There was an expression much used by estate agents in France while I was living there ‘for lovers of old stones’. This typically was used when advertising dilapidated old chateaux or farmhouses for sale, with a lot of exposed rustic stone walls. I have to admit, I am a hopeless romantic and love those old stones – although I could not embark upon some of those overly ambitious renovations. Here are some that are more or less finished.
You all know my love of French chateaux – I think I may have featured almost every single one of them in past Friday Fun posts. But there are still beautiful houses left in France – the so-called ‘maisons de maitre’ (mansion, estate), which range from the modestly bourgeois to the magnificent. All of the below are for sale on the estate agents’ websites listed below.
2. Classical style near Bordeaux, from Moulin.nl
3. This should be big enough for the entire family to come visit in Dordogne, from Anthouard Immobilier
4. I can never resist this fearful symmetry, in Lot et Garonne, from Legget Immobilier
5. This errs onto the chateau side of the spectrum, near Bernay, from Ivan Ballini Estates.
6. But I would be quietly content with this more modest endeavour, near Berry, from Terres & Demeures.
[I am not sure I will continue with Friday Fun though, as, in addition to it being resource hogging, this new formatting for the pictures and inability to add text directly is too much of a kerfaffle.]
Since you all liked the white and blue colour combination from last week’s Friday post so much, here are some more blue and white houses for you to admire. I have been so in love with this colour combination all my life, that I think this might be the reason I got married into a Greek family…
Looks like the safest form of holiday planning this summer will be virtually – so here are some perfect holiday homes to dream about!
Earlier this month I came across a dream villa in a dream location on the shores of Lake Geneva, designed by Olson Kundig Architects. I was so intrigued by it that I stalked them on their website and systematically worked my way through their portfolio. Alongside public buildings all over the world, they also have a knack for very modern private houses, with huge windows, in stunning locations, really allowing nature to mingle with the indoors. When I win the lottery (or a whole dozen of them, I think), you know whom I will employ to build me the dream home. All the photos are from their website
In celebration of the fact that I don’t have to sell the house until I want to (although I will have no money for any improvements or even essential repairs), here are some dreamy villas that I will never own.
Perfect for inviting friends over https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/friday-fun-villas-to-enjoy-with-friends/
Getting away from the madding crowd https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/friday-fun-villas-to-get-away-from-it-all/
Classical style on the Italian Lakes https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/friday-fun-italian-villas-on-the-lakes/
Just look at the views! https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/friday-fun-dreamy-holiday-homes/
More stunning views, because that’s how I roll! https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/2015/07/24/friday-fun-villas-with-a-view-2/
You don’t have to live in the Mediterranean to be inspired by its architecture and allowing the outdoors indoors.
This time it’s all about excess: the mansions of the rich and powerful are sometimes more showy than practical, more dramatic rather than chic.
The White House in a certain country may have become a laughing stock but white houses have undeniable decorative cachet.
I like quirky, unusual, characterful beauty when it comes to human beings, but I have to admit that I am a bit of a classicist when it comes to buildings. Much as I admire daring modern architecture, there are few things that can be better than the perfect proportions of the Greek temple, which has been the inspiration for so much of Western architecture. So here are a few symmetrical houses that I admire.
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