Location
Le Chesnay is a commune in the Yvelines department, 17 km west of Paris along the A13 motorway. It takes its name from the high number of oak trees in the surrounding woods. It was not until the 13th century that a forest village inhabited by lumberjacks and farmers became part of the parish of Rocquencourt. It was later bought by Louis XIV to form part of Versailles. From 1820 onwards, the plateau saw the creation of second homes for wealthy Parisians, the first of which was the Plateau Saint-Antoine district, one of the richest districts in Greater Versailles. Still a very popular area, the Plateau Saint-Antoine is home to a number of majestic "meulières"; houses with millstone walls that are sometimes jointed with rock work.
The nearby stations of Versailles-Rive-Droite, Vaucresson and La Celle-Saint-Cloud are all within 30 or 40 minutes of Paris Saint-Lazare. The first is just a few minutes' walk from the house, as is the famous Versailles private school, Saint-Jean-Hulst.
Description
Large windows on this floor let plenty of light into the rooms, all of which have ceiling heights of almost 3 m. In the centre of the main facade, a flight of steps leads up to the double glazed entrance door with its wrought iron fittings, topped by a fanlight and a tiled wooden platform roof. To its right, a wooden balcony with a balustrade adorns the eastern window on the first floor. To the rear, the facade is flanked by a square tower with a pavilion roof, the walls of which are rendered on the three upper floors and the entrance door to which is accessed from the garden via a wooden staircase. The raised ground floor features a deep oriel window with a good view over the garden.
The house has a floor area of more than 330 m², including around 100 m² of basement, and has 12 main rooms, including 7 bedrooms. With a roof which was remade and insulated in 2012, and double-glazed windows throughout, it has good insulation.
The house
The ground floor
The central entrance, with its white tile and black cabochon floor, crosses the house from south to north. Very bright, it leads to a living room on the left, a dining room on the right, a study, a kitchen and a toilet. Lastly, it features a double quarter-turn wooden staircase, with finely carved balusters, leading up to the floors and down to the basement. At the far end of the entrance hall, the glass door lets in extra light and has direct access to the back garden. On one side, a huge cupboard is used as a cloakroom.
The light from the entrance hall floods into the living and dining rooms via small-paned double doors, which add to the brightness brought by the windows in these rooms. In the over 30 m² living room, the floor is covered with herringbone parquet and the ceiling is decorated with mouldings. It features two marble fireplaces, one in a corner and the other in the centre of a wall panel with a mirror. The dining room has the same ceiling and floor as the living room.
Finally, the 15 m² fitted kitchen is at the back of the house. Two windows and a glass door with direct access to the garden light up the black and white chequered tiled floor.
Beyond the doors to the living room and dining room there is a solid wood staircase leading to the two upper floors.
The first floor
Halfway up, a half-landing leads to the first bathroom with a toilet.
A few steps up, the vast first-floor landing leads to four bedrooms measuring approximately 20 m², 15 m², 15 m² and 10 m², with ceiling heights of almost 3 m. The largest bedroom, with an en suite bathroom, has two windows and a wooden balcony. All the rooms have straight parquet floors, white walls and high windows bringing in much light.
The second floor
Three bedrooms and a living room with sloping ceilings, a kitchen and a bathroom with a toilet occupy the top floor, which has a total floor area of around 80 m².
The current configuration of the first floor means that it could be used to rent out rooms to students, as Versailles and the surrounding area are home to some prestigious educational establishments. The rooms have similar architectural features as the floor below.
The basement
With a floor surface area of almost 100 m², it is divided into several rooms which, alongside an approx. 30 m² garage, include a boiler/laundry room, a workshop, a wood store, a wine cellar and a storage room. The ceiling height is 2.15 m.
The garden
To the south and north of the house, it spans over more 550 m² of the plot. It is fully enclosed by walls and has vast lawns planted with trees and flowers. It can be accessed from the main entrance of the house, the outer kitchen door and the door at the end of the hall. Finally, a gravelled driveway leads from the large gate on the south side to the garage on the north side.
Our opinion
Character and balance. The front façade of the house is a faithful example of the 'meulières' architecture of the Plateau Saint-Antoine, while the back has a tower that beautifully complements the house, where natural light dominates.
The property would be ideal for a family looking for a quiet, intimate location that is also very close to shops, high quality schools and a station with trains to Paris.
1 990 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 907503
Land registry surface area | 666 m2 |
Total floor area | 230 m2 |
Number of rooms | 12 |
Ceiling height | 3.00 |
Number of bedrooms | 7 |
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.