18世紀の職人コテージは愛されて修復され、ワイン村を作っている

We fell in love with Maison des Fleurs the minute we walked through the door - strange to most as the cottage was derelict and in a terrible state. It had, however, a lovely 'feel' to it. We have researched the history and found that it has always been a family home - at first it was a vineyard worker's house, the ground floor being used for the donkey or pony that would help the family till the vineyard. Later on the downstairs became a small shop where carts and bicycles were repaired, then it was converted again into a cottage where a family with 4 daughters lived. On the front door you can see initials carved by one of the owners who started their married life there - EH and PH.
We spent two years restoring this little cottage using materials that were consistent with the age of the cottage and keeping as many features as possible, such as the beams and floor tiles, it was a real labour of love. Every day someone from the village would pop in to see our progress, usually uttering 'bon chance' when they saw what we were doing and always offering advice! Gradually we could see the cottage as it had been, a warm, family home with great character. We added our brocante (antique shop) and vide grenier (flea market) finds and voila (!) it was finished.
Every single guest has remarked on the lovely ambiance of the cottage and the decor - all have found it a relaxing place to be with all the comforts of home. Everyone has also commented on how lovely it is to sit on the balcony and watch village life go by and how friendly people are in the village. Maybe that's because they feel they helped with the renovation by giving us advice!