A fairytale French chateau under restoration

This is the stuff that dreams are made of...

An Australian couple has undertaken the massive task of restoring a 94-room 18th century neoclassical French chateau, in a small village in the Midi-Pyrenees. Following their hearts, Karina and Craig Waters are renovating this hauntingly beautiful chateau, to make it their family home. 

The Chateau de Gudanes, in the village of Chateau Verdun, was designed by Parisian architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, known for the neoclassical architectural symmetry in his designs, including Petit Trianon and Place de la Concorde. The chateau was famous, in its heyday, as a place for lavish entertaining and rural ambiance. Built for Marquis Louis Gaspard de Sales, the stunning home was spared during the Revolution, and later bought by a local family. It sat uninhabited for many years, left to decay.

The Waters family were nearly out of hope for finding their dream home in rural France, when they finally discovered the chateau. The crumbling yet alluring chateau cast its spell upon them. They bought it in 2013, and waited a number of months to have building permits approved. Now that work is progressing, the chateau is coming back to life.

Karina has been writing a blog about the chateau's restoration, so we can all follow the journey of this home, alongside the Waters family. I'm very excited to see how this enchanting fairytale ends!

{sources: Messy Nessy Chic and the Chateau de Gudanes blog}

Château de Beaulieu

This exquisite chateau is the home of furniture designer André Dubreuil in his family's 18th-century home, Château de Beaulieu, in the Dordogne region of France. Isn't it magnificent? I love the elegant mix of artfully arranged decor, from antique to contemporary, melding old and new throughout the home. Every space looks so layered and lived-in, and so unique. I could spend countless hours looking at everything in those rooms.

{all images found here, originally featured in T magazine}

A Fairy Tale Chateau

Imagine being greeted by a pair of unicorns upon your arrival at a fantastic French chateau...

While this fanciful introduction may not be entirely real, there is a bit of truth to the idea. A pair of horses' heads, with narwhal tusks added, mounted up high in the entryway of this whimsical French chateau do, indeed, make their presence known. The rest of this extraordinary mansion is equally marvelous. Full of treasures ranging from antiques to modern design icons, artwork, and objects from all over the world, this magical chateau is a wonderland of strange and beautiful things.

The Chateau de la Goujeonnerie, located in the Vendee, France, is the creation of the three men behind the famous London restaurant, bar, and design shop, Les Trois Garcons, who designed it to be a holiday getaway. Built in 1872, this national treasure has 22 rooms over three floors, a lake, and views of rolling green hills in the distance. The chateau is available to be rented by visitors, going for around $12,000 for a weekend, in case you are interested in seeing this amazing abode for yourself.

When the trio bought the chateau, in 2006, it had been derelict for eight years. They set about transforming the chateau from top to bottom. Finally, in 2011, the work was complete. All 22 rooms are used. With respect to the chateau's rich past, modern comforts and amenities are also found throughout the mansion, including a heated pool between the rose and vegetable gardens, a gym with massage room/ sauna in the basement, and a media room/ disco near the kitchen. 

I would imagine there must never be a dull moment in such a grand place. 'When we leave the chateau we are always thinking about returning as soon as possible,’ one of the owners said. 'In fact, we never want to leave. That’s how we know we have created something really special.'

Maybe in the next lifetime, I will have a ridiculous amount of money, so I can design a fabulous chateau, like this, to play in. 

Dare to dream...!

{Sources: Les Trois Garcons, Habitually Chic, The Telegraph, Urban Kaleidoscope, and Design Tripper}