on the outskirts of the village of Auriol, between Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Saint Maximin
Location
Auriol, located in the southern part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and eastern reaches of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, between the Garlaban and Sainte-Baume hills, is a village where the authentic Provence character has remained intact. The Huveaune river flows through the village, which offers a peaceful and green living environment. It is ideally situated, just 30 minutes from the TGV high-speed rail stations in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille and 40 minutes from Marseille-Provence airport. The village boasts remarkable heritage as well as several nursery and primary schools, plus a library, museum, games library and sports centre.
The house is surrounded by meadows and hills, in the midst of lush, green grounds stretching over almost 1-hectare, split into several terraces marked out by stone walls, from which views of the surroundings can be enjoyed.
Description
The house’s outside doors are made of sculpted wood. The main entrance door is on the north-facing façade. The inside of the house has been redesigned, producing archetypal and generous volumes that are bathed with light.
The garden is made up of a variety of different areas including a swimming pool, workshop, children’s playground, stable and vegetable garden. The range of large trees provides the garden with shade and privacy.
The house
The ground floor
On the north side of the house, a large, sculpted wooden, double leaf entrance door leads into a vast hallway, which in turn leads into a monumental volume including a dining room opening onto the tiled east-facing patio, a north-south through lounge with a modern plastered fireplace and a modern kitchen with a dining area.
Volume and light are the watchwords, as can be seen in the high ceiling with exposed beams, the panoramic views over the surrounding landscape through the large windows and patio doors, the series of steps between the different spaces, the brightness of the travertine stone tiled floors or also the white walls enhanced by touches of beige here and there. Lastly, a straight flight of plastered stairs with wooden bullnoses leads to the upper floor of the house.
The upstairs
The main staircase leads into a games room which is almost as bright and spacious as the volumes on the ground floor. With its sloping ceiling as well as exposed beams and trusses, it also boasts a panoramic view of the surroundings through the large windows on all sides of the room. It opens onto a patio on the north side of the house and can be easily converted into a fifth bedroom It leads to a walk-in wardrobe and the more than 20-m² master bedroom, which also exudes an impression of spaciousness thanks to the cathedral ceiling with exposed beams and wall of bookshelves. It has a sprung floor and an en suite bathroom with a bath, shower, lavatory, double washbasin and recessed light fixtures.
The three other bedrooms and the second bathroom make up the rest of the space and can be reached by another hallway. The latter could easily be linked to the former by rearranging the two bathrooms. The second plaster staircase is covered with sea grass and provides independent access to these four rooms.
The second bedroom is also spacious, boasting a sloped ceiling with exposed beams and panelling. It is bathed in warm light thanks to two windows, one facing south and the other facing east. As hinted at by the presence of round exposed beams on the cathedral ceiling and the arched doorway marking the passage between the two distinct parts of the home, the third bedroom is located in the oldest part of the farmhouse. It leads to a patio and could easily be converted into two separate rooms. Between these two bedrooms there is a smaller room that also has sea grass flooring and exposed beams. The tiled bathroom boasts a bath, shower, lavatory and a washbasin.
The basement
The tiled and rendered basement can be reached via the house’s eastern façade and boasts sound and generous storage volumes.
The garden
The garden made up of walled terraces is spread over 9,200 m² and has been split into different areas linked to each other by paths in beaten earth, paving or wood decking. The main gate leads to a sheltered parking space as well as to the eastern side of the house, the swimming pool to the north and the landscaped garden to the south.
The property possesses a 6 metre by 12 metre salt-water swimming pool. It is surrounded by a patio made of wood imitation tiling, boasts a sauna, enjoys fine views of the surrounding countryside and is well hidden from prying eyes.
The wilder areas located behind the house play host to a variety of tall trees, such as lime, conifer and horse chestnut, as well as fruit trees, particularly cherry, olive, apricot, hazelnut and fig trees. Several small areas have been devoted to different uses, such as a vegetable garden, stable, workshop and children’s playground, among other things. The finishing touch to the Provence ambiance emanating from this place is provided by the dry-stone walls that make up the walled terraces as well as the uneven tips of the cypress trees that rise up through the vegetation.
Lastly, the garden is linked to an automatic sprinkler system connected to the Canal de Provence.
Our opinion
This is a home that boasts all the advantages of a Provence farmhouse, plus spacious volumes thanks to previous renovations. It is only a short way from local cities as well as cultural and activity centres. Functionality and comfort combine with plenty of style, while the sober appearance and quality of the building materials used serve to enhance the pleasantly luminous elements of this property. The house’s interior layout boasts very appreciable flexibility as well as adaptability and can be adjusted to suit any type of use.
The comfortable and intimate terraced garden also boasts much potential, in the middle of an abundant yet controlled natural setting, both wild and cultivated, made up of a series of scenes in which the property seems perfectly integrated into its landscape.
1 060 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 986178
Land registry surface area | 9200 m2 |
Main building surface area | 281 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 3 |
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.