A peek inside our beautiful French home

It may sound rather odd when I say I am not sure exactly how many fireplaces we have here but it’s true: I think it is either fifteen or sixteen! Furthermore, all are in solid marble and all draw outstandingly well. In this house of over 3,300 sq.ft. we have, thanks to the Church from whom we bought it, so many wonderful features that we count our lucky stars every day at finding it for just €200,000. Just stop and think about that for a moment: where in the UK could you possibly find such a place, with its wealth of stunning artefacts, for such an amount? I still think of this as quite an extraordinary fact!

Scarcely a day goes by without us thinking about the potential of this house. Yes, we still have a mass of work to do to bring it up to its former glory but the square rooms, high ceilings and the stunning layout with its grand entrance hall and sweeping marble staircase give it such an air of grandeur that even in its present state of on-going renovation, it feels gloriously luxurious. I cannot emphasise enough how great space lends an air of comfort. I find I can ignore the dust and debris; even these two bugbears cannot take away from the beauty, peace and grace that seem to pervade this house. Why, even Eddie & Alfie seem to appreciate it, sitting as they often do in a sunny spot on one of the ancient tiled floors.

There is something magical about a log fire but lit or not, these old, solid marble fireplaces do take some beating. Like to see a couple of them? Coming right up!

As we bid January a somewhat fond farewell, Mr. Fix It has his work cut out for him preparing our future kitchen. He is, as I write, inserting the stained glass in what was once a door but will now simply be a feature at the side of the kitchen. Next stop will be to lay the timber and joists in readiness for our wooden floor which has lain for some months in our entrance hall, drying out and maturing. The joists must be laid ahead of the electrical layout naturally and I have every confidence in Mr. Fix It’s ability and tremendous eye to create a stunning light effect in this, the heart of the home. My task is to source the detail: taps, an oven and hob and then the fun part: wall colours and kitchen equipment, the latter of which we have mostly but I feel sure that fact will not stop me from finding the odd beautiful bowl, jug or candlestick to adorn the corner fireplace.

My dear mother in law, who is staying with us for a while, loves this French life. Naturally, she is used to her son drilling, sawing and the like and she spends many a happy hour simply people watching across from our house to the Church whilst he toils away. “Mr. Fix It is a good name for him,” she said to me the other day. “He was just the same as a little boy.” Ah, the acute memory of someone in her 90th decade!

So as the log fire burns in our sitting room each evening, we all have much to be thankful for as we watch our house become a home.

So January draws to a close, the days are stretching and we look forward to many more days pottering around the markets, quirky shops and fine French towns. Mr. Fix It as ever is still full of ideas and I admire his finesse. We have already achieved so much in this house and shall, I have no doubt, continue to enjoy the rest of what is to come.

Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company
Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com