Follow our French chateau renovation journey as we peel back the layers of time & craftsmanship
Tim Gosling is delighted to bring this former noble chateau back to life through his love of authentic restoration and interior design. Built-in 1820 this Normandy gem had the good fortune to be redesigned by the designer of The Ritz, Monsieur Georges Farcy for the Bon Marché family in 1910. The chateau has been untouched since the retreating German army removed the heating system in the 1940s. Eisenhower moved into the chateau when he was appointed supreme commander of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of north-western Europe.
Restoration Chateau is a classical Parisian design, with 57 rooms, 22 ensuite bedrooms (revolutionary for its time), 8 staterooms, and 27 acres. Over the coming months please join us on a journey of discovery as we piece together history and restore this classic building back to its former glory.
View our chateau restoration journey so far below.
I swapped the Old Chateau in France for the Empire State Building in New York! ( for a week )… I’ve left Hachi ( our fabulous ginger spaniel) in charge of Steve while I nip over here for a week of Design meetings and Work .
My bedroom here stunningly looks out onto the Empire State Building so I decided to go and have a look at it inside for the first time … can’t believe in all the times I’ve been here I’ve never gone up to the viewing gallery or been inside … which was epic … not only because it was literally empty but because there are still some stunning original details inside and around the building that have survived all this time …just think in ten years time it’s going to be a hundred years old …
The biggest thing limiting the heights of these extraordinary buildings were the lifts ( the cables weighed so much so could only take the lift car a certain distance) that’s why I love the kid selling papers in the clip literally advertising the elevators!!!
Don’t you just love architecture when it creates something more than just the sum of its parts … it creates magic .
#empirestatebuilding #artdeco #arts #1930s #newyork #newyorkcity #bigapple #architecteintérieur #architecturedesign #architecturephotography #architecturelover #usa🇺🇸 #designlovers #designinterior #designersareesusa #interiordesign #interiordecor
Nov 22
I swapped the Old Chateau in France for the Empire State Building in New York! ( for a week )… I’ve left Hachi ( our fabulous ginger spaniel) in charge of Steve while I nip over here for a week of Design meetings and Work .
My bedroom here stunningly looks out onto the Empire State Building so I decided to go and have a look at it inside for the first time … can’t believe in all the times I’ve been here I’ve never gone up to the viewing gallery or been inside … which was epic … not only because it was literally empty but because there are still some stunning original details inside and around the building that have survived all this time …just think in ten years time it’s going to be a hundred years old …
The biggest thing limiting the heights of these extraordinary buildings were the lifts ( the cables weighed so much so could only take the lift car a certain distance) that’s why I love the kid selling papers in the clip literally advertising the elevators!!!
Don’t you just love architecture when it creates something more than just the sum of its parts … it creates magic .
#empirestatebuilding #artdeco #arts #1930s #newyork #newyorkcity #bigapple #architecteintérieur #architecturedesign #architecturephotography #architecturelover #usa🇺🇸 #designlovers #designinterior #designersareesusa #interiordesign #interiordecor
We’ve just brought a rather beautiful pastel portrait that will hang on the mirror in the center of the morning room and we will take all of the colours and inspiration from this .
The pastel is signed and marked with a bronze plaque as Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun … although it’s almost absolutely certainly a copy of a Le Brun or created as ‘in the circle of Le Brun’. ( as it would be worth a fortune otherwise and it wasn’t ! Lol )
Le Brun was born in Paris in 1755 and became a favourite of Marie Antoinette as her official portrait painter for the french court creating over 660 portraits and about 200 landscapes .
This is such a remarkable picture … the delicate hands , the love letter being written with the help of Cupid who’s whispering the words into her ear ….and Cupid’s arrow of pure love is touching her writing quill , its so sensual… … superb isn’t it .
If anyone knows where the original of this is hanging ( presumably a museum) we’d love to know !
Meanwhile this will form the backbone of the pallet for the room … the fabrics … the damask … the Aubusson’s still yet to find.
