Château Living Part II – Interior Details
It’s grey outside today. The light filters through the old multi-paned windows into the Grand Salon, bathing it in a soft hue.
We’re huddled on the sofa with our little electric heater, thermal underwear and layers of blankets. I can’t say I’m getting used to this cold, but we’re certainly comfortable and warmer days are teasing us mere weeks away.
The view to the outside is a wonderful green panorama of the multi-hundred year-old trees in the gardens. In some places it appears subtly warped and wavy, as if viewed through a distorting mirror at a carnival. It’s a testament to the old glass, fabricated by blowing and flattening the panes by hand. When you move your head the view moves with you, giving the impression you really are living in a dream.
Everything is a little like that inside the Château. Grand and imposing when seen from afar, yet slightly off-center when you come in close, dabbled with imperfections and mixes of old and “new”. The soul of an old building that has seen many hands and much time.
We’re all still adapting to it, including Polly.
For a dog that has spent most of her life in small spaces rarely more than 2 feet away from us, these massive rooms and hallways are a bit overwhelming. She walks gingerly on the old floors, unsure of their firmness and has decided the dining room table, or rather the space underneath it is her new den. Mid-mornings and mid-afternoons are spent safely on her dog-bed in this spot, snoring away from the exhausting work of patrolling the vast grounds outside.
The only time she gets truly anxious is when one of us goes upstairs, as that requires approaching “the staircase”. This grand piece winds up the three stories of the Château from the right side of the entrance hallway. It’s a beautiful 6-foot-wide spiral of aged oak and wrought iron, the steps uneven and worn from centuries of feet. We think it’s gorgeous, but in Polly’s doggie-mind it has been labelled a scary-and-evil-slippery-beast-which-under-no-circumstance-will-be-touched. No amount of coercing or treats has been able to change her mind on this singular point, so Paul has to carry her upstairs when we got to bed.
But I digress…
I promised you an interior tour today, a peek inside our incredible Château living space, so let me take you around in pictures and words and show you a few of my favorite things.
General Layout
The main Château building is basically a very large cube. It’s three stories high with 4 entrances facing South, East, West and North, a deliberate orientation that’s very common in French Château from this timeframe. South-facing rooms would have been used in winter, while those facing north would remain cool for summer and the family would move between them for comfort. Nifty, right?
The outside probably looks much as it did when it was first constructed in the middle of the 19th century, complete with a small balcony on the 2nd floor, but the inside has undoubtedly changed several times.
The main entrance is the North door, and from here you enter a long hallway that runs right through to the South door, with rooms off to each side as well as a staircase off the right-middle to the upper levels. Everything is tall and grand with ceilings that are at least 4m high, and multi-paned windows that stretch almost to the floor.
You definitely get the Chateau “vibe” in this place!
Some of the downstairs rooms are just lovely, especially the main salon & dining areas, both located on the left side of the entrance hallway. Others however are rather oddly shaped and small, back-rooms off the end of other rooms with no real purpose or meaning. The kitchen is perhaps the least exciting area of all, and feels more like an afterthought than anything else. It’s a long alley on the West end of the building with nothing special to set it apart. I wonder what it originally looked like?
Upstairs there’s another large north-south running hallway with rooms off to each side. The owners renovated everything here transforming this level into 4 elegant bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Everything is decorated tastefully with long flowing curtains, period furniture, and large gilded mirrors. There are several fireplaces too, framed in beautiful marble (but alas not functional).
Finally there’s the third floor (including the 4 towers) which is completely unrenovated and bare. It’s a daunting project that serves to remind how much work the owners must have done to get the other two floors in the Chateau looking as they are. I really have no idea how damaged this place was before their reno, but I’ve read enough accounts from other Chateaux owners (see this one, for example) to imagine how much work there might have been.
I am in total awe of what they’ve achieved.
Oh and finally (but not least) there’s a secret room, as all good Chateau’s must have! Half-way up the main staircase is a wooden door, curved to blend into the wall, and behind it is another small staircase the leads to a fourth, hidden room. Was it a spot for secret rendez-vous? Or a room where the master of the house could retreat and read his books? Perhaps a sewing room for the lady? Either way, it couldn’t be more perfect.
The Interior Doors
If you asked me to pick the one architectural detail that I find most beautiful in here, I’d have to pick the interior doors.
The pale turquoise and gold hardwood panels are simply drop-dead gorgeous. They are bold statements that not only separate the rooms, but frame them in classic style. It’s a trend that started in France in the 17th century when decorative arts started to be incorporated indoors, and it’s on full display here with over 10 of them inside the house, symmetrically arranged for maximum “wow factor” as you enter each room.
The downstairs doors are over 10 feet high, rectangular and superbly imposing, while the upstairs ones are more rounded and more feminine. They are all paneled apart from one set that separates the main salon and dining room. Here the architect seems to have had a moment of wistful folly replacing the heavy wood with delicate, pastel-colored stained glass. It’s old and fragile, the pieces set in lead and it projects wonderfully whimsical colors when the crystal chandelier is lit on the other side. I think it’s the single, most beautiful piece of architecture here.
