A stately dwelling with its orangery and ornamental ponds on 3,000-m² grounds, in the middle of a village, 45 kilometres from Paris - ref 371389
A stately dwelling with its orangery and ornamental ponds on 3,000-m² grounds, in the middle of a village, 45 kilometres from Paris.
In the south of the Ile-de-France region, within the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Natural Park, the picturesque village is known for having once been the residence of a famous writing couple, while the immense Rambouillet public woodland is only a stone's throw away from the property, as are schools and shops, accessible on foot. In addition, the A10 motorway is less than ten minutes away and the RER and TER stations in Massy, Dourdan or Rambouillet provide easy access to Paris.
Ideally located near the village centre, the property, surrounded by a landscaped garden of approximately 3,000 m², was gradually constructed over the course of the 20th century. Owing its neoclassical style to passionate connoisseurs who were inspired by ancient Greco-Roman architecture, the dwelling is made up of a main central building whose rectangular shape is flanked by outbuildings on each of its gable ends as well as a small pavilion. Built near the road, its main façade looks southward, while in the back the dwelling overlooks a garden with an orangery, in need of a renovation, as well as two ornamental ponds.
The DwellingWith three storeys, including an attic level under the eaves, the main building is topped with a flat tile hipped roof and features two separate, but coherent façades, a nod to the dwelling's two different personalities. Facing the street, its main façade is understated, almost invisible, as if trying to preserve its inner secrets. Only a door is discernible, flanked by two large windows adorned with Virginia creeper, which seems as if to safeguard's the property's privacy.
However, on the other side, facing the garden, the building reveals itself in its full majesty. Taking advantage of the slight slope of the land, it features two floors as well as décor borrowed from the neoclassical vernacular, creating a dwelling that exudes overwhelming harmony thanks to its precise symmetry, windows grouped together in sets of three and large arched glass double doors that highlight the dwelling's central forepart framed by pilasters and topped with Corinthian capitals, delicate dentil cornices, as well as a triangular pediment decorated with a statue of Bacchus, who, like a welcoming host, appears as if to watch over the dwelling. Smiling, he invites one and all to savour life's many joys and the sweet euphoria of happy days, while at the far end of the dwelling, facing the street, there is a parking area for two vehicles in front of a gate that provides access to the garden via a cobblestone ramp.
The ground floor
From the street, the sturdy wooden front door opens on to an immense gallery, completely enclosed by glass walls and a roof in the 1960s, which provides access, on one side, to an independent bedroom with a shower room and lavatory, located in the former pavilion topped with a flat-tile hipped roof, just like the main dwelling. Directly opposite, the gallery communicates with an initial foyer, corresponding to the upper level of the main dwelling and equipped with a number of cupboards in its front section. As for the latter, it opens on to a small sitting room via double doors, whose scarlet red walls contrast nicely with the immaculate white of its ceiling and exposed joists.
With blonde oak hardwood floors throughout, which provide both warmth and elegance, further on and illuminated by immense picture windows facing the street, a hallway provides access to three sunny bedrooms all looking out towards the garden. The largest of these three bedrooms includes a private bathroom, while the other two have access, via a straight oak staircase, to a shower room and a lavatory located under the eaves.
The garden-level floor
Accessible from the small ...
