Our Journey 10 years on

For those of you who know us or have visited Chateau La Perriere in Loire Valley, will know this is a dream come true. We would like to celebrate our 10 year anniversary with you by sharing our journey and love affair. Chateau La Perriere has and will always be a place which captures our hearts.

It has been immensely rewarding and continues to be a life experience and one we are proud to be able to give to our children. They continue to see the benefits of the freedom La Perriere has to offer them, as well as, the knowledge they gain from such a place.

2004-06 External Renovations

A stark realization floods over us when we look back on the survey pictures prior to investing into La Perriere. Did the Chateau really look like that? What were we thinking..........................

The French Artisans made it look so easy, removing large pieces of solid stone like they were slicing a piece of cake. Days and hours went by whilst the children watched the men carve the intricate stone into the decorative pieces of art from large blocks.

Wow, when the external works were complete and the inches of dust had all gone, the Chateau was stunning again, just as it should be. No buckets on the floor to catch the drips from the leaking roofs or the smell of damp cold walls!

La Perriere as a gift, we are privileged to own it and we are now forming part of its history.

2006 Internal Refurshiment

Yes indeed, the kitchen cupboards were in fact English Mustard, thank you Farrow and Ball for your subtle tranquil colors. J'adore Farrow and Ball...................

Fortunately for you, we don't have photographs of the original toilets, they really wouldn't have made a nice picture, so instead this is what replaced them. Finally we could go to the bathroom and say ahhhhh............ No brown toilets, clean and bright.

2006 Gatehouse Refurbishment

We didn't see the gatehouse before we bought the Chateau, clearly an error on our part. The Chateau had already by this time, worked its magic! It didn't matter what our eyes saw, it wasn't what we saw.

This rather dishevelled shack has now been transformed into a lovely gatehouse, with feature walls boasting the original stonework and clean newly plastered walls to show off the beams.

The renovation of the gatehouse saw a new environmental cess pit, renovation of the roof where the timbers had been burnt by a fire and finally a total refurbishment of the internal decorations and services.

Neil and Vicky now have the pleasure of enjoying the pretty cottage after a long day's work maintaining the estate.

2008 Internal Refurbishment

I remember my son saying "Mummy, why has my bedroom got three different carpets and four different wallpapers?" The room is now a peaceful place to rest after a long day of building tree houses and whittling wood.

A shocking discovery was made under the Wallcovering of the second floor bedroom, paintings signed by Picasso and Matisse! Well, we all got excited, including the plumber who said "Picasso was famous for visiting his friend in Saint Benoit just outside of Chinon." He was reputed to paint drawings on walls in exchange for rent...........Is this true, tell us what you think!

2012 Internal Refurbishment

The most dramatic and the most rewarding of all was the refurbishment of the Salon and Salle a Manger. Cold and uninviting these two rooms remained empty for the majority of the time, now they are enjoyed everyday.

The warm and inviting french greys give a sense of tranquility about them.

2015 The Estate

We were very fortunate to have our good friends Adrain, Rachael, Leighanna, Solomon and little Rosalie for three months. Adrian is very skilled and was able to renovate the long boundary wall to the front of the castle. The wall has now been named "Adrain's Wall", it looks spectacular.

I didn't think it was possible to get excited about a new boiler, but it was an exciting part of our journey! A new efficient boiler which took up half the space. The boiler room, although tired and full of years of soot on the walls, looked remarkably clean, with new pipework and valves. It was almost like getting a new car........ Now I'm in danger of sounding very sad!

Last year the swimming pool liner reached the end of its life, however, it did very well to last as long as it did. So we are now the proud owners of a new beautiful swimming pool liner.

Neil and Vicky have taken over their role with vigor and have settled into La Perriere life as our permanent guardians. They have a vision for the estate which is exciting, of which we look forward to sharing with you as their journey unfolds.

Watch out for details on the The White Cliffs of La Perriere!

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