The living room was originally a stable with a hay barn above. The first floor was removed to provide a double-height ceiling and the open east and south walls of the hay barn were glazed to allow in maximum light. Sophie had the antique chair and footstool covered in a Scottish tartan, which she has done with other chairs around the house. The columns by the door came from a church in eastern France. All the paintings were sourced by Sophie through her job as an antiques dealer.
If you want to breathe new life into a dilapidated, old building, it helps to have a ready supply of everything you need at your fingertips. For Sophie Thounens, an antiques dealer from Bordeaux, the constant flow into her hands of farmhouse tables, reclaimed floorboards, old shutters, country furniture and endless paintings gave her and her husband Stephane the confidence to take on a project that most would have baulked at.
The result of their hard work can be found in the peaceful marshlands of the Forest of Gascogne, south of Bordeaux, surrounded by shady pine forests. Here they have created an enchanting, modern rustic home that celebrates natural materials and the building's origins as a farmhouse, without skimping on the comfort or serene aesthetics that the couple favour.
The once-abandoned farmhouse in the Forest of Gascogne is now a comfortable family home retaining and celebrating the original rustic features.
The property is one of a group of four houses and numerous outbuildings, that at one time formed a farm commune, and has been in Stephane's family for many years. It is set in a large meadow planted with oak trees and surrounded beyond by 200 hectares of pines. This marshy region, Sophie explains, was drained by Napoleon III in the 19th century and was used for sheep farming. Pines were planted as they were the only trees that would grow on the poor soil.
Denne historien er fra November 2022-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra November 2022-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME - Tess Newall
The decorative artist and homeware designer shares her love of patina and a treasured childhood flower press
A Victorian Vision
There's a magical, story-book feel to this 19th-century manor in the Lincolnshire Wolds, where much-loved antique and vintage collections and a sensitive restoration have brought it back to life
Farm FRESH
Filled with painstakingly sourced primitive antiques and Welsh decorative pieces, Dorian Bowen's atmospheric farmstead is an authentic homage to bygone times
THE WOMEN OF MODERNISM
In the Modernist era, when clean lines, geometric forms, and functional design reshaped the world, a group of often-overlooked visionary women defied convention, pioneering innovations that laid the foundations of modern design, says
Global Treasures
Amber Clery has created a cosy, bohemian home filled with unusual finds gathered from her travels across the world
A blazing SUCCESS
This Georgian home in Northern Ireland, once ravaged by fire and time, has been reimagined for the modern age with vibrant colour, joyful patterns and a perfect balance of old and new
HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE SHANNON CLEGG
The botanical sculptor talks to Dominique Corlett about finding her niche and how her creative practice connects with the landscape of her childhood
48 hours in FROME
A cloth town of great importance from the 15th to the late-18th century, Frome in Somerset is now on the map for its vintage fashion and sustainable clothing, as well as its buzzing antiques scene, discovers Rosanna Morris
Island HOPPING
The traditional fitted kitchen island now faces competition from more flexible, modern alternatives
ON THE COFFEE TABLE Art through the ages
Explore 700 years of art history through the paintings of The National Gallery, with people at the heart of every page
