Victoria French Cottage 2016

Don’t Forget For even more inspiration for gracious living and gardening, visit our website, victoriamag.com. You’ll find photos, tips, and how-tos on our social media sites, so follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Beautiful pictures have a way of drawing me in to new decorating projects, it seems. This special issue is filled with lavish photographs devoted to historic dwellings dotting the French countryside, plus one tucked on the rugged coast of Northern California. After reading through it, I am ready to pack away some of my own decorative accessories and replace them with Gallic touches. If you are enchanted with France, this is the magazine for you! The homes we feature represent a variety of locales, and most have stories of significant origin that have been translated into the cozy…

When decorative painter Anne Claudel purchased a maison des vignerons (house of the winemakers) in the French village of La Celle-sur-Nièvre, romantic gardens bordered a mansion built in the eighteenth century. Despite its grandeur, the main dwelling lacked bedrooms, so her family moved to an adjacent structure for temporary shelter. Today, the interiors of that small abode bear little resemblance to the neglected space Anne discovered in 2003. Originally a servants’ hall, the ground level was used as a dairy for producing milk and cheese. Upstairs, workers lived in one room and stored meat and vegetables in the other. Subsequent owners transformed the building into a residence—in the process hiding its unique character under false ceilings, 1950s linoleum tiles, and a sea of green paint. Long since abandoned, the cottage was…

In 2004, Dutch-born artist Jeanette Paauwe left her home in The Hague to join the love of her life, painter Rob van den Berg, in a small village in the Lot-et-Garonne area of southwest France. In addition to their artistic vocations, the two shared an appreciation for “old, halfcollapsed houses,” often perusing the countryside to glimpse a crumbling château or other derelict dwelling that had seen better days. On one outing, the couple came upon a structure that stirred their imaginations—and became more than just an idle pastime. “We could hardly see the house from the street, yet I immediately had a sense of approaching something very special,” says Jeanette. “We drove up the driveway toward a majestic old cedar tree, and at that moment, I fell in love.” Despite a…

Corinne and her husband dreamed of finding a grand, century-old abode in the French countryside, complete with a beloved garden and a stone wall surrounding the property. Further, they imagined filling the house with antiques gathered from nearby brocantes and then creating vignettes that inspired new dreams. After two years of searching for a home in the area where they both worked, a classic “bourgeois” house they had often admired came up for sale. It needed extensive renovation, which only sharpened Corinne’s creative spirit—she simply gave up her job and continued raising their three daughters while managing the entire two-year restoration. To preserve the original beauty of the home, repairs to the roof, electrical wiring, plumbing, and the heating system, along with the doorways of certain rooms and the exterior garden,…

For years, Joan and Anders Abrahamsson had sought the perfect location for opening an eatery and a guesthouse. The acclaimed chefs achieved success in their native Denmark, but then sold the business when they became immersed in the slow-food movement. A growing commitment to quality ingredients and time-honored techniques drew the couple to the rich heritage of Gallic cooking—and ultimately to the destination of their dreams. In 2002, the Abrahamssons discovered an idyllic setting in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. Recognized as one of the country’s most beautiful villages, Olargues has an enchanting appearance, with hilltop properties surrounding a bell tower formed from the main turret of an old Romanesque castle. On the banks of the Jaur River—in view of the iconic Pont du Diable (Devil’s Bridge)—sits Les Fleurs d’Olargues,…

The long-neglected building in the heart of Auxerre, France, known as La Tour des Neiges (Tower of Snow) had witnessed centuries of Burgundian life when an urbanization project left it vulnerable to complete destruction. Located in the Saint Loup quarter, it occupied prime real estate between the Cathedral of Saint Étienne, with its Episcopal Palace, and the Abbey of Saint-Germaindes-Prés. When Céline and Olivier Chollet discovered that this disintegrating edifice was for sale, they looked beyond the rubble, ruined walls, and steep price tag to see its potential. “We realized very well that buying this house wasn’t a clever idea concerning our budget, our time, and our energy,” says Céline. “But it was coup de foudre, love at first sight.” Céline, an artist known for her aquarelles of old houses, and…