REAL LIFE


Clockwise from above: A woodburner makes for cosy fireside meals around the rustic kitchen table; bookshelves line the walls of one of the reception rooms; WWI posters on the staircase; original tiles in the bathroom; the yellow guest room; French antiques and textiles in another of the guest rooms


arriving in the evening after the Channel crossing and the drive through France to find the house ready and waiting – beds made, heating on, water hot, and a bottle of delicious white Burgundy chilling in the fridge. English friends coming to stay often take the TGV to Montbard, changing from Eurostar in Paris, but that’s not an option for us as Sadie isn’t allowed on Eurostar.”


PERIOD FEATURES What made the house especially attractive to the Nelsons was that few alterations had been made to the property over the previous decades. “The original fireplaces were mostly still in situ, along with panelling and other features. The porcelain stove in the dining room was another original feature that we’ve retained. We modernised a couple of the bathrooms and added two more, but the decor of two bathrooms tiled with


vintage 1950s designs we left well alone. The kitchen was refitted, with storage in modern units augmented by two large armoires. During the winter it’s the room we live in – the fireplace is monumental, so I like to sit and work at the kitchen table with a roaring fire in the background. In the summer, we open the French doors onto the gated inner courtyard at the front of the house and eat out there.” Susie’s business background


was in the City, but for some years she has run her own business, Modes & More (modesandmore.com), sourcing fine vintage designer and couture clothes. “Clients include film and theatre costume designers and fashionistas looking to the past for inspiration. Couture evening wear can be exquisite and often looks just as lovely as when it was made.” The family from whom the Nelsons bought the house had


46 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: May/June 2024


© ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL


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