Innehållsförteckning för French Cottage 2022 från Victoria

Dear Friends Even the light seems more lovely and romantic in French Cottage. Rather than beaming brilliantly, sunshine softly streams into the interiors showcased in this edition, highlighting, with the tenderness of the lightest caress, details such as rough-hewn beams, stone walls, and painted shutters. Awash in a gentle glow, these welcoming abodes issue an invitation to soak in every grace note, from cascades of fabric fashioned into a canopy to charming alcoves adorned with brocante finds. Within this special publication, a varietyof dwellings bid exploration. In the cover story “A Retreat for Two,” on page 9, escape to a quiet village in the countryside of France to find respite in the tower of a fourteenth-century priory. Open “A Window to the Past” on page 75 to see how a…

Author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans’s story of a girls’ boarding school, situated in an old vine-covered house in Paris, was published in 1939, and it has been capturing imaginations ever since. The book featured “twelve little girls in two straight lines,” and the smallest, of course, was Madeline—an endearingly dauntless redhead whose exploits in the initial volume, and the sequels that followed, amused readers both young and old. When the time came to transform her young daughter’s room from nursery to “big girl” quarters, one parent relied on her interior design skills and mother’s intuition to create the perfect space for her own fearless fille (girl). Since the owner’s decorating preferences lean decidedly French anyway, choosing furnishings that imbue the petite boudoir with Gallic style was both an enjoyable task…

Catherine Lambert and Maxence Degouy left creative careers in Paris to start a new chapter on her family’s countryside estate, known as Chartreuse du Maine. The property, which was acquired by her great-grandfather as a summer home, is entwined with endearing recollections for Catherine, who spent many fun-filled summers there as a child. Now, she and Maxence are sharing this rural retreat with others who long to experience the peaceful environs of southwest France. “I wanted to share the happy memories and emotions from my childhood with travelers from all over the world,” explains the chatelaine, who counts visitors from Australia and the United States among those who return here year after year. The couple lives in the main house, which dates back more than three centuries, while they have…

CREDITS EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS ELENA AUGIER: pages 9–20 and 63–74 GERALDINE NESBITT: pages 85–94 SIGRID STAMKOT: pages 53–62 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 21–34, 41–52, and 75–84 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ELENA AUGIER: cover and pages 9–20 and 63–74 PIA VAN SPAENDONCK: pages 53–62 and 85–94 LUCREZIA VOZZA: pages 21–34, 41–52, and 75–84 CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS PAULA DORMER: pages 9–20 NATHALIE VINÇON: pages 85–94 WHERE TO STAY & SHOP 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 9–34 and 41–94: Special thanks to Coco Features, +31 6 381 314 60, info@cocofeatures.com, cocofeatures.com. Pages 9–20: For more information about this property, contact Paula Dormer via email at psdormer@gmail.com. Pages 21–34: For more information about Château de…

It is an oft-repeated story: A sojourn to the idyllic countryside of France entices visitors to relocate to this thoroughly enchanting area. Such was the case for Paula Dormer. After visiting a cousin who lives in the Dordogne, she began looking for her own piece of paradise where she could enjoy the charms of rural life. After an initial sale fell through, another property, located a few hours away, caught her eye, but its high price tag gave her pause. Fortunately, the cost was soon reduced, and she quickly made the purchase. It is easy to see why Paula was so taken with her new acquisition. The old stone priory, situated in the quiet village of Pressigny, includes an enchanting fourteenth-century tower, perfect for the hospitality business she planned to…

A sense of tranquility envelops guests who enter the shaded tree-lined path that leads to La Ferme de Gringalet, hinting at the peaceful experience that awaits within the gated property. This quaint bed-and-breakfast, located just outside the city of Lyon, is the result of two talented entrepreneurs, Sandra and Michaël. After realizing they needed a bigger living space with room for their home offices, the couple discovered a French Revolution–era estate just minutes from their current residence. “I walked past its stone walls hundreds of times since I was a child, never thinking that one day this would become our home,” says Sandra. Choosing from multiple buildings on the farm, the duo renovated the largest structure to function as their permanent residence. To their relief, the layout was ideal for…

In the Occitania region of Southern France, there is a tiny village known for its picturesque atmosphere and medieval history. In summer, the environs’ authentic beauty reaches its peak, beckoning sojourners and inhabitants alike to bustle about its streets and markets, filling the lively place with culture and fervor. At the heart of this fairy-tale setting hides a gem: a thirteenth-century building that long ago belonged to a French merchant and now finds new life in the hands of its latest owner. Like the village itself, the façade of this abode seems almost unchanged by the sands of time. The interior, however, was not so unaffected. Several renovations, including the most recent one in the 1970s, unfortunately denatured the home entirely, practically stripping it of its historic character. However, thanks…

“SANDING THE WALLS REVEALED THE SHADES I HAD CHOSEN WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINALS.”—Yvonne Tenninge When interior designer Yvonne Tenninge first visited France on holiday at the age of twelve, she knew she wanted to live in this heritage-steeped country one day. Her dream became reality a half-dozen years ago when she traded her design business in Sweden for an idyllic bed-and-breakfast in Neffiès, a small, multicultural town near the Mediterranean Sea. Yvonne and her husband, Mikael Sköldmark, knew the area well, as they had often visited the Languedoc region with their three children. They came across a circa 1854 stone-and-plaster house, complete with faded shutters, traditional details, and a gorgeous view to vineyards, olive groves, rolling hills, and the Pyrenees in the far distance. The only issue? The…

Hidden amid the verdant beauty of a valley in Picardy, Nathalie and Bernard Vinçon make their home in a small village of only eighty people. After residing here for twenty-seven years, the couple has grown so fond of the community that despite their search for a spacious atelier for Nathalie’s interior design and antiques business, they did not relish the idea of moving away. Luckily, the property next door—a derelict vendangeoir (grape harvester) dating to 1715—became available, and they joyfully purchased all three buildings on the lot. The estate was originally part of a winery, but its vineyards fell away in the late nineteenth century. When the Vinçons acquired ownership, it had been uninhabited for some time and was in dire need of refurbishment. Over the course of the next…