Photo: Tim Mead1/14The laundry has been installed with freshly painted walls and tiled floors. Here we are mixing authentic paint using mineral pigments with white lime to create the Château de Gudanes French Green, matching with the original color of the room and shutters. We hope to share more photos of the laundry soon.
Photo: Tim Mead2/14Fog rises over the Château early on a brisk spring day. The dark iron of the gates contrast against the white transparency of the fog. The fields either side of the carriageway have been plowed for wildflowers to flourish in the summer. Our friend Tim Mead has joined the Château restoration family to capture these moments and help with the work.
Photo: Tim Mead3/14Sitting down for rose tea. Hot pink 17th-century roses picked fresh from the Château garden on the back terrace. Just one bloom fills the room with the scent of French perfume. The roses we planted during autumn now also have their first buds.
Photo: Tim Mead4/14At the foot of the iron gates climbings roses twist and tangle, coming into bloom as summer draws near.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes5/14A homespun setup for family and Château friends arriving in spring, breathing life back into the walls of the great halls and salons.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes6/14The finishing touch in each room is cherry blossom taken from the Château park.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes7/14Crafting the music room of the Château into a temporary Louis XIV–inspired bedroom space. In keeping with our philosophy of sustainability and repurposing the furniture, decor and linen are all finds from local brocantes.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes8/14In the dining room, delicate cream chairs with rose stitching sit before the original 18th-century marble champagne fountain.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes9/14A table laden with fresh fruit and vegetables from the local market.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes10/14Laundry dries in the warm spring breeze.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes11/14Currently reinstalling the original 18th-century tiles. Karina sorting through the flagstones, which have been stored within the Château.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes12/14The Château nestled amidst the white blossoms of cherry trees in the Château park.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes13/14Heavy lifting at the Château with the addition of a wood-fired La Cornue cooking stove, secondhand from Le Bon Coin. This will heat water as well for winter.
Photo: Courtesy of Château de Gudanes14/14The original 18th-century flagstones, which were recovered from the Château during the consolidation phase of work, are now being retiled in the vestibule using a mortar of local river sand and white lime.
