When I visited Chateau de Mavaleix four years ago in the summer holidays and Willem (the lord of the castle) showed me the valley with the ruins of the mill, I was able to tell him immediately that it really was the place for me. Obviously it was not for sale, but every subsequent visit prompted me to convey my natural sense of ownership. As time went on we became friends and it became increasingly obvious that I was going to renovate, design and rent the ruins. A great opportunity for me because Willem helped me on location with both the realisation and exploitation, and because the houses are on an estate that I am completely devoted to. There is an incomparable atmosphere around the castle, the people, the animals and the food. It was also a great opportunity for Willem because we will do our very best to raise as much awareness as possible for our houses and the whole place.
The idea to create places for rent arose together with Menno Doornbos. If this house turns out to be a success, more will follow, but all different. The concept is that each place and each building should fulfil a new dream.
The houses in the valley will be built so that you are part of the surroundings even when inside, they are ‘nature houses’. They will be furnished very comfortably, but not excessively. ‘Simple luxury’ is perhaps the best way to describe what to expect – actually what we always make. When the houses are all finished, there will be very detailed descriptions of the houses, the surroundings and the possibilities on the site.
We have the rather over-optimistic objective to have the houses completed and rented out this coming summer. I will occasionally report on our progress in this section.
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