THE HOUSE
A bourgeois B&B gem in the French countryside.
A typical French 19th Century Maison Bourgeoise of a style often seen in the Loire Valley area, our home is built in simple elegant symmetry, with two lower side wings, a sleek slate roof with ornate dormers and tall chimneys. Like most houses in the region, it was constructed using locally extracted tuffeau, a chalky fine-grained limestone in creamy shades which gives a strong identity to the architectural landscape of the Loire Valley.
The house dominates the central courtyard, which is further surrounded by several stone outbuildings - the cottage, garages, workshop and stable block. We have been, and still are, renovating slowly, always aiming to reuse those materials already present in the house or to source reclaimed materials locally, whilst trying to keep a balance between adding the most essential modern comforts and maintaining the building's old features and much loved French way of relaxed laissez-faire living.
Thick stone walls and floors keep the house interior lovely and cool even during the fiercest heatwave. In winter, the rooms are kept warm by underfloor heating and cosy wood burners.
Sleek minimalism just doesn't do it for us - our home is filled with an easy mix of antique heirlooms, life-long favourites, objects collected during our travels and locally sourced French vintage items - all in keeping with the age of the house, the mood of the place and our love for the old, the beautiful and the unusual. The gardens and valley provide fresh greenery to create natural flower bouquets throughout the seasons and most of the soft furnishings are made in-house.
You can find more images on our gallery and instagram pages.
