The property dates back to the 19th century. It is made up of a main building, a former stable, a swimming pool, a dovecote and grounds dotted with different species of trees. It was built on the outskirts of a town. Originally, it was doubtless the project of a city-dweller who sought bucolic calm and a country life as he worked on enhancing his estate.

The villa is set back from the road, separated from it by low walls of rubble masonry. An electric metal gate forms the property's entrance. It leads onto a gravel drive. From there, a flat lawn extends around the grounds.

The villa

The rectangular main building is made up of two floors. It reflects the classical style of architecture of its era. It is made from the traditional construction material of mansions in the local region: Bordeaux limestone. A plain, symmetrical facade faces the road. It is punctuated with many windows in line with one another. In the middle, an elegant, understated bay extends the living room outwards and, above it, forms a private terrace for one of the first-floor bedrooms. A balustrade crowns the facade’s central section. The gentle slopes of the gable roof with monk-and-nun tiling can be seen behind the stone cornice. On the southern side, carved stone corbels support three elegant balconies with old wrought-iron guardrails. Wooden shutters protect the windows on both floors.

The ground floor
The main entrance leads into a long, wide dual-aspect hallway that connects to all the floor’s rooms. Cement tiles cover the floor of this hallway, white Bordeaux limestone make up its walls and a plaster cornice embellishes its ceiling. Where you enter this central hallway, functional rooms flank it: a lavatory and a storeroom. After these, two bedrooms lie opposite one another. Each bedroom connects to a shower room and lavatory. Modern wallpaper adorns their walls, strip parquet covers their floors and a built-in marble fireplace in each room underlines the edifice’s authenticity. Next come the living room and dining room, which also face one another. Two large wooden double doors form the entrance to each room. On the right is the living room. Old panelling covers the walls up to the top, a red marble fireplace stands majestically on one side and the floor is adorned with chevron parquet. A bay bathed in daylight leads onto a tiled terrace. This terrace offers a pleasant view of the grounds and its 200-year-old magnolia. The dining room is embellished with a white marble fireplace with projecting volutes. Its cast-iron radiators feature old flower patterns. The floor is tiled and the walls are adorned with wallpaper. A little further on stands a half-turn stone staircase with a guardrail made of metal and wood. A skylight fills it with daylight. The kitchen is fully equipped and modern. A scullery and storage space adjoin it. Through French windows, it leads directly out onto an outdoor tiled terrace near the swimming pool. It is a spacious kitchen. A checked pattern of red and white cement tiles covers its floor. Its walls and ceiling are painted white. Opposite it, the last ground-floor room can be used as a lounge or office. This vast, bright space extends the living room. Its walls are painted. Exposed wooden beams run across its ceiling. Its plaster walls stand upon a chevron parquet floor. A centred fireplace embellishes the room and a window seat completes a bay.

The first floor
At the northern end of a long dual-aspect landing is a window. And at its southern end are wooden French windows that lead out onto a balcony. The four first-floor bedrooms are elegant and spacious. They have been renovated and decorated in a refined style. All of them have parquet flooring, plastered ceilings and walls adorned with plainly patterned wallpaper. With their dual-aspect position, their floors and ceilings are brightened with natural light during the day. One of them enjoys direct access to a private terrace upon a bay window beneath it. Two of the others have balconies with views over the grounds. Shower rooms connect to them. On the northern side, an office space overlooks the town’s rooftops. A large windowless room that can be reached from the landing has been fitted with a sizeable wardrobe.

The grounds
The grounds form a conserved natural area of the town. They surround the house and subtly mix old trees of different species – a catalpa, a lime tree, a magnolia, an oak, a black walnut tree – as well as more recent trees, including weeping willows, birches and sweet gums. In autumn, the grounds turn into a festival of vibrant colours. Near the entrance gate is a cluster of weeping willows next to a spring harnessed to irrigate this part of the property.

The outhouse
Beside the dovecote is a long outbuilding with a clipped gable roof that stretches over around 30 metres. Its rendered ochre walls and Basque red woodwork bear witness to respect for this property during renovation works carried out. The interior includes a room that can be used as a workshop, a garage and, in between these two, former stables that have kept their old stalls. At one end of the building is an open, covered space that has been carefully renovated and where three vehicles can be parked. A wooden trellis guides wisteria upwards. On the first floor, a former attic storeroom covering around 170m² could be given a new purpose.

The dovecote
To the right of the outbuilding stands a latticework dovecote on a stone base. This solid tower of beams elegantly decorates the garden. Its lattice walls are crowned with an eight-slope fish-scale roof, a finial, ridge tiles and a gentler lower slope just above the bottom roof edge.

The swimming pool
The swimming pool lies nearby, between the outbuilding and the house. It is 11 metres long and 5 metres wide. Exotic timber decking forms the poolside.