Un Château?
Go big or go back to the US. Haha. JK
They say there is something like 40,000 châteaux in all of France. So surely when the time comes, we will find the one that is meant for us. But what does that château look like? And why oh why does it NEED to be a 400+m2 150+ year old building? Moving to France already feels like such a wild idea. Why do I want to compound it by living in a château? Great question. I have no sensible answer - buying, living in, and restoring a château is not sensible. All I have are my dreams. As a lover of history, I want to feel a deep connection with my home. I want a home where I can walk the halls and think about how it was previously fortified, protecting the town and its people with meter-thick walls; I want to imagine the hands that laid parquet floors; hear the decisions of why the paneled walls replaced original frescoes; envision the eyes that have looked through the wavy glass windows and the dreams that those inhabitants had too. Dare I say they are quite different than mine? I want a home that I need to take care of. I have always believed that if you love and care for a home, it will protect you as best it can. Châtelaines are quite literally described as custodians of a château - this is what I want my life’s work to be.
When I say I’m embarrassed of this dream, I truly mean it. I have never owned my own home. We have only lived in cities where renting is the norm and buying a Craftsman or a Tudor leads me to break out into a puddle of sweat just thinking about the prospect. As a “forever” renter, I have never had to fix anything except a hole in drywall, and let’s be honest, we left it and the cost came out of our deposit. And yet, I can see myself plastering, gilding, hauling, and having a dedicated pair of work pants that are tattered but perfectly worn in. My hidden desire to become a carpenter would be fulfilled.
Salon Rose in Château de Gudanes during Cooking in the Cuisine July 2019
After our 2019 vacation to France where we stayed at Château de Gudanes for 5 nights, the reality of owning a château became much more clear. To be honest, the magnitude of Gudanes was almost overwhelming; but with that magnitude came an abundant amount of attraction and hope. In such a grande home, there was so much to see, touch, feel, explore, and learn - it will surely be Karina & Jasmine’s life’s work and one I hope to continue to support.
But do we want to take that on? Do we want to open our home and have patronages come stay? Do we want parts of the château to be uninhabited regularly or to take decades to be able to restore? I quickly realized the size we should be looking for needed to be established - along with region, price, and amount of land. What extent of renovations and restoration are we prepared for? I want a home that is liveable (hello plumbing and electricity), but unloved. I want to be the one to bring it back to life.
We are terrified of the letters MH (Monument Historique) but also see the draw that comes from having the French government state that your home (or parts of it) is historically significant. But ooph, French bureaucracy…maybe not.
Here are some “wish list” items and how we have visualized this future home:
17th - 18th Century (an older foundation is wonderful as long as the chateau is neoclassical)
Mansard roof - simple, efficient
Outbuidlings 2+. Would love an open, vaulted large building (perhaps old stables) for my upholstery atelier and a gym. Separate living space for “in-laws” or long stay family & close friends
high ceilings on ground and first floor
tree-lined driveway
stream / moving water on property
roughly 400m2 (give or take) - we believe we want a family home that has the capabilities to add additional living quarters through outbuildings
ability to have GOOD internet (haha)
close but not too close to a town with modern conveniences (bonjour boulangerie)
Is this home out there? Maybe. I’m sure we will compromise on many items. But the dream is still alive.
