17th Century France

Bonjour from beautiful France!  I have been staying in this gorgeous Chateau in the valley of Haute Savoie in the Rhone  Alps region of eastern France.  Andrew, Georgiana and I have come on holiday and whilst Andrew is doing his cycling section of the holiday,

 we have had the privilege of staying in this incredible 17th century chateau.  Andrew's sister and her husband own it and have renovated parts of it with more still to do.  They have done a fabulous job especially having to co-ordinate the interior design and building works from London. 

The gardens and grounds of the chateau are stunning and actually quite English in style with climbing roses, stocks and foxglove running riot.  The grounds boast a tree that is over 300 years old with its branches and greenery still rich and strong.  The tree is above just to the left of the chateau.

The formal gates herald the entry to the back part of the chateau with the gravelled driveway bordering the lawn.  The pillars and finials would have been crafted by the local stonemasons in the village.

The pale blue shutters sit softly against the stone facade...

The chequered flagstones are cool underfoot ....

The chateau dates back to 1676 and this is stamped in the lintel above the main doorway ... surrounded by climbing roses ... 

This is one of the girls' bedrooms and Gabes has done a fantastic job of designing and creating these bunkbeds in alcoves and using the gorgeous blonde oak which works so beautifully with the Gustavian blue paint and herringbone sisal flooring.  The work was done by a master French craftsman.

The rooms are charming.... 

very traditional French red checks against the pale blue walls are elegant with the dark antique chest of drawers anchoring the room. 

The area has two distinct holiday seasons .... the winter alpine season where the snow can be a metre deep outside and the summer where it is hot and summer sports abound. 

The use of this beautiful Pierre Frey fabric on the skirt and padded bedhead depicts an alpine ski scene and is so perfect for this room with the backdrop of the red paintwork.  

Pleated ikat lampshades sit on a console table behind the sofa in the living room .... this is where the Christmas tree goes each winter.

The kitchen is very warm and inviting with the blue painted cabinetry and the red terracotta tiles ...

another shot of the 300 year old tree standing grandly in its place beside the chateau....

Gabes bought a watermelon from London and it was quite hot so tossed it in the water trough to cool off!

fresh strawberries from the markets and cheese .... this was where we sat for drinks each night ....

Foxglove in full bloom!

Supper on the terrace as the sun goes down ...

How idyllic .... what a pleasure it has been to share this historic chateau and grounds with my family!  Congratulations on a stunning home!

Thank-you!