#frenchportraits #pastel #portait #frenchcourt #versailles #lebrun #chateau #château #châteaux #chateauxdefrance #interiordesign #interiordesigner #interiordecorating #interiors #interiordesignparis #interiorinspiration #interiorlovers #interiordetails #interiordesigntips #interiordesigns #france #france🇫🇷 #escapetothechateau #escapetothechateaudiy #escapetothecountry
Nov 19
We’ve just brought a rather beautiful pastel portrait that will hang on the mirror in the center of the morning room and we will take all of the colours and inspiration from this .
The pastel is signed and marked with a bronze plaque as Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun … although it’s almost absolutely certainly a copy of a Le Brun or created as ‘in the circle of Le Brun’. ( as it would be worth a fortune otherwise and it wasn’t ! Lol )
Le Brun was born in Paris in 1755 and became a favourite of Marie Antoinette as her official portrait painter for the french court creating over 660 portraits and about 200 landscapes .
This is such a remarkable picture … the delicate hands , the love letter being written with the help of Cupid who’s whispering the words into her ear ….and Cupid’s arrow of pure love is touching her writing quill , its so sensual… … superb isn’t it .
If anyone knows where the original of this is hanging ( presumably a museum) we’d love to know !
Meanwhile this will form the backbone of the pallet for the room … the fabrics … the damask … the Aubusson’s still yet to find.
#frenchportraits #pastel #portait #frenchcourt #versailles #lebrun #chateau #château #châteaux #chateauxdefrance #interiordesign #interiordesigner #interiordecorating #interiors #interiordesignparis #interiorinspiration #interiorlovers #interiordetails #interiordesigntips #interiordesigns #france #france🇫🇷 #escapetothechateau #escapetothechateaudiy #escapetothecountry
We wanted to share with you the detailing on all of the original chairs in the dining room and in particular the beautiful embossed gilt tooling that’s on them .
This is created with iron tools that are heated up to press the gilt into the leather :
HEAT( has to be exactly the right temperature.)
PRESSURE ( how hard the tool is pressed into the leather .)
DWELL ( how long in time you leave the heated tool against the leather .)
It’s such a stunning detail and you can see the design elements in the painted original ceiling too … which when you look at the pictures from the 1910’s haven’t changed at all .
Don’t you just love craftsmanship like this …
#gilding #leather #chair #chairdesign #diningroomdecor #diningtable #diningroom #interiordesign #interiordesigner #interiors #interiordesignparis #interiordecor #interiorinspiration #interiorlovers
Nov 16
We wanted to share with you the detailing on all of the original chairs in the dining room and in particular the beautiful embossed gilt tooling that’s on them .
This is created with iron tools that are heated up to press the gilt into the leather :
HEAT( has to be exactly the right temperature.)
PRESSURE ( how hard the tool is pressed into the leather .)
DWELL ( how long in time you leave the heated tool against the leather .)
It’s such a stunning detail and you can see the design elements in the painted original ceiling too … which when you look at the pictures from the 1910’s haven’t changed at all .
Don’t you just love craftsmanship like this …
#gilding #leather #chair #chairdesign #diningroomdecor #diningtable #diningroom #interiordesign #interiordesigner #interiors #interiordesignparis #interiordecor #interiorinspiration #interiorlovers
The autumn colours and nature in her full glory with the colours of dying to then be reborn in spring … on today’s remembrance day it’s beautiful to see the boys of Balleroy in all their kit in honour of the extraordinary events that took place here during World War Two .( thank you @juhauvel27 and @brochaye_ww2_photographer for the picture.
The stunning Tulip tree that Eisenhower planted back in 1944 and that was struck by lightening but continues to grow in two parts even so …it used to have a bronze plaque at the base in commemoration of this but it was sadly taken when the chateau lay abandoned for so long we will of course be restoring it again in bronze .
#rememberanceday #ww2 #landscape #chateaurenovation #château #chateauxdiy #diy #diyproject #restoration #park #france #france🇫🇷 #landscapephotography #landscaping #nature #architecture #interiordesign #interiordesigner #chateauxdefrance
Nov 14
The autumn colours and nature in her full glory with the colours of dying to then be reborn in spring … on today’s remembrance day it’s beautiful to see the boys of Balleroy in all their kit in honour of the extraordinary events that took place here during World War Two .( thank you @juhauvel27 and @brochaye_ww2_photographer for the picture.
