An Exceptionally Renovated Townhouse Offering a Refined Style of Daily Living & Entertaining.

Property Description

The effortless beauty of this unique town house is proof of the remarkable standard of restoration undertaken by the current owner, herself an Art expert, formerly with Christies, together with the professional help of well respected architects.

Packed with period features and striking architectural details, the property can be enjoyed immediately either as an ideal 'lock up and leave' or indeed as a gracious year round home. With its southerly orientation, the play of light and shadow in the house is often magical.

Stepping off the square onto a peaceful cobbled side street, the front door with wicket windows opens to reveal the formal entrance hall, flagged with original decorative cement floor tiles, leading the eye to a sweeping stone staircase. To either side, reception rooms flow 'enfilade' to reveal a comfortable sitting room with working stone fireplace, a generous dining room for entertaining and a large kitchen with French doors. These provide direct access to the shaded stone arcade from which to enjoy a sunny breakfast, pluck fresh herbs for your evening meal from the planted rosemary and tarragon bushes or simply to enjoy an evening aperitif.

The kitchen features an impressive stone fireplace, creating a heartening mood in winter, together with underfloor heating. Clever storage solutions hide the day to day utensils, so that the environment is uncluttered and peaceful. A second staircase leads to the first floor.

From the first floor landing, the eye is immediately drawn through to the 'grand salon', or formal sitting room, that measures just under 45m2. Again, a working fireplace, with marble surround, lends a wonderfully comforting sensation in winter. The original windows look out onto the Place Royale, said to be the inspiration for Henri IV in creating le Place de Vosges upon his return to Paris in the late 1500s. Here too, part of the original 14th century history of this property is apparent with the remnants of a stone arch seamlessly integrated into the walls.

Off the salon and linked hallways one finds three bright and spacious bedrooms, each with a private en suite bathroom, a guest WC, laundry room, walk-in Housekeepers store-room and two private landings, one with access back down to the kitchen via the second staircase. Overall, approximately 270m2 of living space is provided over two floors with the option of creating additional accommodation in the attic should one so wish. A wine cellar and basement complete the ensemble.

The extensive renovations include a new roof in 2014, an intelligent heating system that is zoned and can be programmed remotely, the restoration of 5 working fireplaces, a hand-crafted fitted kitchen and three striking bathrooms with fixtures from Barber & Wilson, London. Comprehensive insulation was also provided, to include the attic, some walls and the arcade. The majority of the construction and the renovation was carried out by Pignon Gascon.

Labsatide d'Armagnac is cited as one of the prettiest villages in France, with its many charming cafe's, restaurants and shops spilling onto the square. Whilst the property itself does not have a garden, the covered arches running alongside the southern facade provide ample shaded privacy to enjoy an alfresco meal with friends or simply savour the contentment of relaxing with a good book in the balmy warmth.

This is a region rich in history and food culture. The weekly market is complemented by an evening market in the summer months, and the Bastide also provides a wonderful Boulangerie, doctor, chemist, school and active community. Excellent restaurants such as the Michelin star Pres d'Eugenie or La Bastide in Barbotin les Thermes are within easy driving distance, as are a number of Chateau for wine tasting and Armagnac. Supermarkets can be reached in as little as 3 minutes. The prefecture town of Mont de Marsan is a 20 minute drive from the property and provides a selection of excellent hospitals, the highest ranking secondary school in the department of Les Landes, the Tech Campus for Pau university, and the railway station with regular daily trains to Bordeaux. The motorway can be accessed within 10 minutes drive, and Bordeaux is reached by car in 1hour 20. London Air: 1 hr from Bordeaux by British Airways or EasyJet . Paris Air: 1 hour 10 min. Air France from Bordeaux to Orly or CdG Train: 2 hrs by TGV.

Viewing is highly recommended.


Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website Géorisques -