates the generous simplicity of the terroir. Having worked at L’Ambroisie and Le Pergolèse, he offers locavore cuisine that’s both convivial and refined. Special mention goes to the wine and tapas bar, perfect for prolonging the evening under the stars.
A boutique, a fragrance, a manifesto
At La Folie, every detail is obvious. The signature fragrance, designed by Alexandre Makhloufi, blends eucalyptus, moss and incense: an olfactory stroll through the undergrowth. The boutique, housed in Victor de Rossi’s library, sells notebooks, illustrated stories and objets d’art designed on site.
The experience extends to the garden, designed by Estelle Marandon, where an educational vegetable garden and plant art interact with the forest.
Why go now?
Because La Folie Barbizon is not a static place. Through the Guilde des Arts et Forêts, it aims to become a European hub for ecological creation. Residencies, debates and exhibitions are already scheduled. And it all starts this summer.
Practical information
📍 Address: 5, Grande Rue – 77630 Barbizon
📅 Opening: from June 12, 2025
🛏️ Rooms: from €160 (21 rooms, including 3 suites)
🍽️ Locavore restaurant & wine bar
🌿 Garden, wellness area, artistic events every weekend
🚗 How to find us :
By car from Paris: 40 min
By train + cab: 1h
On-site parking
🌐 Website: lafoliebarbizon.com
📲 Instagram : @lafoliebarbizon
Also read: L’Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs: a chic stopover between dreams of elsewhere and Left Bank elegance
