Barn/10

It's been two months since I lasted posted on our barn conversion, at that stage we on a deadline to get some basics done (bathrooms especially) in anticipation of family arriving. Since that point work has been sluggish. There was a celebratory family holiday to enjoy in the Lot et Garonne as well as friends visiting us. France is 'en fête' during July and August with so much to see and do - more of that in my next post! We also realised we were worn out, more mentally than physically and just needed a break from large restoration projects - in the back of our minds was the realisation that just because the barn was nearly finished our work wasn't, we have the main house to tackle next. So it was a few easier weeks for us, I even managed some hammock time!

Kitchen in La Grange

Progress did continue though, finally the kitchen and dining area were completed. Regular readers may remember that we were aiming for a Mid Century Modern vibe to these areas and I think we're getting there, although I still have some furniture to source. Andrew has done a terrific job (as always) even when I go all designery on him, insisting that the oak work top wraps down each end of the units. And the large format tiling for the splash back meant nearly every one had to be cut, and not just simple vertical cuts but holes for sockets and around the hob upstand.

One of the reasons for the U shaped design was to take advantage of the view, I wanted guests to see across the valley while making breakfast. It's really hard to take a photograph as it's always bright so apologises for the poor quality, but it is followed by a close up so you can get feel for it.

View from the kitchen

Better photograph!

Originally we were going to have panels that matched the kitchen doors for the back of the peninsula but I changed my mind. I did think about painting a MCM design but really didn't have the time so I found some wallpaper that worked. It had a bit too much contrast with the wall tiles so I made up a paint wash and gave it a couple of coats to tone it down.

Originally the wallpaper was more intense in tone so I gave it a paint wash

Planning the ceiling lighting was quite tricky in the open plan space. We wanted to maintain the light and open feel to the room but also create three zones - kitchen, dining and relaxing. In the end we chose a selection of black wire shades, they complement but are different in each area. Over the dining table I managed to find a vintage suspension which works perfectly.

No escaping a napkin shot!

I've completed some upholstery projects and am particularly pleased with a pair of 1970's furry chairs a.k.a. the bunny ear chairs. No longer covered in a faux fur that sparked when you sat on them but a vintage style tweed.

We did a little more styling in the bedrooms although I'm still on the search for decorative items for the Phileas Fogg suite.

Bedroom of the Phileas Fogg suite

Exotic animal bedroom

Apart from some snagging jobs there are just two things to finish in the barn, the guard rail at the top of the stairs is just a temporary one and needs a permanent solution and we need to create a small terrace. Next year the barn will be a vacation rental and our guests will have full use of our park garden but we also want them to be able to enjoy their own space for that early morning coffee or evening apéro.

Thoughts have turned to the main house, we've drawn up the plans and have started to pack things away in anticipation of the 'move' into the barn and work starting. Meanwhile Andrew is getting back into the swing of things by creating a terrace overlooking the river. Everyone gravitates to this part of the garden so we thought it would be nice to create a proper seating area.

A before shot of the new terrace area

As always you can follow our progress, and life in France on Facebook. If your particular interest is French barns then why not join this group.

Barn/7

It's been a couple of months since I posted on the barn (or La Grange as we're trying to call it). Last time the plasterer had just left and we were waiting for the pellet stove to be delivered.

We were keen to get at least the ceiling painted upstairs as our plasterer had kindly left us his scaffold tower to make life easier but even with this it was a slow job. I'm not keen on heights and with a ceiling at over four metres I tried not to look down too much. What was quite interesting was the beam. All had been numbered in Roman numerals except for number four which was Arabic - curious.

Painted & pointed

Beam number 4

It's a long way up!

The previous owners had built a chimney running from the cave to the first floor but unfortunately it proved too small for the installation of a wood burner. To put a complete new chimney in was very expensive and so we settled on a pellet stove with a balanced flue. This meant that we did not need a chimney plus we decided that the granules system would be a cleaner option for any renters. As with the main house we used Invicta Stoves in Brive la Gaillarde who are very good and we are really pleased with the results. It's difficult to get the scale of the room from these photographs but it's quite a big space.

Pellet stove from Invicta

Trust Mortimer to find the warmest spot

The big difference change has been the installation of the windows and a new door. We had to have the same design as the house but the new ones are double glazed and the 'petit bois' or glazing bars, clip in and out to make cleaning much easier. La Grange is much quieter and already warmer. Andrew made a small double glazed window for the end wall, although it's high you can still glimpse the trees.

