Although the residence is in the city centre, it is nestled in especially peaceful surroundings, in a cobbled street where the small amount of traffic does not disturb the neighbourhood’s peace and quiet. In the past, the building’s strategic position ensured it benefited from the silence required for its religious function until the French Revolution. In fact, it belonged to the chapter of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Senlis before its ownership was transferred to a local convent in the region. In the 19th and 20th centuries, local people of note lived here, most of whom were notaries. It is a very discrete townhouse whose façades were overhauled in the 18th century.
The sober ashlar façade overlooking the street is only decorated by two simple stone cornices punctuating the two levels. The building has a touch of classicism about it, as demonstrated by the central solid wood entrance door flanked by large windows with louvred shutters. It was built in the Middle Ages and has been modified over time. The residence has a central section with three bays facing the road, while on the garden side there are six bays thanks to the merging of the neighbouring house and main building. It boasts floor-space of approximately 360 m² spread over three storeys including an attic level. The gabled roof is mainly made of small, period terracotta roof tiles, though one part is made of slate. It is also adorned by hipped dormer windows. As a whole, the façades have a simple, undecorated appearance and are made of ashlar or rubble stone. The windows follow the 18th century fashion for wide, tall openings, especially facing the garden. The ground floor occupies the house’s entire footprint, allowing easy access to the outside.
Just next door, there is a solid wood double-leaf carriage gate in the surrounding wall leading to the courtyard and garage. In keeping with French tradition, the townhouse stands between a courtyard and garden, even though the courtyard is adjacent to the building on one side. The south-facing garden is ideally exposed and can be reached via the main reception rooms.

The residence

The ground floor
The entrance door opens into a hall with period tiled flooring, which leads into all the reception rooms. On the right, the kitchen boasts similar flooring and white walls, standing opposite a dining room with two windows and straight wooden stripped flooring. The small fireplace has a cream-coloured wooden mantelpiece, identical to the two display cases on either side. At the end of the hallway, there is a vast lounge with two tall windows overlooking the garden and bathing the room in light. The Age of Enlightenment is very much present in the guise of the straight wood stripped flooring and rococo style marble chimney topped by a trumeau mirror. On either side, a smaller lounge and office/study, both of which are also south-facing, are also flooded with light from the outside. French windows lead from these two rooms directly into the garden. The office could easily be converted into a bedroom to take advantage of the shower room already in place on the ground floor. The central hallway also leads to the staircase that climbs upwards from between the dining room and main lounge, which itself boasts ivory-coloured tiles as well as orange taco tiles. It is bathed in light through a double leaf glazed door that leads out onto the paved courtyard, from which the garage, the apartment in the former domestic staff’s quarters and the garden can be reached. The grand staircase with oak steps also boasts a late 18th century wrought-iron balustrade.
The first floor
The landing leads to five large bedrooms, four of which boast a view over the garden. They have each been decorated in a different colour, according to past traditions. The largest bedroom has wooden stripped flooring and a white marble fireplace, as well as light green wainscotting. The other bedrooms are just as comfortable. One of them boasts an alcove and terracotta tiled floor. A walk-in wardrobe and two modernly decorated bathrooms take up the rest of the space on this level.
The second floor
This part of the grand staircase is made up of terracotta tiles and leads to a landing. To the left, there is a room that could be converted into a bedroom, followed by a small apartment made up of a lounge, bathroom and bedroom, all looking out onto the garden through the dormer windows. To the right, there is a room currently used for storage, leading to the loft, but which also could be converted into a comfortable bedroom. All the rooms on this level have sloped attic roofs with exposed roof frames.
The basement
Lovers of old stonework will not fail to fall for this vaulted cellar, with a period keystone, dating from the 14th century. Thanks to its constant humidity and temperature levels, it is ideal for use as a wine cellar.