The stunning Tulip tree that Eisenhower planted back in 1944 and that was struck by lightening but continues to grow in two parts even so …it used to have a bronze plaque at the base in commemoration of this but it was sadly taken when the chateau lay abandoned for so long we will of course be restoring it again in bronze .
#rememberanceday #ww2 #landscape #chateaurenovation #château #chateauxdiy #diy #diyproject #restoration #park #france #france🇫🇷 #landscapephotography #landscaping #nature #architecture #interiordesign #interiordesigner #chateauxdefrance
It’s so wonderful that after six months of hand making the pair of floors are ready for the master bathrooms … we’ve gone for these miniature 500mm by 500mm square Versailles ones which are so much work, much more than having your traditional meter sized ones but it’s the perfect scale for these bathrooms.
It’s rather like a giant jigsaw puzzle as each reclaimed oak piece of timber is hand cut and they then slot together . It’s being made by a small family company called @french_versailles_parquet and it’s a joy to see these traditional skills still being used .
Each piece is held together with a wooden peg , or square dowel so that it can open and contract within the wood structure… not being glued it means it can breathe so it won’t crack .
Once these are then laid in situ and polished up to the same hue as the bedroom floors they are going to look magnificent… and then Hachi can do some more modelling !! Lol
#versailles #flooring #crafts #craftsmanship #chateau #interiordesign #interior #interiorstyling #interiør #interiordesigner #interiordecor #interiorinspo #diy #diyprojects #restoration #restorationproject
Nov 13
It’s so wonderful that after six months of hand making the pair of floors are ready for the master bathrooms … we’ve gone for these miniature 500mm by 500mm square Versailles ones which are so much work, much more than having your traditional meter sized ones but it’s the perfect scale for these bathrooms.
It’s rather like a giant jigsaw puzzle as each reclaimed oak piece of timber is hand cut and they then slot together . It’s being made by a small family company called @french_versailles_parquet and it’s a joy to see these traditional skills still being used .
Each piece is held together with a wooden peg , or square dowel so that it can open and contract within the wood structure… not being glued it means it can breathe so it won’t crack .
Once these are then laid in situ and polished up to the same hue as the bedroom floors they are going to look magnificent… and then Hachi can do some more modelling !! Lol
#versailles #flooring #crafts #craftsmanship #chateau #interiordesign #interior #interiorstyling #interiør #interiordesigner #interiordecor #interiorinspo #diy #diyprojects #restoration #restorationproject
It’s great to see that Madame Savary went onto have three wonderful boys , one of which was Maud’s and Bridget’s father, … and that after the dark days of the Second World War returned to live again at the chateau .
As we daily restore and put back this remarkable chateau it makes us feel so close to all these people and the history that the chateau holds … it’s such a beautiful process putting this back together again - piece by piece. Day by day . Literally inch by inch !The bathroom floors arrive soon - can’t wait to show you the extraordinary craftsmanship that’s gone into hand making these.
#chateau #château #chateauxdefrance #labdscape #landscapephotography #family #familytime #war
Nov 11
It’s great to see that Madame Savary went onto have three wonderful boys , one of which was Maud’s and Bridget’s father, … and that after the dark days of the Second World War returned to live again at the chateau .
As we daily restore and put back this remarkable chateau it makes us feel so close to all these people and the history that the chateau holds … it’s such a beautiful process putting this back together again - piece by piece. Day by day . Literally inch by inch !The bathroom floors arrive soon - can’t wait to show you the extraordinary craftsmanship that’s gone into hand making these.
#chateau #château #chateauxdefrance #labdscape #landscapephotography #family #familytime #war
Having this incredible Savary family as such wonderful friends even today is such an honour … as is restoring the chateau and discovering so much of her remarkable history of design and the wonderful people who lived and worked here as servants .
After the First World War there is a huge change of staff , which would have been extremely scarce due to so many dying at the front.
To see quite how many Polish and Russian Servants were taken in is incredible… I’d love to know how long after this snapshot in 1931 stayed on during Nazi occupation…
The fact that Madame Savary was quite so young when she took up residence in 1911 is incredible… the strength that she grew into , and the quickly followed Second World War saw her husband killed by the Nazis’s and her three children barely survive … one of these children are the wonderful Maud and Bridgets Father.