The only other stained glass in the mansion is in the West entrance doorway which is strangely hidden away. The panels here depict the aristocracy (the baron and baroness of the mansion?), and are beautiful in their own right, but I still prefer the more muted and abstract set in the living room.
Personally, I think the interior doors make this place!
Floors, Moldings & Design Accents
Another unique feature of this Château, as is true of many of its age, are it’s floors and design accents.
Several of the floors here have been tiled over, very likely a modern update made during the most recent renovations, but a few of the rooms still have old hardwood floors of intricate design, as well as (my favorite) a diamond-patterned stone floor on the 2nd level. It’s a spectacular floor that was clearly restored and kept for its unique beauty.
Ceiling accents are another wonderful detail. Many of the rooms have heavy crown moldings, and are embellished by elaborate crystal chandeliers set in large plaster medallions. They anchor the high ceilings, and provide an elegant centerpiece for each room as you enter.
The walls themselves are simple and clean, painted in either cream or pale turquoise, but the original Château likely had much more elaborate designs, as was the popular décor at the time. Perhaps there were patterns on the ceiling, and flowery wallpaper with wood panels along the bottom-half of the walls? Maybe even hand paintings? It’s fun to imagine the possibilities.
Other little details incorporated by the current owners do a lovely job of keeping rooms in period vibe. Gilded mirrors in the bathroom, marble fireplaces, wrought iron curtain tie-backs, and all the original antique metal window openers. You do feel rather like a baroness as you walk through the place.
We Only Use a Small Portion Of It All
As you might imagine we only use a small portion of all the rooms in the Château.
Most of our time is spent either in the main salon, the dining room (where Polly and Paul have made their den) or the kitchen, and our nights are in one of the bedrooms upstairs. It’s a house made for a large family (or noblesse) and with only the three of us it is veeery big indeed. I have to admit that our many years on the road have made me appreciate cozy and smaller spots, so I would really need to adapt to something this large.
The massive grounds, on the other hand are not a problem at all. Spring is on its way, and sunnier, warmer days are starting to tempt us outdoors, where lots of space is a total bonus for us nature-loving three. So, we’re off outside and will take you along for a tour there next week. See you then?
So, my dear readers what do you think of the Château interior? Is it your style? Or would you do something different? Could you live in a big place like this? DO share and comment below.
Wonderful, lovely and with plenty of beautiful details 🙂 Great to visit for awhile, but to live there???? I dunno . . . . . .
lovely pics !! The chateau has character. Perhaps a bed and breakfast in the future if you do buy it?
It is so beautiful! Funny thing, I always leaned toward that French County type of decor, but it would have required me tossing out everything I had and starting over. Not a good plan at my age for sure. But the doors and the stained glass and the chandeliers, and oh my that stone floor! just a lot of wow factor, for sure. Thanks for the tour, Nina
I love the decor too! It’s elegant, yet comfortable at the same time. Very appealing.
Nina
I love the decor but would only live in a tiny bit of all that space. We currently live in a one bedroom, one bathroom, apartment and even that feels too big after RV living.
I guess if you are young and can handle all the maintenance that such a place requires, then I’d say yes go ahead and buy it, but as you get older, you don’t want all the hassles. However it really IS spectacular.
You are very right, Martha. The limitations of having a bigger property as you get older is an important consideration.
Nina
Way too much room for me. I’ve almost always lived in smallish spaces. Now the two of us are either in a 5th wheel or a 399 sq ft park model. Sometimes a bit more room would be nice. But we’ve survived a year of quarantine in the park model. No chateau for me! I lived in a grand hotel in France many years ago. I’m glad of the experience.
How interesting that you lived in a grand hotel!! I’m sure that’s a story to tell 🙂
Nina
Gorgeous to look at but I don’t think I would like living in such a big space. Fascinating about the people moving to different parts of the house as the seasons changed. Does that mean they didn’t use all of it all the time either? It could be a fun way to not get bored with it. You could pretend you were on vacation or living in a new home. It reminds me of how my husband and I moved into one of our small front bedrooms temporarily many years ago while we were painting our master bedroom. It took longer than expected to finish the master bedroom. I got rather attached to being in the small bedroom. It was cosy and simple. It felt like we were away on vacation in a cosy cabin or something. I felt a little sad to move back into our bigger master bedroom again.
Yes, parts of the Chateau would likely not have been used at all part of the time. This was certainly true of the bigger Chateau’s in France. Some might even have been summer residences only (if their owners were very rich).
Nina
She is a grand, grand place! Thanks for the tour Nina!
Lovely to read your great and detailed description of the Château. It takes me back to when I was a au-pair in the Normandie and the grandparents lived in a château similar to yours. It was fascinating to explore! I love the way the current owners have decorated the rooms. The stonework on the floors and the beautiful doors all go together so well.
Enjoy it while you can but I’m sure you’re looking forward to some travelling soon.
How FUN that you were an au-pair once! My mother did that in her youth in Paris, and it was one of her fondest memories.
