An 18th-century farmhouse restoration in France

By Celia Rufey

Published: Monday, 27 June 2022 at 12:00 am

Since moving to south-west France nearly 30 years ago, Gloria and Eric Stewart have restored a number of houses, each one a magical blend of flair and sensitivity. Their latest project, an 18th-century farmhouse high above a valley in Périgord, offered a majestic view, but behind its stone walls was an empty shell.

Until the Stewarts acquired it, the house had not been occupied for more than 35 years and, before that, only in two ground-floor rooms as there was no upper floor. The rest of the long building consisted of two barns, one a tobacco-drying chamber, and both with earth floors. The roof had been maintained but there was no sanitation.

To turn this blank canvas into an authentic 18th-century interior was approached in their usual way, as Gloria explains: ‘We always decide on the criteria that will suit how we will live in a house. Here we wanted a large kitchen with a fireplace, a dining room and a large living room. Upstairs we needed three bedrooms, one en suite, and an additional bathroom. This part was tricky because we were building into the roof space. On the other hand, the house and barns are in a straight line, there’s nothing higgledy-piggledy, so running electrics and plumbing wasn’t complicated. We worked with French builders who were sympathetic with what we were doing, but it was 18 months before we could move in.’

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The plans Eric drew up gave them a good-sized kitchen by knocking down the wall between the two once-occupied rooms. Some of the space released was then given to a laundry room and a small corridor into the first barn. The barn was divided into an entrance hall with a staircase to the new first floor, and a dining room.

Introducing a large window and a little balcony in the dining room not only offered up a fine view across the valley but ushered in natural light that spilled over into the rooms on either side. The second barn (the one used for tobacco drying) became their large living room and Gloria and Eric sourced 18th-century glazed double doors to fit between the two rooms.

A key feature of Eric’s plan is the enfilade. This tradition in French architecture aligns rooms and doorways giving a long perspective, in this case from the living room right through to the kitchen.

In describing their approach to restoration, Gloria credits Eric as being skilled in seeing the optimum way to reorder space. ‘What’s important to both of us,’ she says, ‘is keeping a sense of what the building was and not trying to make it into something it is not. I always kept in mind that this is a farmhouse and, though it dates from the 18th century, which is my favourite period, we’ve tried to temper any tendency towards grandeur.’

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Gloria and Eric have put this temperance into practice by installing reclaimed doors, fireplaces and floor tiles that match the period of the house whenever they have had the opportunity. These materials are not difficult to find in reclamation yards in France if you know where to look, explains Gloria, but each year she finds they are becoming less affordable.

The decorative finishes Gloria has chosen are simple, even rustic, though the furniture, pictures and textiles she has collected during the time they have lived in France add distinction to every room.

In each house they have restored, Gloria has always installed a fireplace in the kitchen if there is not one there already, and Eric tracked down the one for this kitchen in a reclamation yard near Paris.

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It dates from around 1800 and, by coincidence, is carved with the same sunflower motif that is a feature of the marriage cabinet from Normandy next to it. The furniture, textiles and muted colours that run through the house reflect Gloria’s love of 18th-century decoration. But when it comes to sofas and chairs, she always buys these in England.

‘The French tend to have formal chairs and sit upright,’ she says. ‘There is no tradition here of sinking into big comfy sofas like we do in England. But, surprisingly, the French love the look of the English sitting room and I’m sure I’ve changed the opinion of a few French friends on the subject of sofas!’

Of course, it is not just comfy sofas that sum up the charm of this restored farmhouse. As Gloria explains, ‘With its interconnected rooms, this is a house for easy living, and that was always our plan.’

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Poised at the top of a valley, the old farmhouse enjoys a commanding view. Reclaimed doors and shutters are perfectly in tune with the age of the building.
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A painted console table sits between two painted chairs in the drawing room, where symmetry is key to the room’s slightly formal look.
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Gloria found the side table, which sits at one end of the living room, in one of the barns. Its soft grey patina blends with the colours of the room. The pictures on the boarded wall are 18th-century chinoiserie and the painted box is a Swedish antique.
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The antique figure holding a bowl for salt is one of Gloria’s favourite pieces, and she keeps it safe in the wire-fronted marriage cabinet in the dining room.
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The 18th-century Swedish desk in the corner of the living room is unusual in incorporating a clock and a secret drawer. It has retained its original paint.
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Symmetry in the arrangement of the living room was first established with a pair of doors found at a reclamation yard. They front alcoves and conceal household linens on one side and a television on the other. A pair of armchairs covered in a plain linen continues the sense of order and balance.
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French doors to the garden have replaced the original barn doors which have been reused as the entrance gate. Curtains with an embroidered sprig motif are by Chelsea Textiles and the chair is covered in a 19th-century print.
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A magnificent 18th-century painted screen spans the seating area along the side of the drawing room.
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The clever linking of rooms gives a long view through the house, from the dining room across the hall and into the kitchen. The dinner plates are 19th-century and the antique monogrammed napkins were dyed to a soft grey by Polly Lyster.
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The kitchen ceiling is boarded with rustic planks and the walls are painted in String by Farrow & Ball. The reclaimed fireplace has the same carved sunflower motif as the marriage cabinet in the corner, suggesting that both came from the Normandy area.
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Gloria uses the marriage cabinet to display her collection of antique French ceramics. The chair is upholstered in a 19th-century blue and white check.
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All the bedrooms are tucked into the roof space. A little French quilt is thrown over a white figured coverlet from Cologne & Cotton.
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The boarded floor in the guest bathroom was colourwashed and sealed. The blind is made up in a typical 19th-century bird print. The caned chair was bought in a local brocante.
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Walls in the guest bedroom are papered with some rolls of 19th-century American hand-blocked wallpaper that Gloria bought at an antiques fair. A sheet dyed by Polly Lyster has been converted into a valance and the antique crocheted bedcover is from Provence.
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Furnished simply with comfortable sunchairs and an old metal table, the terrace is the perfect place to eat, particularly in the evenings as it faces west. 
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A generous paved terrace, half of which is shaded by a simple tiled roof, was added to the side of the house where there are wonderful views along the valley.
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A flock of wirework chickens stroll along the terrace and pots are filled with trailing geraniums.