Introducing the Cottage des Hortensias

Some of you may have noticed  that over the Christmas break I added our new self-catering cottage to the website. 

Called the Cottage des Hortensias (because of the magnificent Hydrangea that sits in the courtyard), it’s a 2-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bath accommodation that sleeps six. Located a stone’s throw from the château, it used to be the concierge’s house and abuts the back of the farm that used to be part of the estate.

We had been wanting to renovate it ever since we moved here, but it always seemed a daunting task. Unlike the other cottage, it hadn’t been lived in for years and was in a state of acute disrepair. So we kept putting it off, until just over a year ago. 

Inspection showed that the roof and structure were very sound, so we decided to take the plunge and renovate and remodel from top to bottom. First, we knocked down flimsy partitions and removed all the old plumbing and wiring. Indoors, we brought everything up to code, insulated the heck out of it, and totally modernized it. Outdoors, we transformed the overgrown courtyard into a private patio.

Once the tradesmen had left, Virginie set about working her decorating magic, mixing modern and old, as she loves to do, while I took care of the final finishings and carrying heavy pieces of furniture. The result is a very warm, light-filled house with old, natural hardwood floors. 

We invite you take a look at the photos. And please let us know if you have any questions. In the meantime, these two photos give you an idea of the before and after. 

BEFORE: Living area seen from kitchenAFTER: Living area seen from kitchen

Comments

[Aria]

Amazing!! Love it!