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Art Nouveau style villa in North Finistère
Location
In the north of the French department of Finistère. 450 km (281 miles) from Paris, 3h50 via French TGV train, nearby airport. The port and sea are 3 km (2 miles) away, as is the town centre and its shops. Schools and sixth form colleges are in the town. Set in 2 ha (4.9 acres), in a dominant position facing the river that flows out to the bay.
Description
Set in more than 2 ha (4.9 acres) of gardens and woods facing the river, this Art Nouveau style villa was built between 1906 and 1910 for a wood merchant. The house is above all known for having belonged to Nina Ricci, the famous stylist and perfume creator, who for 40 years used it as her holiday home, having fallen in love with a Breton, followed by this area and this house that she described as the “most beautiful property in the land”.
Built on the side of a hill running alongside the Morlaix river, the property is accessed from the main road by means of a narrow road that winds through the landscaped gardens.
There are three buildings (caretaker’s cottage, stables/boat shed, wooden shed) and two dovecotes at the entrance. Set on higher land, the house has an original look, very unlike Brittany’s regional architecture.
Although the era of construction coincides with the end of the boom of the Art Nouveau period, the architecture of this seaside villa is striking.
Characteristic overhanging eaves, balcony corridors with wooden balustrades mixed with features that are typical of this type of architectural style from the “Belle Epoque”: organic railings, semicircular, arched and even circular doorways and windows, one of them featuring a floral decoration with corbelling, and semicircular glass canopies over doorways on the east and west sides. There is a double flight stairway in front of the house. The external walls of this south-west facing residence are rendered and its quoins as well as its semicircular arched window framing alternate brick with granite stone.
The internal layout, spanning approx.
400 m² (4,305 sq ft) is original. Two accesses lead upstairs to independent areas.
The ground floor comprises an entrance hall with a mezzanine that overlooks the outside by means of a vast, tall picture window, a large, 70 m² (753 sq ft) lounge with a podium, an Art Nouveau-style fireplace, strip pattern parquet flooring and northern pine panelling on the walls and ceiling (installed throughout the house by the first owner), a panelled entrance hall (terracotta tiles under the carpet), a dining room with its fireplace, a kitchen, a back kitchen, a laundry room, a storeroom and a toilet. Access to both terraces on the kitchen and lounge sides.
On the first floor, the mezzanine leads to the large master bedroom, the ceiling of which constitutes a vast atrium, providing a wealth of light.
Spanning a total of approx. 70 m² (753 sq ft), this leads into a dressing room and a bathroom and a balcony of approx.
20 m² (215 sq ft). Another stairway provides access to a corridor leading to two carpeted bedrooms and a bathroom.
On the second floor, a panelled corridor and an outside balcony corridor lead to two bedrooms (strip pattern parquet flooring and carpet) and a panelled bathroom.
The basement contains a boiler room, a vast workshop and a wine cellar. There are two parking spaces under the terrace on the kitchen side.
Outbuildings include a two-storey caretaker’s cottage, a building comprising stables, a boat shed and a workshop as well as a wooden house.
Our opinion
This house is outstanding for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is pleasant to present this Art Nouveau style property not only because its architectural character is unusual for the region but also because it is in pristine condition and has no works to be scheduled.
It is also historic in that the successive owners have each left their mark on the property.
And lastly, its situation is such that the property is bathed in light and dominates the underlying Morlaix river as if it were an invitation to leave this place and sail far away and better to return in order to fully appreciate its peace and quiet.
1 430 000 €
Our fees are included in the stated sale price.
Reference 3034GD
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha (4.9 acres) |
| Main building surface area | 400 m² (4,305 sq ft) |
| Outbuilding surface area | 150m2 (1,615sq ft) |
Regional representative
Gilles Durin +33 (0)6 19 67 16 50
NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
