character houses for sale - lot-et-garonne - between bordeaux and toulouse

Separated from the village by a valley, this property comprises a group of restored buildings constructed on an older site, as is proved by a wall of the fortified village’s chapel. The facades are constructed from quarry stone blocks and small bricks as was traditional in this region of the French department of Lot-et-Garonne. Visitors follow a country lane and cross a small stream before reaching the gravel courtyard that separates the barn from the house.

The main house

The appearance of the outside walls bears witness to the various construction periods: quarry stone blocks with generous pointing and small brick quoins, brick reconstruction walls, a section of the building destroyed (the wine storehouse) still featuring the base of the walls. This L-shaped residence, spanning approx. 480 m² of living space, predominantly faces south with an unobstructed view, the wooded section being behind the house. The floors on the ground floor are covered with old terracotta tiles which were removed for the installation of underfloor heating and then relaid in a refined geometric pattern. Some are stamped with a daisy for a reason that is no doubt linked to the house’s past.

Ground floor
The entrance, on the south side, is set between two buildings: the original house and the restored wine storehouse, set at right angles. The wooden door with a glazed window and ironwork grille, opens into an entrance hall forming a buffer between the house and the wine storehouse. A storage area has been created beneath the winding wooden stairway at the end. A corridor goes from the hall, on one side, to a south-facing study, looking out over the gravel courtyard. The lounge, at the end, is a vast, bright, rectangular room with a white-painted French ceiling. Its wide black marble fireplace is flanked by a French window and a window looking out over the valley below with the village perched on the horizon. A few stone-lined steps provide access to the gravel terrace. A door opens into a hall area leading to two bedrooms. The walls are painted white and decorated with highly Gustavian style motifs. The old cob mixed with hemp, produced and hence often used in this region, has been preserved for its good insulating virtues and simply whitewashed. The ceiling features white-painted, exposed joists and the floor strip pattern, wooden flooring. The adjoining bathroom has white tiles and a shower in an alcove covered with green glass mosaic. The separate toilet opens into the hall area which leads to a second bedroom. This is followed by a long room, in use as a laundry room and a shower room, with a shower, wash-hand basin and toilet. The boiler room is to be found right at the end.
Set at right angles to the entrance, a vast, east-west facing hall leads to the other section of the house, composed of a partially destroyed wine storehouse, the remains of which have been converted into accommodation. A French window opens on to a patio created in the destroyed section. On the north side, a small self-contained flat comprises a bedroom, a dressing room and a shower room. A very big picture window opens on to a tiled terrace, separated from a grassy hillock by a stone wall. The light flooding into this room and the garden appearing to come right inside give this place a very soothing contemporary and minimalist character.
The second section of the entrance room, marked by a step, was designed to link the large, luxurious home and the wine storehouse. Double doors open into the restored section of the old wine storehouse, a large, plain, bright room, spanning approx. 70 m². It features a polished concrete floor, a cathedral ceiling exposing the old truss as well as brick and stone walls. One of the walls is almost entirely glazed: two large, double-leaf picture windows and two windows let in copious amounts of light from the rising sun. The view takes in the terrace-patio with its wide terracotta pavement surrounding a central lawn. The two old doors providing access to the wine storehouse have been preserved. A large fireplace, with a small brick mantel, adds to the convivial aura of this room. A low stone wall delimits a third of this room which has been converted into a kitchen. The units are laid out in a U-shape along the walls. The low separating wall is topped with a marble work surface. The light-coloured, vitrified parquet flooring is laid in a strip pattern. A window at the end looks out over the arrival area.

First floor
The stairway goes up to a large landing under the rafters. The superb old truss is exposed on this level and the wide strip pattern flooring is a natural wood colour. The landing provides access to a large bedroom with a cathedral ceiling. One of its walls features exposed quarry stone blocks. A low French window opens on to a small wooden balcony looking out over the valley and the village. Another window overlooks the entrance courtyard. A door provides access to a corridor leading to a bathroom with a bath, a glass-tiled shower, and a wash-hand basin set in an Altuglas vanity unit. There is also a separate toilet as well as a dressing room. This section has sloping ceilings.
On the south side is a second bedroom, also with a sloping ceiling, featuring its exposed truss. A window, level with the floor, overlooks the entrance courtyard. Facing it is a bathroom, with a sloping ceiling, a wash-hand basin, a shower and a toilet.
A vast games room takes up the entire west section. The old roofing framework has been preserved with its main rafter and the queen post of the finial which is in the centre like a bouquet of beams. A last bedroom can be reached through the games room via a little wooden ladder. Preceded by a dressing room, it has a straight ceiling with a central beam and wide strip pattern flooring. Its single-leafed window looks out on the south side. This section of the house is totally given over to children.