Well, it’s been three years since we bought this property (see the original article here), an old tired farm that has a house and 2 barns on it. The barn above has been our main focus; however, we’ve also spent some time this past winter re-doing another roof, which definitely squeezed our resources.
bedroom wall, second floor beams and windows made into doors
I haven’t updated much here on the site, you’ll have to forgive me. The process has been so slow (but steady!) that it can sometimes be difficult to know what to write about. For the first year, we basically spent all our spare time getting rid of all the junk left by the previous owners. There were a few fun treasures, including beautiful picture frames, old wine demijohns, rabbit hutches and more. We discovered wine cuves in the ground and stone sinks. I’ll have to photograph them and share them here. I’ve otherwise been sharing videos on Instagram.
Covid of course set us back but so has our stubbornness for using what the French call noble materials. We’re trying to use local and reclaimed materials as much as possible to respect the local architecture and original use of the surrounding buildings. We did this to some extent at our former home, such as sourcing 18th century doors. This can be expensive and not very time-friendly; but this is what will hopefully make our home unique.
Traditional Techniques and Noble Materials
In order to respect traditional techniques, as in our old house, we’ll eventually be using lime wash on the walls instead of paint. We’ve currently installed reclaimed oak beams and wood planks, never as many as we’d like! Sadly we won’t be using the old cheese boards like last time. We’ve sourced and scrubbed by hand 100 year old roof tiles, replacing the more modern tiles that were on the roof when we bought the house. We’ve spent countless hours moving and digging up stones in the garden which will be reused for the garden walls. Our floor tiles are Pierre de Bourgogne and the stone for the gate pillars and the eventual openings on the second barn will be local white stone from Menerbes. We’ve opted for hand-made and local whenever we could including a hand made stair balustrade by a local ironworker and handmade steel doors with insulated frames.
Eco-friendly
In addition to prioritising “noble” materials and traditional techniques, we’ve been trying to be as eco-friendly as our budget will allow. This is of course for the environment as well as avoiding eventual high energy bills! (electricity isn’t cheap in France). We’ve used for the first time a natural insulation product instead of fibreglass. It was 20% more expensive but it’s supposed to be more effective. Time will tell. Since the stone walls aren’t ideal in the barn we’ve decided to insulate it like to crazy! Robin has installed provisions for underfloor heating (we’ll be moving into the barn during the winters) for when we install solar panels in a couple years that will heat the hot water on the property.
A weekly holiday Rental for 2023
We were hoping that the barn would be ready to rent this June but due to various set-backs it looks like it will be ready instead for mid-September. Robin is now working full time here. We still have a lot to do but things will move along more quickly now… we hope!
We’ve already had some inquiries for bookings next year. We’re so humbled and grateful for your faith in our vision. Despite the fact that it’s still a complete renovation site if you’re interested in reserving for next year we’re going to start taking deposits in the coming week. Don’t worry- it won’t be painted bright pink..ha! To see what it looks like today, see my stories on Instagram.
Here is some information if you’re curious:
Picholine Barn Rental in Provence
*Picholine is a type of olive grown in Provence. Any excuse to buy a big gorgeous olive tree one day…
The before and after of this barn renovation might be just as impressive as when we were last on Househunters International for our tiny house in Maussane.
See the finished product of the barn (2 beds, 2 ensures) and information on amenities etc here : La Picholine Barn Rental
