Table of contents for French Cottage 2018 in Victoria

Each story included in this special Victoria issue tells of a family who followed their dream and created a lovely environment suited to their lifestyle. While some of these homeowners simply moved within the country, others left their native lands to pursue a life in France. Among their stories, you will find inspiring houses that range from fifteen years old to one that dates to the seventeenth century. One couple built a new residence in the Pays Basque Français region, near the border with Spain and the stunning Pyrenees mountains. Using reclaimed materials, they carefully constructed the building in the traditional style of the area, complete with a large surrounding garden. A stately, old manor house, filled with character provided by the well-preserved eighteenth-century features—including wooden floors and beautiful wall…

A wisteria vine drapes over the front door of Tanja Paff and Tim van de Tooren’s stone farmhouse, its clusters of purple blossoms wafting a sweet fragrance with every passing breeze. Freshly washed laundry dries on the line, illustrating one of the simple joys of country life. This was precisely the scene Tanja and Tim pictured when they decided to move here sixteen years ago—although the first time they glimpsed the house, it looked very different than it does now. After years of neglect, the main building appeared to be quite run-down, with worn floors, peeling wallpaper, and layers of dirt, prompting Tanja’s mother to declare it “a beautiful ruin.” Thankfully, it was structurally sound, just in need of a good cleaning, and there was plenty of space to accommodate…

Ten years ago, Paris natives Marie-Claude and Michel de Beyris decided to leave the bustling pace of the City of Light for the tranquil beauty of Nièvre, a rural area of France’s Burgundy region. Because the couple is fond of old houses and of horses, their agent arranged a viewing at an eighteenth-century hunter’s pavilion–turned–manor house, complete with stables and a breathtaking view of the gently rolling landscape. The setting alone was enough to command the attention of Marie-Claude and Michel. But when they stepped inside the château and glimpsed the light-filled interiors, where many of the original features have been preserved, they knew they had found their new home. Its peaceful ambiance outweighed the amount of work that would need to be done to restore the structure’s indisputable charm.…

When Moniek and Bram Drexhage first discovered Le Piquet, a maison en pierre (stone house) dating from 1799, the spontaneous decision to purchase it seemingly defied reason. “It was no more than four walls and a leaky roof,” Moniek says. “But the location—in the hills near Roquecor in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, the Tuscany of France—was beautiful.” The couple’s first and most important work consisted primarily of demolition and cleanup. The attic and barns were filled with thousands of old bottles from the previous occupants, who were vintners. Pots of confit de canard (duck conserves) saw the light of day for the first time in at least fifty years. “We felt like real treasure hunters,” says Moniek. “Our children were still small at that time and thought it was all…

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS MIRJAM ENZERINK: pages 81–86 GERALDINE NESBITT: pages 37–44 MONIQUE VAN DER PAUW: pages 27–36, 45–64, and 71–80 MIEKE VENDEL: pages 9–18 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 19–26 and 87–94 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS TON BOUWER: cover, pages 2, 5–6, 27–36, 45–64, 71–80, 97, and back cover ANNEKE GAMBON: pages 6, 8–18, 37–44, and 95–96 GEA LAAR: pages 3–4 and 81–86 EDOUARD SICOT: pages 65–70 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 6, 19–26, and 87–94 CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS MARIE-PAULE FAURE: pages 65–70 WIENEKE JANSSEN: pages 81–86 TANJA PAFF: cover, pages 2, 5, 27–36, 97, and back cover JEANETTE PHILIPSE: pages 6, 9–18, and 95–96 MONIQUE VAN DER PAUW: cover, pages 2, 5–6, 27–36, 45–64, 71–80, 97, and back cover “IT IS BEAUTY THAT BEGINS TO PLEASE, AND TENDERNESS THAT COMPLETES THE CHARM.”—Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle…

Eighteen years ago, when newly retired Albert Roek was offered a job as property manager for a friend’s small castle in central France, he and his wife, Clementine, were thrilled with the chance to live in the country they had long admired. While looking for suitable housing near the château, they stumbled upon a farmhouse that had been uninhabited for more than forty years. The early nineteenth-century stone structure was in fairly good shape—despite damage from a leaky roof—and a cottage next door served as living quarters while the couple made necessary repairs. “There was no electricity and no plumbing system, so that kept us busy in the first months,” explains Clementine. “It was a bit like camping, but we didn’t mind at all. We both loved to be busy…

At a time when venerable properties are being purchased, stripped of character, and redesigned in a contemporary fashion, Maison Montaurand is a step back in time. Owners Madeleine and Jo Lee have preserved or restored all the authentic features of this circa 1890s stone structure, similar in style to a Swedish Gustavian manor. Before buying Montaurand in 2015, the couple lived in a beautiful apartment by the sea in the city of Hove in southern England, but felt eager to trade urban living for a rural setting. They were contemplating a move to Sweden—Madeleine’s mother’s homeland—when a friend showed them a picture of the house. “Even though it was only a photograph,” she says, “I immediately fell in love with it.” Falling in love was the easy part, but acquiring…

