Villa for sale
£1,221,155
Languedoc-Roussillon, Aude, Limoux, FRANCE Property ID: 41222870
Property description
Idyllic is the only word that fits… a location that is beautiful beyond belief, views that take your breath away, peace, tranquility, hectares of land with uninterrupted views, wild flowers carpeting the old orchard - no chemicals here - and a mixture of fields and woods surrounding the property. If you’ve ever dreamt of finding the perfect property to escape to, far from the bustle of city life and the stresses and strains that go with it - this could be the answer to your prayers!
As you drive up the privately owned access road, mature trees to either side of you, you arrive at the parking area just below the property. There is more parking to the front of the house, enjoying the woods giving way to fields, then the breathtaking view over rolling hills to Lac de Montbel. It’s utterly magical, as though one has stepped into a different world.
The property is magical too - the owner has created a brilliant mix, retaining the charm of the old with interiors that will enchant. The attention to detail is stunning, the staircase is handmade, a total one-off that was created for this property. It’s sculptural, curving gently to the upper floor of the main house, detail too in the choice of wood for flooring, far wider pieces than is usual and holding the light with its polished beauty. From the kitchen with its vast refectory table and fabulous working spaces - areas defined by hand worked tree trunks who seem to smile at each other - to the master bedroom - seriously large, modern, yet with a feeling of rest and calm permeating the entire suite, this property will entrance.
The infrared sauna has been delightfully hidden behind a hand made, curved wall of wood, and the shower, centred in the room, keeps to the air of calm modernity - glass walled to to add lightness - and to accentuate the architectural quality of this suite.
All too often bathrooms and shower rooms can be dark and lumpen - not so here. Another bathroom- in the tower - has the luxury of the fabulous views to Lac de Montbel - and, without a neighbour in sight, total privacy to enjoy the views whilst in a state of undress! The tower also has a wrap around terrace from which you can enjoy the views and can act as totally independent guest accommodation, or owner’s accommodation if an income stream from the main house is an attractive option.
The pool area, also with the same stunning views, can be accessed from either the main house or from the tower house. Above it is a shaded terrace with more sculptural use of wood - huge tree trunks - forming a comfortable space to eat outside . All the “garden” areas have been crafted to maintain the balance - between nature and comfort, grassed mown paths leading you up to the fields adjacent to the property, to the orchard, to the soft fruit cage, with a grape vine scrambling over it. Above the orchard is a solidly built garden storage barn, we both thought that, if desired, it could provide even more independent accommodation. There are two generous garages opposite the front of the property so storage is not exactly a worry with this property. So, given the groundwork that is close by - clearly an ornamental pool had been planned - we did wonder if a previous owner had intended to utilise the building in this way. It sits in a clearing in the lightly wooded area before the first pasture - starred with flowers, some of which we hadn’t ever seen before - and could turn into a studio / 1 bedroomed hideaway seriously easily.
For a large country property equal care has been given to practicality. The current owner made a positive decision to use only ecologically sound and sustainable energy - there are solar panels cunningly hidden behind a stand of trees that don’t compromise the views - but do make a vast difference to running costs. The insulation throughout the property is of the highest standard and impacts on running costs quite favourably. One the most intelligent properties we have been privileged to see, we can only guess at the hours and hours of planning that went into sourcing materials, sourcing artisans to make the dream a reality, and the utter determination to make this substantial property work so efficiently and beautifully in the same breath. In all, this is a property that doesn’t only look wonderful - it also performs wonderfully.
As you drive up the privately owned access road, mature trees to either side of you, you arrive at the parking area just below the property. There is more parking to the front of the house, enjoying the woods giving way to fields, then the breathtaking view over rolling hills to Lac de Montbel. It’s utterly magical, as though one has stepped into a different world.
The property is magical too - the owner has created a brilliant mix, retaining the charm of the old with interiors that will enchant. The attention to detail is stunning, the staircase is handmade, a total one-off that was created for this property. It’s sculptural, curving gently to the upper floor of the main house, detail too in the choice of wood for flooring, far wider pieces than is usual and holding the light with its polished beauty. From the kitchen with its vast refectory table and fabulous working spaces - areas defined by hand worked tree trunks who seem to smile at each other - to the master bedroom - seriously large, modern, yet with a feeling of rest and calm permeating the entire suite, this property will entrance.
The infrared sauna has been delightfully hidden behind a hand made, curved wall of wood, and the shower, centred in the room, keeps to the air of calm modernity - glass walled to to add lightness - and to accentuate the architectural quality of this suite.
All too often bathrooms and shower rooms can be dark and lumpen - not so here. Another bathroom- in the tower - has the luxury of the fabulous views to Lac de Montbel - and, without a neighbour in sight, total privacy to enjoy the views whilst in a state of undress! The tower also has a wrap around terrace from which you can enjoy the views and can act as totally independent guest accommodation, or owner’s accommodation if an income stream from the main house is an attractive option.
The pool area, also with the same stunning views, can be accessed from either the main house or from the tower house. Above it is a shaded terrace with more sculptural use of wood - huge tree trunks - forming a comfortable space to eat outside . All the “garden” areas have been crafted to maintain the balance - between nature and comfort, grassed mown paths leading you up to the fields adjacent to the property, to the orchard, to the soft fruit cage, with a grape vine scrambling over it. Above the orchard is a solidly built garden storage barn, we both thought that, if desired, it could provide even more independent accommodation. There are two generous garages opposite the front of the property so storage is not exactly a worry with this property. So, given the groundwork that is close by - clearly an ornamental pool had been planned - we did wonder if a previous owner had intended to utilise the building in this way. It sits in a clearing in the lightly wooded area before the first pasture - starred with flowers, some of which we hadn’t ever seen before - and could turn into a studio / 1 bedroomed hideaway seriously easily.
For a large country property equal care has been given to practicality. The current owner made a positive decision to use only ecologically sound and sustainable energy - there are solar panels cunningly hidden behind a stand of trees that don’t compromise the views - but do make a vast difference to running costs. The insulation throughout the property is of the highest standard and impacts on running costs quite favourably. One the most intelligent properties we have been privileged to see, we can only guess at the hours and hours of planning that went into sourcing materials, sourcing artisans to make the dream a reality, and the utter determination to make this substantial property work so efficiently and beautifully in the same breath. In all, this is a property that doesn’t only look wonderful - it also performs wonderfully.