Nina
Nice to look at and I appreciate the architecture. But I could never live in something like that after living in an RV fulltime for 20+ years. Just way too big. We talk about a 600-800sq ft “Casita” being on the border of too large for us, when/if we settle into a fixed dwelling again. I love the tour, though. 🙂
I do think we’re better with smaller spaces too. All those RVing years really make you appreciate cozy comfort.
Nina
A gorgeous place to view, but since I don’t like dusting, sweeping, wood polishing or window cleaning, you are welcome to it. And I agree with Polly, I don’t do stairs either! The windows, doors, stained glass and architectural details are very beautiful, thanks for letting us all see them.
YES…the cleaning is a doozy! The place really needs a full-time entourage of people to keep it maintained and clean. Not easy with just two.
Nina
Maybe the answer is for you to move from lighthouse sitting to manoir/chateau sitting? Leave blood pressure inducing renovations to others.
I do believe we’re better at caretaking than owning LOL. All the fun with none of the responsibility is not a bad combo…:)
Nina
It’s stunning and I love the subtle, muted tones throughout. Those thick walls – wow!! I agree the interior doors are real stand-outs. Even with the cool tones and large space the soft colors and textures feel very calming. Like the ghosts all whisper rather than rattle chains 🙂 Enjoy your time and exploration of all the possibilities.
Funny you should mention ghosts. I keep thinking there MUST be some in this place, given all its history. So far all we’ve noticed is that the wall pictures keep getting moved (tilted to one side). We used to see this all the time when we lived in CA (thanks to mini-earthquakes), but it’s odd to see it here in southern France. So, either the house is moving or its the ghost(s)?
Nina
What a dream this place is!! It is a wonderful project IF you have the funds to hire out some of the renovation help. Otherwise, you will be spending your life working on this fantastic home.
A very hefty wallet would definitely help in a place like this. Neither Paul nor I are really into self-renovating, but hiring out for everything would be $$$$. I think you have to love working on houses to own a place like this.
Nina
It’s gorgeous to tour but I get lost in a studio apartment.
I could definitely live there for a while-maybe 2 or 3 years, if I had staff! That place is beautiful! Can’t wait to see the grounds.
Sounds wonderful. You seem tethered and untethered to the world at the same time. I think you are a butterfly. Now that I’ve made myself sound flaky, the story of Polly reminded me of a client of mine. They bought a house after living in an apartment and the house had two floors. Their wonderful dog Charlie, who was Polly’s size, would not go up the stairs to the second floor and had to be carried so he wouldn’t whine pathetically at the bottom wanting to join then in bed. Finally they called me to see if I had any suggestions and I told them I would be over in 15 minutes. Put my dog, Boomer in the car. She and Charlie were friends. Boomer ran into the kitchen to check out the food bowl (always and anywhere her priority) with Charlie in tow. She made her way to the stairs and took off upstairs to check out the new place and Charlie ran up after her. Problem solved. He never hesitated again. Just takes a good female to show the male the ropes!
THAT is a wonderful story!! I do think that if Polly had one of her doggie friends here, she would follow them upstairs in a jiffy. Thanks for sharing that (made me smile). Oh, and I love the butterfly analogy.
Nina
I love it all, the doors, the halls, the period drapes, I do stained glass and I sew/ Hawaiian hand/needle quilting, so I’ve always dreamed of decorating a castle, got close, we purchased a home in Texas a few years ago at 4600 sq ft, now finally retiring to our Travel Trailer and are looking for 20 acres to become homesteaders, but I’ll still my talents to build a log cabin as a castle !
But I must have a garden, designed in an old fashion way.
Your very lucky enjoy your time there ❤️
How FUN that you do stained glass and Hawaiian quilting. You certainly have the skills to make beautiful accents for a place like this. Hope you find those 20 acres you’re looking for. It’s a transition to go from RVing to home-steading, but it can be very fulfilling too.
Nina
What fun these posts and pictures are! I’m enjoying every minute of your tours and can’t wait to see more. I echo everyone else’s feelings about not wanting to live in such a huge place, but it certainly would be fun to try for awhile! Poor Polly though! After having the two of you always being in sight this place must blow her mind. It’s hard to keep your flock together in such a huge and complex place. She must be exhausted!
How long will you be there?
Polly is definitely VERY unsure about all this space. She feels comfy as long as she can see us both, but if one of us disappears to another room or {{horror}} up the big, scary staircase then she does become anxious. It’s a lot to keep track of for an old dog. She snores when she sleeps now..
Nina
I’ve always lived in small, cozy spaces—apartments, homes, or our trailer. Our home in Oregon is 1300 square feet, and our temporary-who-knows-how-long-home in Florida is 1600 square feet. It feels positively enormous after living in our trailer for seven years! I don’t want more space to take care of. But I’m enjoying your stories of chateau life and seeing the beautiful architectural details. I’m looking forward to your outdoor tour.
Loved the tour. I’m a little behind, but catching up and loving the ‘tour’. ENJOY. Chateau sitting looks like fun to me!