Still building.............

Seven years ago we stumbled upon our Petit Chateau hidden away on the marsh. She had been sleeping quietly empty and unloved for 10 years. As we made our way through the broken gate we fell in love. 

As soon as I saw George the dragon girouette weathervane on the roof I knew the house was for us!

Seven years and one long learning curve later we are still renovating, the concrete mixer is still in use and I sometimes feel we will never be finished. The day that Mark knocked a hole from the main building in to the barn next door we panicked wondering if we had done the right thing. We covered it over with a cupboard and ignored it for a while!!!


But looking at a couple of photographs I unearthed yesterday it seems we have moved on quite a lot. We have certainly been good for the local builders merchants!!!

I had to learn pretty quickly that if I wanted a certain period piece to be included I had to have it ready as it`s no use turning up with it later. Just like the 19th century iron railing on the salon steps that I arrived home with just in time!!

I had quite a stash of old doors just in case!!

And they were all used too!!

We bought the parquet floor from an old chateau chapel and hand cleaned each piece!

Now THAT was a labour of love!!

From one bedroom and no bathroom we now have three bedrooms with bathrooms, the open barn where the horse drawn plough had been parked became our living area.  Even the attic has been made in to a guest room.

It was impossible to get through the brambles in the garden that led on to the marsh but now we have lawns. 
The marsh tries to reclaim it quite regularly and the North wind can be too harsh for many plants but in Winter but when the marsh floods and swans swim past the bedroom window it is almost like an enchanted house on the sea. 

The sunrise every morning is stunning .....

The renovation sometimes seem slow and then all of a sudden we seem to have moved on with a jolt. 

Will we ever be finished I wonder? 

George just looks on from the roof top.....

A la prochaine mes belles

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