In the Beaujolais, at the entrance to a chateau's grounds,
a former outbuilding converted to a contemporary dwelling, with 1,780 m² of land
a former outbuilding converted to a contemporary dwelling, with 1,780 m² of land
Charentay,
RHONE
rhones-alps
69220
FR
Location
In the Rhône-Alpes region, at the heart of the Beaujolais wine country — an area rich in historic buildings — and within a zone of prestigious crus, more precisely in the Brouilly appellation: at the foot of Mont Brouilly, on the axis linking Belleville-en-Beaujolais to the celebrated hillsides of the northern Beaujolais, the house stands at the entrance to the grounds of a 19th-century chateau. Everyday shops and services are close at hand, principally in the villages of Odenas and Saint-Lager.
Description
Built on an L-shaped plan, the house occupies the entrance of the triangular plot, which extends to a neighbouring stream. Generous roof overhangs shelter the walls, built in rammed earth and rendered in pale lime. The gabled roofs, clad in terracotta barrel tiles, frame the pediment crowning the tall central glazed bay.
Probably serving a dual purpose — agricultural activity and accommodation for the estate's caretaker — the house once sheltered horses and provided quarters for their drivers. An architect reunited and opened the two areas in the 2000s to create a contemporary 247 m² dwelling.
Beyond the well, in the grassed and tree-planted grounds, a small outbuilding provides storage for garden equipment and furniture.
Probably serving a dual purpose — agricultural activity and accommodation for the estate's caretaker — the house once sheltered horses and provided quarters for their drivers. An architect reunited and opened the two areas in the 2000s to create a contemporary 247 m² dwelling.
Beyond the well, in the grassed and tree-planted grounds, a small outbuilding provides storage for garden equipment and furniture.
The house
Arranged over two levels, the house announces its intentions from the entrance: raw, contemporary, open to the surrounding greenery. The architect's approach turned on the interplay of shadow and light, achieved through a sequence of interior and exterior passages. Every volume and every material reflects a single ambition — to create somewhere singular, at once a workspace and a comfortable home.
The ground floor
From the arched glazed bay, the entrance hall distributes the kitchen and the large living room to either side, with the staircase rising to the upper level. A raw concrete mezzanine structures the space once given over to full height. Every room is rectangular, with openings on multiple aspects and bespoke furniture in timber or raw concrete. Floors are in polished concrete, walls are lime-rendered, and the ceiling shows its characteristic exposed beamwork.
The upstairs
The upper level divides into two areas around the central mezzanine.
To the left: a bedroom, a study, and a shower room with lavatory, each overlooking the canopies of the deciduous trees planted around the house.
To the right, beyond a terrace, the layout comprises an independent lavatory, a first bedroom with mezzanine, and a second bedroom under exposed roof timbers — with its own shower room and storage, an original fireplace, and newly made, bespoke interior shutters.
The small outbuilding
Rectangular in plan, the outbuilding comprises two distinct areas: one for garden tools and equipment, one for garden furniture. An earlier improvement scheme had projected connecting it to a parking area and converting it into a pool house for a future pool.
The grounds
Predominantly laid to grass and scattered with wildflowers, they are edged with large trees planted at the end of the 19th century or more recently. Along the road, beside the gate, a woven willow hedge lines the boundary.
Our opinion
A former chateau outbuilding, carefully restored under a resolutely contemporary brief, yet faithful to the form and dignity of its original purpose — once given over to the estate's carriages and those who kept them. The comfortable house lends itself equally to gatherings of family and friends and to short-term letting when the owners are away. Around it all, the grassed and tree-planted garden completes the composition; together they form a world of their own, vivid and full of character.
Reference 489803
| Land registry surface area | 1784 m² |
| Main building floor area | 247 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 15 m² |
| including refurbished area | 247 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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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.
