Location
Courances, which is 1 hour from Paris in the heart of the Gâtinais natural regional park, is set around the chateau of the same name with its more than 85-hectare estate, famous for its water garden and horseshoe-shaped staircase reminiscent of the one at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, located around twenty minutes away. The village is lively all year round and possesses several convenience stores including a bakery, a watercress seller as well as the café and shop at the chateau. Each Saturday afternoon, a local producers’ market takes place in its main square. There is a nursery school for young children, who can then continue their education in other establishments in Dannemois, Milly-la-Forêt or surrounding municipalities. Paris can be reached from the stations at Boutigny-sur-Essonne and Fontainebleau-Avon on Line D and Line R on the RER and Transilien rail networks respectively.
Description
The house
The ground floor
From the entrance, this dual-aspect level leads to a kitchen and dining room. In the grey-green, customised fitted kitchen, the ceiling extends up to the house’s roof ridge. The room also boasts plenty of cupboard space, while the dining room acts as a transition between two lounges. The first, with exposed joists on the ceiling, is bathed in light and opens out ont the courtyard. A stone fireplace stands against one of the white-painted walls. The second lounge, decked out in royal blue tones, can also be used as an office and leads to a shower room, a lavatory and a cupboard. Apart from the shower room and lavatory, which are paved with terracotta tiles, there is chevron parquet flooring throughout.
The upstairs
This level can be reached via two separate staircases located in each wing of the house. From the main lounge, a staircase climbs to a landing, on which there is a cupboard, leading to a Zellige-tiled shower room with a lavatory and then to a bedroom, which, with its white painted panelling and exposed beams plus the seagrass flooring, boasts a maritime ambiance. To make the most of the volumes, storage space has been built-in to the slopes of the ceiling. From the smaller lounge, a second staircase climbs to another bedroom, which also boasts large cupboards.
The garden
The approximately 70-m² finely gravelled courtyard has been designed as a landscaped garden around a fountain. Several potted plants, including boxwood and ivy, provide a touch of greenery to the mineral setting. In the sunny months, the covered patio, with a wooden roof frame, is like a genuine extra room.
Our opinion
This doll’s house like residence combines the character of old edifices with an interior design created for modern use. The careful and tasteful renovation has combined traditional materials with more daring decorative designs: white-painted beams, oakwood parquet flooring, period terracotta tiles and deep colours. The various rooms are divided between the house’s two wings and are suitable for everyday use, weekend breaks or as a holiday home. The walled courtyard provides the property with an easy to maintain outside space sheltered from view.
495 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 181846
| Land registry surface area | 135 m² |
| Main building floor area | 95 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 2 |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
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.