Elegant 18th century town house
with pool and Views
All measurements are approximate
- Agen
The immediate vicinity …
This property is tucked away behind old stone walls and invisible to the outside world. In the historical centre of town, this 18th century home is located in a quiet street, providing few if any clues from the outside as to what lies beyond it beautiful doorway.
The doorway from the street opens onto …
A secluded courtyard where two ancient plane trees, provide a gentle shady spot in which to dine.
At the foot of the courtyard walls cool hydrangeas bloom. Their white and pink flower heads contrast beautifully with the bleached white and ancient tree-trunks, the stone and terracotta walls and the elegant pale green shutters.
At the far end of the courtyard there is a garden wall, over which lies a far-reaching view of the town below and the hills beyond.
The lower level gardens …
Steps lead down to two lower garden areas. The first provides a seating area, a covered terrace, and a water source covered in roses.
The pool sits in the lower garden.
The lower level garden space has been designed with a modern twist. The railings and netting which divide the space between the upper and lower deck ensure maximum light and space.
The overall effect is akin to that of a boat with an upper and lower deck bathed in scorching hot sunshine with the cool and shady courtyard providing an elegant contrast above.
There is vehicular access to the middle garden from the street to provide off-road parking.
This entire area is immaculate – with not a blade of grass out of place. Ideal for lovers of easy to maintain outdoor space.
The entrance to the house
An elegant front door opens onto an open-plan hallway with a beautiful old tiled floor, typical of the turn of the century cement floor tiles which are so often imitated today. The warm reds and golds contrast with the pure white walls. An elegant staircase rises to the first floor. There are no internal walls in the entrance hall and, like the rest of the house, it is light-filled and immaculate.
The ground-floor reception-room
The ground floor sitting-room sits to the right of the front-door with a view over the courtyard.
This is a snug room, and a perfect area to welcome guests to the property. There is a second family sitting-room on the lower garden level where the family’s children play, leaving this room for the adults.
The first floor guest bedroom and bathroom
This room sits behind the ground-floor reception-room and is a perfect guest-room or bedroom for anyone wishing to avoid the stairs.
The kitchen
Overlooking the courtyard on one side, the kitchen is separated from the dining-room by an atelier-style glass wall. The ambience is contemporary and the kitchen space designed with modern flair with a range of urban design cupboards. The kitchen space has a modern Parisian or Londonien feel which marries well with the 18th century architecture : tall ceilings, tile and stripped back parquet floors. There is a lovely view through the glass-panelled walls through the dining-room windows.
The dining-room
The dining-room is perhaps the most spectacular room of the house. This large and elegant room, with tall ceilings, original glass-doored cupboards along the side wall, has a lovely and far-reaching views over the horizon.
The first floor
The original staircase leads to a wide an elegant hallway which opens out onto the upstairs landing area; a section of which has been partitioned into an office with glass windows opening onto the hallway : a lovely detail mirroring the glass partition window between the kitchen and the dining-room.
First Floor bedrooms
There are two double bedrooms overlooking the rear gardens and pool which are both currently used as as children’s bedrooms. One has pretty wallpaper on each side of a traditional chimney breast, the other is painted in pastels. Both rooms have lovely views.
On the upstairs landing a shower-room and a bathroom sit side by side. Both rooms have been recently refurbished and are tasteful and elegant.
The Master bedroom at the far end of the hallway is a beautiful and spacious room with a feature fireplace and its own private walk-in dressing room.
Returning to the ground floor and the entrance hall, we complete our tour of the property by a visit to the rooms on the lower garden level.
One interesting feature to this property, is the fact that the reception rooms have direct access to the courtyard gardens to the side and the lower ground floor to the pool area and gardens to the rear.
Downstairs there is a shower-room, two storage rooms, and a separate WC.
A large laundry room with a sink at the end of the hallway provides a useful area, where the washing-machine and dryer can churn away in peace, far from the rest of the house.
Finally, on the lower garden level there is a beautiful vaulted reception room with a curved terracotta ceiling which provides a second and spacious reception area with a television for the children and a door to the garden.
To who will this property appeal
This property will appeal to anyone looking for a grand and impressive home with elegant 18th century features which blends perfectly its period features with a fresh and contemporary style.
There is a innate sense of privacy to the lovely old courtyard and far-reaching views with an outward and open feel to the rear gardens which symbolise perfectly the very different styles of the house : the old and the new.
This lovely old house feels fresh and young today. Moreover, it is immaculate – there is no other word.
This is a lovely family home, and could also be an easily maintainable second home with spacious but manageable gardens designed for ease.
Our thought here at Bliss
If I were looking for a detail to “fix” the only part of the property I might consider changing would be the floor tiles on the staircase down to the large reception room on the lower garden level, and the same tiles in the hallway there. These tiles are perfectly adequate but a vestige of the 90s. I would consider changing these along with the shower room and WC fittings on the lower level.
It is no surprise that this is the only section of the property not to have been modernized by the current owners.
It is possible for to inverse the dining-room and the sitting room to have a larger ground-floor reception room with a wonderful view. Equally the downstairs bedroom partition wall could be removed and the small sitting room developed into a much larger one, were one not to require a ground-floor bedroom.
The property allows for several such permutations and can easily be adapted according to the needs of its new family bearing in mind that the property is in excellent condition throughout and any such works would be minimal.
More images…
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On a technical note
Mains drains
Property tax 1 950 €
Land size: 800 m² including the footprint of the property
Gas central heating
Swimming pool : 4 m x 8 m , new grey liner
Water source in the garden
Brand new roof in 2021
Close to village centre for the shops
Approximate measurements
Ground floor
Hall 17.65 m²
Small living room 15.53 m²
Bedroom with shower room and WC 18.91 m²
Dining room 24.77 m²
Kitchen 10.40 m²
First floor
Master bedroom 19.40 m² with its hallway 4.13 m² and dressing room 5.50 m²
Office 3.95 m²
Bedroom 12.83 m²
Bedroom 13.82 m²
Shower room 3.45 m²
Bathroom 5.44 m²
WC 0.98 m²
Landing 14.25 m²
Ground floor
Living room 33.21 m²
Corridor 8.08 m²
WC 1.59 m²
Wine cellar 4.36 m²
Bathroom 3.48 m²
Storage room/dressing room 5.51 m²
Laundry room 9.16 m²
Boiler room 3.58 m²
