Travels with an Architect: A Restored Chateau in France, Farm Included - Remodelista
Photos by Jerome Buttrick, except where otherwise indicated. Our friend Jerome Buttrick (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) recently spent a few days at the Domaine des Etangs in the Dordogne, a restored chateau complete with floating tennis court. Owned by a Swiss woman who inherited the property from her father, Domaine des Etangs has undergone extensive renovation over the past few years. In the reception building, located next to the main chateau, you are greeted by a collection of colorful boots... ...a whimsical way of reminding urbanites that while they will be comfortable here—the boots are clean and new—you are really on a farm, in the country. A herd of cows reminds you that this is a working farm. Photo via Domaine des Etangs. The estate sprawls over several acres of farmland and forest. The main chateau alterations are still underway and will add several more rooms and a spa. Photo via Domaine des Etangs. A row of boots welcomes visitors. A sunlit corner in one of the outbuildings, now home to one of the dozen or so guest suites. Photo via Domaine des Etangs. The simple dining room; the only color is provided by the upholstered chairs. Photo via Domaine des Etangs. The primitive-looking rough-hewn chairs are surprisingly comfortable. Above L: The plunge shower features a single temperature water that's a tad on the cool side (perhaps as a way to wake you to the fact that this is not all quite real, except that it is). A copper soaking tub in a spa area. Photo via Domaine des Etangs. A tennis court seems to float on the edge of the lake. A stream is diverted to traverse one of the many biking paths. The history of the estate is not particularly interesting, to judge from the slim binder available on the property. One notable exception is that at one point several centuries ago, it was inherited by a Frenchman who brashly declared that he was not Catholic, thus setting him apart in a region otherwise very much inclined toward the church.