It’s also truly remarkable that the chateau barely survived .
#ww1 #ww2 #ww2history #french #chateau #château #chateaudiy #restoration #interiordesign #interior #interiordesigner #interiors #interiorstyle #interiorinspo #design
Nov 8
Having this incredible Savary family as such wonderful friends even today is such an honour … as is restoring the chateau and discovering so much of her remarkable history of design and the wonderful people who lived and worked here as servants .
After the First World War there is a huge change of staff , which would have been extremely scarce due to so many dying at the front.
To see quite how many Polish and Russian Servants were taken in is incredible… I’d love to know how long after this snapshot in 1931 stayed on during Nazi occupation…
The fact that Madame Savary was quite so young when she took up residence in 1911 is incredible… the strength that she grew into , and the quickly followed Second World War saw her husband killed by the Nazis’s and her three children barely survive … one of these children are the wonderful Maud and Bridgets Father.
It’s also truly remarkable that the chateau barely survived .
#ww1 #ww2 #ww2history #french #chateau #château #chateaudiy #restoration #interiordesign #interior #interiordesigner #interiors #interiorstyle #interiorinspo #design
This last stage of the chateau’s rebuilding was with Monsieur Savary who created this hugely enlarged chateau for his new Wife Lucienne in 1911 .
Both were born in Paris , Pierre in 1884 , Lucienne in 1891 .
Albert Poidevin stayed onto garden again .., now 57 with his Wife from Balleroy called Adélina Leforestier who was two years older than him .
They also moved in with a lot of Servants…
In 1921 the servants were listed as :
Ernest Lemarinier -Steward.
Marie Lemarinier- his Wife.
Catherine Louise his step- daughter.
Joseph Houssin aged 20
Eugène Letemplier 26- his wife Albertine ( love that name )
Alphonse Catherine ( that’s a chap by the way Catherine is the surname !) and his wife Fernande Catherine both 35 and from Balleroy!
Then there’s the Cook Clotide ,the room maid Madeline and the Valet Louis Lecouvey and another Servant called Léontine Marguerie who’s husband Auguste became the new Gardener after Poidevin retired .
The staff grew even more during the 1930’s but fascinatingly were joined by quite a few Russian and Polish servants … presumably refugees from the First World War .
A huge thank you to @gwenb3192 for all her incredible history sleuthing it’s utterly fascinating .
#chateau #château #landscape #architecture ##architecturephotography #architect #history #servant #countryhouse #escapetothechateaudiy #escapetothecountry #france #family #familyiseverything #familyhistory #familytime
Nov 5
This last stage of the chateau’s rebuilding was with Monsieur Savary who created this hugely enlarged chateau for his new Wife Lucienne in 1911 .
Both were born in Paris , Pierre in 1884 , Lucienne in 1891 .
Albert Poidevin stayed onto garden again .., now 57 with his Wife from Balleroy called Adélina Leforestier who was two years older than him .
They also moved in with a lot of Servants…
In 1921 the servants were listed as :
Ernest Lemarinier -Steward.
Marie Lemarinier- his Wife.
Catherine Louise his step- daughter.
Joseph Houssin aged 20
Eugène Letemplier 26- his wife Albertine ( love that name )
Alphonse Catherine ( that’s a chap by the way Catherine is the surname !) and his wife Fernande Catherine both 35 and from Balleroy!
Then there’s the Cook Clotide ,the room maid Madeline and the Valet Louis Lecouvey and another Servant called Léontine Marguerie who’s husband Auguste became the new Gardener after Poidevin retired .
The staff grew even more during the 1930’s but fascinatingly were joined by quite a few Russian and Polish servants … presumably refugees from the First World War .
A huge thank you to @gwenb3192 for all her incredible history sleuthing it’s utterly fascinating .
#chateau #château #landscape #architecture ##architecturephotography #architect #history #servant #countryhouse #escapetothechateaudiy #escapetothecountry #france #family #familyiseverything #familyhistory #familytime
