A contemporary house with grounds that cover 5,000m², near the
town of Mâcon and an hour and fifteen minutes from Lyon, France
town of Mâcon and an hour and fifteen minutes from Lyon, France
Mâcon,
SAONE-ET-LOIRE
burgundy
71000
FR
Location
This contemporary house is nestled in southern Burgundy, close to France’s Rhône department. By car, the city of Lyon is an hour and fifteen minutes away and the towns of Mâcon and Cluny twenty minutes away. Mâcon and Cluny both offer many shops, associations and primary and secondary schools. The Swiss city of Geneva is just over two hours away. And from Mâcon’s high-speed rail station – twenty minutes from the property – you can get to Paris in an hour and a half. The house stands among the Mâconnais and Haut-Beaujolais vineyards in a hamlet: a scattering of a few houses a long way from one another. Forested land to the north of the property is ideal for long walks. This woodland contrasts with the nearby meadows and, to the east, the renowned Mâconnais vineyards.
Description
The house was built in 2011 upon the foundations of an old farm. It is a single two-floor rectangular building that faces south-east. It offers a clear, sweeping view of the local countryside, which is characteristic of the region: gently undulating pastureland dotted with hedgerows and woods.
The grounds surrounding the house cover around 5,000m². They start with a gravelled area where three cars can be parked. There is also a vegetable patch and a 2,500m² lawn. The building’s flat vegetation-covered roof and many climbing plants that grow up the walls help the house blend into its surrounding landscape well. Solar panels for self-sufficiency are fitted along the south face.
The grounds surrounding the house cover around 5,000m². They start with a gravelled area where three cars can be parked. There is also a vegetable patch and a 2,500m² lawn. The building’s flat vegetation-covered roof and many climbing plants that grow up the walls help the house blend into its surrounding landscape well. Solar panels for self-sufficiency are fitted along the south face.
The house
The house is divided into two separate dwellings. On the first floor, the house offers roughly 250m² of floor area. A continuous balcony runs along its south face. From here, you can enjoy a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.
On the ground floor, there is a 43m² apartment, a workshop, a barn space and a double garage.
The first floor
You reach the first floor via an outside steel staircase that climbs up the north face to the main entrance door, which opens into a lobby. From this lobby, an inside staircase leads down to the ground floor.
All the rooms in the main dwelling face south. First, there is a large living room with a floor area of over 80m². Two large windows flood this room with natural light. An open-plan kitchen area with a scullery forms part of this extensive space. At one end of the first floor there is a master bedroom, which has a walk-in wardrobe, a bathroom and a lavatory. At the opposite end of this level, there are two other bedrooms, which lie next to a shower room and a lavatory.
There is a relaxation area in the middle of the dwelling. It includes a 16m² indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a steam room. All the rooms of this first-floor dwelling lead out onto a balcony that runs along the house’s south face. They are protected by a sunshade made up of solar panels. An outside spiral staircase leads down to the garden.
Across the ceiling, exposed timber beams in the flat roof give the entire first floor charm and elegance – they offer a contemporary approach to traditional exposed beams.
The ground floor
A double garage connects to a tiled workshop with a tap and a floor area of around 33m². A glazed double door fills the room with natural light and leads straight out into the garden. The room is completed with a lavatory, a cellar and an inside staircase that leads up to the first floor.
Beside this workshop there is a barn space with a floor area of around 32m². It reminds us of the building’s past purpose in farming: there are two wall racks and thick stone walls. French windows lead out to the vegetable patch and garden on the north side via a few steps. You can also reach this room through a wooden double door on the south face. Next to the barn space there is a technical equipment room, which contains the swimming pool tank and filtering equipment, the water-softener system, and the heat pump, which powers the home’s underfloor heating.
An apartment completes the ground floor. It is made up of a main room of around 23m² with a kitchenette and a 16m² bedroom with a bathroom of around 4m² that includes a lavatory. You can reach the apartment’s two rooms from outside via two glazed doors that are shaded from sunlight by the first-floor balcony.
Thick stone walls are tokens of the old building that used to stand here. These walls are partially coated. The stone floor is paired with the walls harmoniously.
The outbuildings
A small stone shed outside can be used to store equipment for maintenance.
The grounds
The grounds cover around 5,000m². A shrub-covered hill on the north side hides the house from the road. There is an intermediate level where the vegetable patch and main entrance are. On the east side, there is a parking area. And on the south side there is a vast garden dotted with young trees. The property is fenced off on its south and west sides and protected by dense clusters of shrubs on its north and east sides. There is also a well on the grounds. It can be used to water the garden.
Our opinion
This inconspicuous dwelling blends seamlessly into its lush backdrop. From here, it looks down over the undulating meadows and woodland of France’s Mâconnais area. It has adopted the same dimensions as the farmhouse that once stood here. The charming home has kept the old place’s spirit of simplicity that characterises the local rural architecture. Its exposed beams are elegant. They offer a contemporary approach to traditional beamed ceilings. The house has been remarkably well designed. Not only is it an oasis of absolute calm, but its materials and insulation make it environmentally friendly: it is made with a timber frame and stone and is crowned with a vegetation-covered roof. This delightful haven promises a pleasant life in a beautiful corner of France.
Reference 660950
| Land registry surface area | 4999 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 253 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 160 m2 |
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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.
