“There’s culture, great schools, the
landscape, mountains, a lake, a well-
connected airport and it’s so safe. On
top of that, there’s the clean air.”
Monique is sporty and active so this
home, with its spectacular indoor
pool, couldn’t be more perfectly
located. She swims in the lake,
however cold it is, as well as practising
yoga and paddleboarding. Fun-loving,
lively and confident, she and her
husband are partners in both love and
life; they share a thriving property
development business, as well as many
luxury real estate projects.
They met in Gstaad, when Monique
was living in Basel with her parents,
and one early date involved a trip to
the Caribbean on Concorde, after
romantic Thomas surprised her by
sending her the ticket.
Fitness is a key part of your life...
“Yes. I have a group of four or fivefriends who practise yoga together. It
helps me to disconnect from the rest
of the world and focus on myself. I
have another group of friends who go
paddleboarding, which I do for two
hours a day. My first real nautical
adventure was crossing the lake. It
doesn’t seem like it but it’s endless
and you never know when you’ll get
to the other side. But I did it!”
Tells us about the colour scheme of
your home, Monique...
“I love pastel colours so the palette is
pink, greige – a mixture of beige and
grey – and white with a splash of
mauve. But yes, pink is my favourite
colour. So that’s the colour of the
velvet sofas, the chairs, the cushions
and curtains, which are double taffeta
and billow out like the skirts of a haute
couture dress. To offset the pink there
are black embroidered details
and natural pearls in the form ofThe bedroom (complete with marble en suite, left), has views to die for
(above). “Every morning after breakfast we take a long walk on the shore
and go for a swim at our private beach, which is marvellous,” Monique
tells us. “It makes for really special holidays. It’s so peaceful and there’s
nobody for miles around”s
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