Innehållsförteckning för French Cottage 2020 från Victoria

Dear Friends Art and composition tolerate no conventional fetters: mind and soul soar above them,” surmised Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. Although I would agree that artists often reach beyond their surroundings to create masterpieces, in my own life, I have found that cultivating gracious environs actually prompts me to aspire to even greater heights of beauty. When my hands have made home a place of rest and renewal, my fingers find the freedom to dance across the keys of a piano, stitch exquisite needlework designs, and tend brimful gardens. In this edition of French Cottage—a perennial favorite Victoria Classics issue—Gallic homeowners invite us to explore sanctuaries where self-expression flourishes. “An Artist’s Welcome” on page 9 introduces innkeeper Sophie Darcas, whose romantic oil paintings adorn the ancient stone walls of her…

It would be difficult to find a prettier view than the one from Mary and Peter Tucker’s village house. Weeping willows dip their leafy tendrils into the Dordogne River as it meanders languidly past their gate, the sound of babbling water broken only by birdsong. When the couple first came to the region from South England to stay with Mary’s parents, they were quickly drawn to la belle vie and began the search for a property to house themselves and their catering business. The riverside home they found was in a state of disrepair—its roof leaking and brick façade concealed behind cement. Despite the dilapidation, the owner was still in residence. In fact, her direct ancestor had built the original house in the mid-eighteenth century using local stone and river…

Transplanted Brits Gloria and Eric Stewart have never been able to resist the challenge of restoring a dwelling that has fallen on hard times. They usually have no intention of moving once a place is finished to perfection, but then they come across a once-splendid property in sad decline and feel the pull to rescue it. “We have been called ‘serial movers,’” Gloria says with a laugh, “but it is never premeditated.” The Stewarts are masterly at sizing up a crestfallen house and recognizing its underlying character, and the late eighteenth-century farmhouse they discovered in the Dordogne region was no exception. At the time, they were looking to downsize from a large manor in the same area and found this single-story farmhouse, complete with open attic space, fit their intentions.…

When antiques dealer and restorer Rosemary Conquest and her husband, Richard, left the hustle and bustle of London life for rural France, they looked forward to the slower pace. They bought an eighteenth-century house nestled on the outskirts of a village; it came with a little cottage that they renovated and rented out to guests. The holiday-let business flourished—so much for slowing down—around the time the Conquests’ oldest son relocated his family to France, settling a two-hour drive away. Wishing to be closer to their kin, Rosemary and Richard sold their home and began the search for a place in the Loire Valley where they could further expand their business. They soon discovered Le Manoir de la Foulquetiere, situated near the small commune of Luçay-le-Mâle. “I know it’s a cliché,…

Light filters through pretty white curtains trimmed in scallops of faded print fabric, illuminating an oft-repeated scene. It’s Sunday—market day—in the tiny medieval village of Issigeac, and Nathalie Pède is busy baking cakes in the small galley kitchen at the back of her sitting room that doubles as a café. Tables are adorned with cloths or mats, dainty vintage china, and, always, fresh flowers. Opening her own café was a dream Nathalie realized several years ago when she moved to this history-honed town, entranced by its ancient stone and half-timbered buildings fanning out in a near-perfect circle from the church and château. She fell in love with an old house down a side street near the market square. Comprising three stories and built of stone, the structure had been a…

When Angela Meunier spent time in Paris in 1988, armed only with schoolgirl French, she had no idea she would live much of her adult life in France. “I was attracted to the medieval stone villages, the meandering river, the vineyards, and the history of Aquitaine’s time under English rule,” she says. “I knew then that I could live there, unknowing that one day I would.” Marriage to a Frenchman brought fluency in the language and the experience of constructing a large house with her husband outside of Paris. When she was widowed in 2008, she knew she had to immerse herself in a challenging project to ease her grief. She fondly remembered a holiday spent in Southwest France years before, and her plans soon began to take shape. After…

When residing in countries with long, cold winters, the lure of the South of France is often too hard to resist. Such was the case for Anna and Neils Anderson, who had lived in Scandinavia for much of their lives but moved to France when their two children were toddlers. Though they returned to Stockholm for the siblings’ schooling, they missed the balmy weather and relaxed lifestyle. “Once Mia and Jorgen left for university,” explains Anna, “we were free to revisit our dream.” They loved the areas near Nice, preferring off-the-beaten-track locales to the bustle of bigger towns. When Anna spotted sales photos of an old converted olive mill with a pool, olive terraces, and expansive views across the Alpes-Maritimes, she was intrigued. After learning the history of the property—it…

CREDITS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SARAH BOLTON: pages 31–38 MAGGIE COLVIN: pages 77–86 ROS CONNELLY: pages 87–94 PAT GARRATT: pages 51–58 CELIA RUFEY: pages 21–30, 39–50, and 59–76 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 9–20 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS MARK BOLTON: pages 5, 31–38 and 99 DAVID GILES: pages 2, 6 and 51–58 ROBERT SANDERSON: pages 6 and 77–94 JODY STEWART: cover and pages 3–4, 6, 21–30, 39–50, and 59–76 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 9–20 CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS MAGGIE COLVIN: pages 6 and 77–86 ROS CONNELLY: pages 87–94 WHERE TO SHOP & BUY Below is a list of properties and companies featured in this issue. Items not listed are privately owned and are not for sale. Pricing and availability may vary. Pages 9–20, 31–38, and 51–58: Special thanks to GAP Interiors, +44 1376 573198, info@gapinteriors.com, gapinteriors.com. Pages 21–30, 39–50,…