{"id":256,"date":"2022-01-13T10:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=25175"},"modified":"2022-01-13T10:30:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T09:30:34","slug":"interiors-inspiration-loire-valley-house-renovation","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/interiors-inspiration-loire-valley-house-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Interiors inspiration: Loire Valley house renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Molly Malsom\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 13 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

The views from Nicky de Bouille\u2019s home in Saumur haven\u2019t changed in around 200 years. The front of the house looks out across the Loire river, which runs through this historic town \u2013 famed for its eponymous red and sparkling wines<\/a> \u2013 while the back overlooks its magnificent medieval fort. So far, so fairy tale and, happily, the interior of Nicky\u2019s home is just as magical.<\/p>\n

\""French\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Saumur castle dominates the skyline and provides a dramatic backdrop to the pretty wine-producing town<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Built in 1732 as a merchant\u2019s house (Saumur was an important trading port, connecting Paris to the Atlantic) the property remains largely untouched. \u2018It\u2019s almost like a museum,\u2019 says Nicky. \u2018Not much has been altered since it was built \u2013 apart from the addition of a few modern comforts.\u2019<\/p>\n

Nicky was born in New Zealand and has always had an obsession with \u2018the patina of age\u2019 and European architecture, and it was features such as the oak ceiling beams and delicate detailing on the bedroom cupboards that drew her to the house five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2018The whole place felt quite theatrical,\u2019 she says. \u2018It\u2019s spread over five floors but each floor is only 50 sq m so it\u2019s really intimate. Humans love to live in cosy spaces and this place is definitely cosy. The oak staircase that winds through the house gives it the feel of a treehouse, too.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""French\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The beautifully worn stairs are just as they were when the house was built in 1732.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

On moving in with her children, Augustin (now 16) and Olympia (now 14) and family dog, Vespa, it was a given that Nicky wouldn\u2019t interfere with the bones of the house. However, painting the ground floor walls in a deep shade of blue was a must.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019d loved Farrow & Ball\u2019s<\/a> Hague Blue for about 15 years before moving here,\u2019 she says. \u2018I had noticed that art galleries<\/a> were gradually moving away from whitewashed walls and using rich colours and I decided that Hague Blue would do me well here. As soon as I painted the living room, I felt at home.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""French\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The walls of the living room are painted in Farrow & Ball\u2019s Hague Blue, which sets off her eclectic collection of antiques perfectly.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\""French\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The other half of the living room is used as an informal dining room<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

You might also enjoy:<\/h4>\n