Flowing as naturally as the transitions from her country house to the garden, connections between lineage and culture lend character to the homestead of Jeanne Bayol. The property, which once belonged to her grandparents, lies in the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence along a Roma, or Gypsy, pilgrimage route. With an artistic touch, Jeanne has cultivated a haven that honors her family’s legacy yet extols the freedoms of a nomadic lifestyle. “I am very attached to my Provençal roots,” says the entrepreneur and writer, whose ancestors settled in the region in the fourteenth century. Returning to the community where she was born, dwelling in the environs where her grandparents lived, and tending soil where they grew fruits and vegetables has proven a sentimental journey. “This house has a soul, a memory, a…

In the heart of Besançon, a French city near the border of Switzerland, the home of design enthusiast Gaëlle Bouchard conveys respect for heritage in every vignette. The dwelling itself, built in the sixties, once belonged to her husband’s grandparents. Living in a place imbued with family history evokes memories of generations past—connections that encourage the couple to pay tribute to tradition while refining their own sense of taste. As the first priority after purchasing the property, renovations updated the original layout. Knocking down walls and adding another story created a more open flow, while modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms enhanced functionality and comfort. Finally, with floors restored or replaced and fresh paint applied throughout, the interiors were a blank canvas ready to be personalized. “If I can’t have many…

When Magali Brisset and her husband first arrived at the country house that would one day become their home, they were speechless. Nestled in the Loire Valley of central France, the dwelling, built in 1850, was the picture of loveliness. With one look at its romantic visage, highlighted by a vine-covered façade and several graciously proportioned arched windows, the couple was smitten. The pair roamed the gardens on that initial visit but had to wait another three weeks to explore the interiors. Anticipation fed their expectations to the point that stepping inside proved a bit disappointing. They discovered walls and floors in disrepair, along with plumbing and electrical systems in need of replacement. Undeterred by the less-than-stellar conditions, Magali was already envisioning the potential, not only for restoring the residence…

Looking toward retirement, former perfumery owner Marie Lapasse moved with her husband, Christian, to the village of Arcangues in the South of France, where fond memories of childhood holidays in the nearby seaside town of Biarritz drew her back to the area. Constructed only fifteen years ago, the house is intended to appear decades older and harnesses the traditional Labourdine style of architecture prevalent in southwestern France near the scenic Pyrenees mountain range. The Lapasses built a stand-alone guesthouse and a home, known as Les Volets Bleus (The Blue Shutters), with five comfortable rental suites and a cozy living area—all surrounded by a garden overflowing with an abundance of flowers. Marie procured the vintage and antique building materials two years before construction began. Walls and frames were designed to fit…

“WE WANTED TO EXPERIENCE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A CASTLE, BUT IN A CASUAL WAY—NOT TOO FORMAL BUT WARM AND FAMILIAR, LIKE HOME.”—Jeroen Dewulf Enchanted by Burgundy’s vineyards and villages, Belgian newlyweds Marian and Jeroen Dewulf hoped one day to find a modest vacation home in the region. The pair had married there and envisioned visiting the picturesque setting in the years to come. But with a chance encounter, their dream came to fruition in a way that neither bride nor groom had dared to imagine. One summer, as Jeroen bicycled through Burgundy with friends, taking note of castles along their route, he spotted a diamond in the rough. The landscape architect looked past grass that had grown more than three feet high to see the beauty of Château…

Below is a listing of companies featured in this issue. Items not listed are privately owned and are not for sale. Pages 9–64 and 71–94: Special thanks to Coco Features, Delftlaan 13, 2023 LB Haarlem, The Netherlands, +31 6 381 314 60, info@cocofeatures.com, cocofeatures.com. Pages 19–26: La Borde aux Moines, 72340 La Chartre sur le Loir, France, +33 02 47 52 30 63, info@labordeauxmoines.fr, www.labordeauxmoines.fr. Magali B., +33 02 47 52 33 34, magali.brisset@tmsci.net, magalib.com. Pages 27–36: Les Echaloux, 03500 Bayet, Allier, France, +31 06 17 16 4284, +31 06 54 74 4021, info@lesechaloux.com, lesechaloux.com. Pages 37–44: Swedish Interior Design, C/O 10 Briardale Gardens, London NW3 UK, +44 0 7958 788 555, sales@swedishinteriordesign.co.uk, swedishinteriordesign.co.uk. Montaurand, 16320 Rougnac, France, +33 545649993, montaurand@gmail.com, montaurand.com. Madeleine’s Brocante, +33 0 545 649 993, madeleinesbrocante@gmail.com,…