An extended, converted sheep barn made of old stone with a 2,600m² tree-dotted
garden with a pool, nestled in a village near Brignoles in south-east France
garden with a pool, nestled in a village near Brignoles in south-east France
Val,
VAR
provence-cote-dazur
83143
FR
Location
The property lies 2.5 kilometres from the middle of a wine-growing village in a lush corner of Provence in south-east France. The village is in the heart of the country’s beautiful Var department, close to the town of Brignoles – the local area’s administrative centre. Brignoles offers many shops for everyday needs. The dwelling was initially isolated when it was built in around 1900. Today, other houses lie beside it, yet without compromising the property’s cosiness and calm. You can easily reach the centre of the village by bicycle or foot from the home. Brignoles with its interchange that takes you onto the A8 motorway is a five-to-ten-minute drive away. The Mediterranean coast with its sun-kissed beaches and the city of Toulon with its high-speed train station are only a one-hour drive away, as is Aix-en-Provence’s high-speed train station. And you can get to Marseille airport in just 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Description
From the road, you reach the house via a cul-de-sac that is a few dozen metres long. When the stone sheep shed was first built, its floor area only covered 30m² with an upstairs room in the western section and walls around 50 centimetres thick. In 1985, this building was extended: two small stone sections were adjoined to it. These extensions have kept the structure’s original style. Their gabled roofs have ridges in parallel to the original sheep shed’s roof ridge. All the roofs have barrel tiles. The window and door lintels are either made of stone or timber. Today’s enlarged building offers a liveable floor area of around 133m². It has four bedrooms. One of these bedrooms has a separate entrance, so it could be a guestroom or it could be rented out. It is a spacious bedroom. The grounds are virtually flat and form a rectangle. Two separate entrances lead into the grounds. The southern section slopes slightly. The northern edge is demarcated with a small stone wall and a row of olive trees. Several pines mark the property’s eastern edge. The house stands on the plot’s western side. Most of the grounds are open, taken up by a vast lawn. A wire fence separates a swimming pool from the rest of the garden. This pool is around 10 metres long and 4 metres wide. There are two wells on the grounds. One of them probably dates back to the stone sheep shed’s period of construction. These wells provide water for watering the garden and filling the swimming pool.
The house
The garden level
A wooden entrance door on the north side leads into the house’s most recent section. You step into a lounge with a dining area and a plain modern fireplace. An open-plan kitchen adjoins this space. The room looks eastwards, through French windows, into the garden – the room’s backdrop. The walls are simply painted white. Travertine tiles adorn the floor. And exposed beams of varnished timber run across the ceiling. The kitchen is compact and fitted with grey wooden units. Natural light fills it from two sides. A small shower room adjoins the lounge and a flight of wooden steps leads upstairs. A little further on, an arched doorway and a step take you into the former sheep barn, which contains a room used as an office and library. This room has a floor area of around 20m². The ceiling’s original exposed beams are painted white. The stonework is exposed in some parts. Two windows face south and French windows lead outside in this direction too. On one side, there is an adjoining utility room. It leads to a shower room and lavatory. On the other side, a tiled flight of stairs with timber nosing leads up to the oldest bedroom. On the north side of the house, there is a large bedroom with a floor area of around 20m². It was made with a separate entrance, but it could easily be linked to the rest of the house. It looks east and south. In addition to a sleeping area, it includes a little lounge space, as well as an en-suite shower room with a lavatory. A wooden staircase with a wrought-iron balustrade leads up to a mezzanine floor where an extra bed could be added.
The upstairs
The first floor has a bedroom that you reach via the stairs leading up from the office and library in the old section. This upper floor also contains a series of rooms that you reach via the other staircase in the living room in the more recent section. The first bedroom is painted white. It has a tiled floor and exposed beams of varnished timber. The other part is laid out around a corridor that connects to two bedrooms, a shower room with a lavatory and a small balcony on the south side. All these rooms have herringbone parquet and exposed beams that are painted white. The master bedroom is filled with natural light from a small window on the north side and from French windows that lead out onto a balcony on the east side. This bedroom has a large built-in wooden wardrobe that takes up a whole wall section and hides a door leading to a technical installations room, which houses a gas boiler and an electric water heater. There is also a smaller bedroom, which would suit a child. A shower room with a lavatory lies beside these two bedrooms.
The garden
You can reach the garden from the cul-de-sac via a wrought-iron gate that leads into a shady parking area for two or three cars. A small hedge separates this area from the rest of the grounds. A vast lawn takes up the eastern section, which is edged with a swimming pool on the south side. This pool is surrounded by a wire fence. Several tall trees of different species stand on the south side. A row of olive trees grows on the northern edge and a row of pines stands along the eastern border. Several stone terraces edge the house in front of the old section and living room. A small gravelled space forms a private outdoor area for the bedroom that has a separate entrance. A recent well stands near the entrance gate. And another well, which is covered and very old, faces the living room’s terrace, which has a stone sink. A second entrance leads into the garden’s south side from another cul-de-sac. With this second entrance, extra parking spaces could be made or construction work could be carried out easily.
Our opinion
Here the charm of old stone architecture and the delight of lush natural surroundings bring out a masterful renovation. Touches of modern comfort ensure easy day-to-day living. The home is not far from main roads and fibre internet was recently installed, so all kinds of business activities could be carried out on this property. The characteristic appeal of this luxuriant corner of Provence beckons you to go on long walks through the beautiful countryside, where you can admire spectacular landscapes. The property is conducive to relaxation. Indeed, you unwind as soon as you set foot in these grounds. In this regard, the property would be an ideal second home. Such an idyllic holiday home would be forever welcoming. Soothing stays here would always feel too short. The simplicity of this dwelling’s forms, the proportions of its rooms and the authentic character of its materials reflect the natural balance of the enchanting environment.
535 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 608175
| Land registry surface area | 2600 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 133 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
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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.
