Location
Located in the western part of the Centre-Val de Loire region and in the northeast quadrant of the Indre-et-Loire department, the dynamic village in which the property is located includes shops, schools and a doctor’s office. Only 25 minutes from the city of Tours and 20 minutes from Amboise, the village, which extends alongside the Brenne River between mostly wooded hillsides and Vouvray wineries, is not far from the Loire Valley, a Unesco World Heritage Site. This bucolic environment with a variety of landscapes also includes practical necessities like a high-speed rail station twenty kilometres away, which provides service to Paris in 55 minutes or the Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle international airport in less than 2 hours.
Description
Extending on from the main building, the outbuilding includes a garage on the ground floor and an independent studio in the back. A galleria, the link between the two buildings, includes an enclosed patio at one end that opens onto the garden in the back of the property. Planted with flowerbeds, which define the spaces meant either for relaxation or recreation, the garden gets plenty of sun and is sheltered from view thanks to the property’s high walls. In addition, the arched windows topped with glazed fanlights, on the first floor of the house’s back façade, bathe the five large upstairs bedrooms in sunlight, while the skylights in the sixth bedroom, built under the eaves, provide this last room with plenty of sunshine.
The Dwelling
Built in 1850 and square in shape, the house faces east and west. The walls of its two main façades are in tuffeau stone, while plaster-covered rubble stone is used on either side of the house, which is topped with a slate hipped roof, punctuated by skylights. On the house's street side, the façade is cadenced by large rectangular windows and doors with moulded surrounds. A cornice marks the division between the ground and first floors, while a second, supported by wide rectangular denticles above a frieze alternating between rosettes and triglyphs, highlights the roof. The small-paned windows on the first floor are decorated with pelmets and wrought-iron guardrails, while on the garden side, the windows, safeguarded by painted wooden shutters, are rectangular on the ground floor and arched on the first floor, with the same guardrails as the street-side façade.
The ground floor
Double wooden doors open onto the entrance hall, extended by a long hallway with a black cabochon tile stone floor, which spans the entire house and leads to the garden. On either side, it provides access to two small sitting rooms, followed by a large living room and a kitchen opposite. The small sitting rooms have marble fireplaces and hardwood floors as well as wainscoting in one and floor-to-ceiling wood panelling in the other, while the walls are painted and the ceilings are decorated with moulding. From one of the sitting rooms, a small hallway with a cupboard and wood panelling leads to the lavatory followed by the kitchen with its tile floor and painted walls. Hidden behind a glass wall, it is bathed in light by a window facing the garden and contains a door to one side that opens onto the enclosed patio in the galleria. Another glass wall conceals the wooden staircase that leads upstairs, while, on the other side of the hallway, the large living room is flooded in light by two windows. With a terracotta tile floor and fabric walling, the living room also includes a stone fireplace and bookcases.
The first floor
The staircase, safeguarded by a wrought-iron bannister with a wooden handrail, leads to a hallway with painted walls, which provides access to two bedrooms on each side and a small hallway, which leads to a fifth bedroom built under the eaves above the outbuilding. The house’s four bedrooms, large in size, all have their own bathroom or shower room with lavatory, while one includes a grey marble fireplace with a sculpted wooden chimneybreast. The floors on this level are all in hardwood, the ceilings are decorated with ceiling roses and the walls are painted or covered in wallpaper.
The attic
The only room on this level, with approximately 110 m², is entirely open and contains no partitions. On one side is a bedroom area extended by a living space, while, on the other, an office is located next to a wardrobe. Two doors open onto either the lavatory or a storage space, while a shower room completes the whole. The room’s visible wooden rafters highlight its expansive floor-to-ceiling height, while four skylights bathe the room in light, made even brighter by its white-painted walls, one of which is covered by a large bookcase. Lastly, this level has hardwood floors except for the shower room, which is partially tiled.
The basement
This level is divided into several storage spaces, including a wine cellar.
The Outbuilding
Accessible from the courtyard and garden, the two-storey building abuts the dwelling. Made out of brick, it has a slate gable roof, while a brick and tuffeau stone cornice decorates the upper part of its façade. A wide, arched galleria spans the entire building, while glass double doors, topped with a large arched window, provide access to the courtyard. Lastly, on the garden side, the building’s façade contains an arched four-panel picture window.
The ground floor
On either side of the galleria, a door provides access to either the main dwelling’s kitchen or, an independent studio, located in the back of the outbuilding, while, at one end of the galleria, a glass door leads to an enclosed patio, which faces the garden.
With a large picture window, hardwood floors and a kitchen area, the studio’s back wall and ceiling are decorated in wooden planks, which contrast nicely with the rest of its walls painted white. In addition, the studio also includes a door to one side, which opens onto a shower room with lavatory. Lastly, in the front part of the building, double glass doors provide access to a space with enough room to park a vehicle, followed by a storage area.
The attic
Accessible from the main dwelling, this floor includes a bedroom with hardwood floors, painted walls as well as a shower room and lavatory. With exposed ceiling beams, the room has a considerable floor-to-ceiling height and is bathed in light by a large arched window facing the courtyard.
The Workshop
Built at a right angle to the outbuilding, the building, in plaster-covered rubble stone, is topped with a slate roof. With one level, the façade of which is covered in wisteria, it includes a workshop and a laundry room with windows facing the courtyard and two skylights.
The Courtyard
From the street, a path leads to the front door of the main dwelling after passing an initial gravel section that provides access to the outbuilding and workshop, followed by a grassy area planted with shrubs overlooking the house’s front façade.
The Garden
Entirely enclosed by walls, the garden is divided into several spaces, which are defined by flowerbeds and a variety of different kinds of shrubs. A wooden patio, built at the foot of the dwelling, is extended by lawns scattered with rosebushes, agapanthus and Japanese thimbleweed, in turn bordered by bowers, Japanese maples and bamboo, which not only brighten up the garden, but also create amazing views of the house.
Our opinion
The undeniable charm of a “classical” 19th-century dwelling is prevalent throughout this property and skilfully showcased thanks to contemporary colours and materials. With warm and inviting living spaces and five bedrooms with their own shower room, the property is perfect for receiving family or friends and provides considerable privacy and independence for all guests. As for the converted attic space, large in size and brightly lit, it could easily be used for new purposes, while the independent studio and workshop could also meet the needs of an artist or a professional activity. In addition, the property’s new owners will not only be able to take advantage of its verdant garden, but also the commodities located nearby in this vibrant village. The property, in excellent condition, would also be ideal for welcoming short-stay travellers, who come and visit the region for its many famous chateaus and parks.
Reference 104904
Land registry surface area | 959 m2 |
Main building surface area | 392.1 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 7 |
Outbuilding surface area | 79.5 m2 |
including refurbished area | 28.5 m2 |
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.