Andrew's bespoke carpentry

Before

After

Now that the electrics are finished Andrew has turned his attention to the plumbing. We are fortunate that we are on main drainage and that the barn is attached to the house. This has meant that we can connect everything together and life is even easier as the two bathrooms are on the ground floor (we have designed an upside down house). The downside was a metre plus granite wall in the way! We have very tolerant neighbours who I buttered up with mince pies, they are very understanding and genuinely pleased that the house and barn  grange are being maintained again. Most of the bathroom furniture has been ordered and I've just received a telephone call to say that the tiles are in, which will merit a couple of trips as the total weight is over a tonne.

All pipes lead to the plumbing cupboard

The plaster should be back next week, snow allowing, to finish the window reveals and then our next big job is the upstairs floor. The plastic covered pile in one of the photographs is 70 square metres of chestnut parquet flooring that we found in the grange. Of varying widths and filthy dirty it will look stunning once it's down but it won't be a quick job. However it needs to be done before we can fit the kitchen.

As always most of the work has been done by Andrew, I'm chief decorator and the pointing of the wall was a joint (no pun intended here for the renovator nerds!) effort. At last though my skills are coming to the fore and I can concentrate on finishes and styling. Here's a little taster for you.

Barns

The observant among you will have noticed that there is not a number after the title of this post, because this is not a post about our barn conversion (hallelujah! I hear you cry) but about peoples love affair with barns. I recently did a really quick  post on a French renovating  Facebook group, just to say that I had finally finished painting the barn ceiling. The likes and comments that I had were numerous and it made me wonder why we love barns so much.

A tranquil location

I had always liked the idea of living in a barn conversion, the space that you get, often with large volumes of light. There is history and rusticity which blends beautifully with contemporary design. The spaces lend themselves to generous open plan living and the chance to bespoke your interior. However a barn wasn't on our shopping list when we were house hunting in France. Even when the details of the Old Notaire's House appeared in my inbox we almost overlooked the fact it had a barn, after all they are not uncommon in France. It was only when we viewed the property that we realised the potential of the attached barn.

This barn has a beautiful shape

So why do we love them so much? And French ones in particular?  I started to muse that it may be in our D.N.A., after all many of us would have had ancestors who slept in a barn-like house. It was very common for the animals to be on the ground floor with human living accommodation above. In the medieval quarter of our village of Corrèze there are houses that were built like that but now fully converted.

In England (I don't know about the rest of the U.K) unconverted barns are becoming more expensive, and rare, sometimes as expensive as a finished house. Planning restrictions can be quite onerous, both external and internal. In France it's different, many British are tempted with really inexpensive structures that come with land, something that is craved for in overcrowded Britain and unless you are in a restricted area you can do almost as you please. A 30 second internet search came up with this barn in the Charente region. With planning permission, half acre of land, water & electricity on site and priced at just €36,000. Yes you still have to spend money on the conversion, the average spend is €1000 a square metre, but you can have the house that you want relatively inexpensively.

Barn for sale through Leggett Immo

Planning the renovation of a barn has its own challenges. We all love the soaring ceilings and ancient timbers but we don't want to freeze in the winter. We took the decision to cover up quite a lot of our beams to enable us to insulate the roof, it is a compromise but we still have 4 metre high ceiling upstairs and exposed wood. Staying warm needs to be thought through properly, huge spaces can take a lot of heating but there are cost effective ways. If you have land and you're starting from scratch then consider a ground source heat pump. Small tricks like installing a reversible ceiling fan can help, the hot air rises and the fan pushes it back down to where it's needed.

Lots of character

The scale of rooms is something that most of us have not needed to think about in our houses, in fact quite the reverse as it's more likely furniture will be too big than too small! Furniture and artworks have to be scaled up and lighting has to be carefully planned. In our conversion we have 'flipped' the layout with bedrooms on the ground floor and living space above to take advantage of ceiling height and the view. Upstairs is one large space with kitchen, dining and sitting room areas. Zoning the lighting has been very important and quite a challenge. Good lighting in the kitchen and in areas where you may want to read but a dining area capable of being made into an intimate space. Recessed spots are easy to install but you really have to consider their position because of the beams and of course changing bulbs! If you are thinking of suspended lights you have to consider the whole scheme, things can look messy if there several styles and shapes without a theme.

A combination of lighting

There is also the thrill of finding something in your barn that has been overlooked. We found 70 square metres of chestnut flooring which is about to be laid, old agricultural implements can be re-purposed to add a quirkiness to your design scheme. You may even find an old vehicle!

There is a new Facebook Group for anyone who loves barns, whether just for inspiration or for information. It would be lovely to read your barn stories!