The architectural style of the house is emblematic of the important tanning industry, which was particularly active in the 17th and 18th centuries. The three-storey edifice was built in 1609 by one of the most notable families in the town. Trapezoid in plan, it has a tall roof with four flat-tiled pitches, which contains a large drying loft with wooden cladding in the form of a saltire and a central dormer window facing south.
This large historic residence of approx. 320 m², spanning four storeys of cob-filled and rendered half-timbered walls, is actually the result of the combination of three houses; their ground floors and attics were used for tannery activities, whilst the two upper floors were reserved for residential purposes. The original layout has not changed over the centuries, the lodgings of the master of the house are still located on the upper floors.
A gate and a wicket door on the street side open onto the "Directoire courtyard" in front of the south elevation and lead to a French formal garden to the east.
The southern facade features a dozen rectangular, stone-framed and small-paned windows. On the ground floor, there are three large, arched openings with security grilles. Four narrow windows on the northern facade overlook a small quay where a boat or canoe can be moored. Finally, the eastern facade, with a few straight windows and shutters on the first floor, is flanked by an annex with small windows and a gable roof. This projecting structure stands on thin wooden pillars.

The residence

The workshops used to be located on the ground floor. From here, a 17th century wooden staircase with iron railings leads to three sitting rooms, a dining room, two kitchens, five bedrooms, a bathroom and four lavatories spread over two levels. These two floors have retained wall panelling and beautiful fireplaces as well as stucco ornaments. A large half-timbered attic on the third and top floor was once used for hanging and drying hides.
Since 1980, numerous elements have been listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments: the facades and roofs, the staircase with wooden balustrade, the former workshops, the drying loft as well as the sitting rooms, dining room and bedrooms.

The ground floor
The entrance to the residence is through the archway of what was known as the "second house", in the middle. The main entrance door leads into a vast central hallway with the start of the staircase connecting to all levels, from the ground floor to the attic. Three steps further down, a large room with stone walls and terracotta flooring was probably used as a workshop, although its current layout does not really seem to correspond to its former use. The 17th century central staircase has lost its original wooden partitions, which have been replaced by a railing in the style of 18th century ironwork. An intermediate landing, at the end of the first flight of steps, opens directly onto this large hall, creating a distinctive space with a bird’s eye view. Both the ground and upper floors let the sunshine pour into the hall. At the far end of the room, a gallery illuminated by stained glass windows leads to the lavatory on the north side. A boiler room and a garage complete this level.
The first floor
The first floor contained the living quarters of the master of the house.
A large sitting room adorned with wainscoting is illuminated by two large small-paned windows with internal shutters opening onto the courtyard to the south. A large fireplace has a waxed wooden surround above which a high mirror framed by wood panelling extends to the ceiling. The probably original rustic wooden floor is typical of the region, with irregular planks fixed with flat-headed wrought iron nails. The adjacent bedroom, known as the "blue room", also features panelled walls. Small en-suite facilities have been installed in a cupboard. Certain walls are covered with floral hangings and the carpet on the floor reveals the original wooden strips. An elegant fireplace with a surround painted the same light colour as the panelling is topped by an overmantel mirror. The ceilings of both rooms are supported by plastered beams with simple coving and mouldings. Situated on the northern side above the ground floor gallery, the former kitchen features a large fireplace in its centre with the date 1659 carved on the mantle. A sink stone is still in place, as are the slab-paved floor and the channels that served to discharge waste water outside. A recess illuminated by a stained glass window was once either a larder or a latrine. A second sitting room, which could also be used as a dining room, is lit by two large small-paned windows with internal shutters. Here, the wooden flooring has been redone in a herringbone pattern and a massive medieval-style granite fireplace dominates the room. Finally, the fourth room on the first floor used to be a bedroom, as evidenced by the alcove which was intended for the bed and has been converted into a dining room. It is lit by two windows, one facing the courtyard to the south and the other the garden to the east. The entire wall is covered with wood panelling; the fireplace mantle matches the decorative mouldings of the wood panelling, while a mirror has been placed on the lower part of the overmantel. A beautifully curved wood panelling precedes the alcove, which once housed the bed and has now been transformed into a dining room. The wall is adorned with a fresco representing an oriental landscape. A small annex, in poor condition, protrudes from the garden facade. It rests on thin pillars that need to be consolidated.
The second floor
A small staircase off the split-level landing of the central staircase leads to a passageway on the second floor. This is a spacious area with no natural light, which could easily be used as an office or library. It serves four bedrooms and a bathroom. The first bedroom, which is as large as the sitting room below, boasts a fireplace with a carved and waxed wooden surround and an overmantel mirror topped by a 17th or 18th century painting. One can presume that the second, smaller bedroom, was initially intended for a woman. It features an alcove, woodwork and stucco motifs depicting cherubs, a lyre and cupids. These carved elements, painted in pastel shades, are the most delicate in the house. A carpeted bathroom was built in the 1980s in the roofspace at the back of the house. It is illuminated by a skylight and by a window behind the half-timbering of the second drying loft. A third bedroom in the old drying lofts is filled with light from aluminium windows behind the saltires. The view from this room over the river and the dam is spectacular. It has a small lavatory. Finally, a fourth bedroom, with a floor carpeted in green, has a beamed ceiling and wall cupboards on either side of a stained glass window.
The attic
Access to the roof level is via a final flight of steps which leads under the huge roof structure to what was once the drying loft: a space which was originally completely empty, used to store leather and other tanning products. The large volume of the drying loft is only interrupted by the chimney stack in the centre of the attic. Partitions have recently been added to create several spaces: two "workshops" and a bedroom with a lavatory. The half-timbering of the whole perimeter is in the shape of saltires. The central skylight adds a little more light to that already widely diffused by the other openings.