Location
In Viroflay, in the French department of Yvelines, on the borders of that of Hauts-de-Seine, ten minutes from the Chateau-de-Versailles and just a stone’s throw from Meudon Forest, a site protected by the French National Forestry Commission. In a quiet street, in the so-called “Louvre” district of Viroflay, just seven minutes’ walk from Chaville-Vélizy RER train station (line C) and ten minutes’ walk from Viroflay-Rive-Gauche station with rail-links to the centre of Paris and Montparnasse train station. All shops and amenities (swimming pool, library, town hall) can be reached on foot in just a few minutes.
Lamartine infant and junior schools as well as Corot junior school and Jean Racine secondary school are less than five minutes’ walk away. The private Saint-François-d’Assise infant and junior schools are a ten-minute walk away. Versailles, Marie-Curie, Hoche, La-Bruyère and Sainte-Geneviève-Ginette sixth form colleges are all about a ten-minute car drive away. They can also be reached in about twenty minutes by public transport. La-Boulie (Racing Club de France), Villacoublay and Guyancourt golf courses are nearby. Toussus-le-Noble aerodrome is 15 minutes away by car.
Description
The house
This residence, built at the beginning of the 20th century, was recently given an extension, intended to increase the size of the living rooms which now open on to the wooded garden and a terrace. Courtesy of its charm, in harmony with its surroundings, it has been used several times as a film set.
Ground floor
The house is entered via double wooden doors which are partially glazed. The corridor, directly illuminated by the veranda, leads to a vestibule where cement floor tiles feature pale hues of yellow and blue. On the left-hand side is a kitchen, the three openings of which let in copious amounts of light. The veranda, extending the kitchen area, provides an attractive view as well as access to the garden. Straight on, double glazed doors open into a small lounge, with a red marble fireplace, where the wall panelling matches the moulding of the coffered ceiling. On the right-hand side is a large, 54 m² living room, with its fireplace topped with large openings. Its discreet association of the old and the new sections combines parquet flooring and tiling, moulding and flat surfaces. On one side of this large room, a French window opens on to a porch way and a few steps which lead down to the garden whilst, in the more recent section, three French doors open all on a level on to the terrace and the garden. The wooden stairway, leading upstairs, is adorned with a column, the vertical rigidity of which contrasts with its curves. Parquet flooring, fireplaces and floral cast iron radiators (above all those in the style known as “rococo with ears” produced in France between 1895 and 1920) elegantly decorate the rooms throughout.
First floor
The landing leads, right, to two bedrooms, each with parquet flooring, a fireplace and two openings. Straight on, a bedroom opens on to a balcony. On the left-hand side, a bathroom, partially converted from an old bedroom, is fitted with a bath, a shower and two wash-hand basins. It still has its original features: parquet flooring, a floral cast iron radiator and a fireplace. It provides an attractive view over the surrounding garden.
Second floor
A section of this floor is under the roofing framework of one of the roofs. Exposed beams contribute to the charm and warmth exuded on this level. It comprises a bathroom and two bedrooms, one of which is crossed by part of the roofing framework structure (notably the tie beam, the queen post and the main rafter) which gives it a particularly original appearance. All these rooms are illuminated by skylights. Still on the same level, but under another roof, is another more classical bedroom, with a fireplace, filled with copious amounts of light via its three openings.
Our opinion
This house reflects the traditional charms of housing in the Ile-de-France region so well that it was used in certain scenes of the French film “Amélie” (Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain). Although perfectly in line with its era, the attention given to each decorative feature, the fineness of the panelling, the elegance of the floral cast iron and the stairway, with its subtle curves, enhance a nostalgic, refined and slightly sepia-coloured image. In addition to these immediately apparent assets, this ideally located property, equidistant between Paris and Versailles, between town and forest, also has a superb luminosity, predominantly provided by its beautiful garden and its delightful veranda. A family could quietly and comfortably take up residence here as all their requirements will be met whether they are nature lovers or firm city dwellers.
Reference 103955
Land registry surface area | 970 m2 |
Living space | 355 m2 |
Number of rooms | 9 |
Number of bedrooms | 6 |
Garage 1 |
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.