Notre Maison est Puyloyer

Following a most incredible déjeuner at Restaurant L’Atelier in Issigeac, we “completed the final act” (the dramatic French equivalent of “closing escrow”) and bought our dream house in the Charente.  For centuries (!) the house has been known as “PUYLOYER” which roughly translates to “high thistle.”  “High” because it sits on a natural overlook above the hamlet of Mouton and “thistle” because there were a lot of chardons there way back when.  The history of Puyloyer goes WAY back to the Renaissance and its prior owners have included nobles (Lords and Ladies) and their relatives, in-

cluding a doctor in the early 1800s who penned the Romantic poem “Ode to the Sneeze” (3 verses). This bit of artistic frivolity followed the “sacking and burning”of the house that occurred during the French Revolution…happily (for us) only the “front” façade of the house was destroyed (stone construction with massive wooden beams for framing, floor joists and roof supports).  Happily for us,

Puyloyer was restored by the folks we purchased from.  They used very talented artisans and went to great lengths to maintain the style and historic integrity…except for the kitchen and baths (which is a VERY good thing). The original stone stairs and wood floors are intact, as well as a number of antique

doors with period hardware and placards–built in wooden closets/cabinets.  The original (and well worn) cobblestones are still present in the barn and a small portion of the courtyard.  Amazing.

Inside, the scale of the house is comfortable (high ceilings and spacious without being huge and overwhelming) but the “style” leaves a lot to be desired.  First order of business will be wallpaper removal and a fresh paint/color scheme in a number of rooms that will be both neutral and contemporary (and wee bit less museum/mausoleum).  The room that will become our office is great

and will only need some light fixtures and furniture.  The room features a 14th century fireplace, has great natural light, a doorway that leads to the garden and access to the courtyard too.

The kitchen just needs to be cleaned (you know how it is when you move into what was someone else’s house…and yes, we have burned sage and smudged the entire property so the good mojo can flourish).  Great appliances, counters (bamboo) and cabinets will make cooking a lot of fun.

There’s a lot more to see and talk about but for now, enjoy the views from the dining room window…you can almost hear the countless numbers of birds singing…bienvenue…  oh and before we left for the day, we picked a bucket of raspberries from the garden and another of cherries from the tree. We barely made a dent.