French Fairytale

The romantic Dordogne in south-west France proved the perfect backdrop for Jean-Marc Durand’s renovation of an old stone house that is now just as charming as its dreamy locale

- JENNY OLDAKER

When Jean Marc Durand bought a dilapidated stone house in rural France, it wasn’t just its age that made the prospect of restoration such a mammoth task; the house had been badly disfigured by clumsy renovations in the 1960s and was crying out for significant but sympathetic works to make it habitable again. Jean-Marc was undeterred by the challenge and his confidence proved well placed – after three years of exhaustive renovation, the house is now not just habitable, it is also the epitome of idyllic French country living, from the considerately wrought architectural detail to an interior filled with carefully curated accessories and artwork.