La Maison Noble is
an impressive looking building, built in 1905 for a wealthy
local businessman, and listed by the Office of Cultural Affairs
in Bordeaux. The current owners have restored the house to it's
former glory, adding modern luxurious touches (eg spacious modern
bathrooms, professional-quality kitchen range) whilst preserving
its period character, for example keeping
the old parquet floors and tiles, emphasising the 12 foot ceilings
with chandeliers, using oriental rugs extensively and furnishing
it all in keeping with the age and character of the property.
The owners vacate the house in summer for rentals, but leave
their antiques, paintings, carpets etc so the house really feels
like a family home (without being cluttered).
Entrance: an impressive drive-way has parking
for 2-3 cars. Steps up to the front door lead to an impressive
entrance hall - you immediately feel you are somewhere opulent
and well cared-for.
Ground
floor :
The first or ground floor is accessed by a flight of four steps
from the gravelled walkway. A gigantic porch door in oak, with
period brass handles leads to a 30 ft long hallway, 10ft wide,
paved with antique tiles and wood panelled. An antique wardrobe,
a commode and a console, paintings and brass fixture-lamps are
to be found as furniture and decorations.
A huge double door leads on the left to the first reception
room: Versailles parquet, moulded ceiling, crystal chandelier,
white marble fire place, yellow and gold walls and drapes, antique
wardrobe, 4 Voltaire armchairs and a sofa.
The double door on the left leads to a Napoleon III style furnished
office comprising a desk, bookshelves, armchairs, an amber coloured
marble fireplace, a crystal chandelier and an upright piano.
Both rooms have large Persian carpets.
Further
down the hall, the door on the left opens onto the servant staircase,
the one on the right onto a modern kitchen with an American
fridge, an all-electric cooking range, microwave, food grinders,
coffee-maker, toaster and a dishwasher.
Back
to the hallway, through a gigantic glassed double door, one
accesses a huge hall/reading room with a large English and French
literature containing bookcase, a table, armchairs. The glassed
door in front leads to a double revolution stone staircase allowing
to descend at garden level. The door on the right goes to the
dining room: antique buffet containing china, crystal and silver,
a walnut oval dining table and Regency chairs. The dining room
has a direct access to the kitchen. The door on the left brings
us in to the TV room: comfortable sofas, light English and French
reading. Between the TV room and the Napoleon III room is a
computer room: Internet-connected computer, colour printer,
work table.
Upstairs, first floor:
From the entrance hall a huge Victorian staircase leads to the
upstairs bedrooms. Bed room West on the left: double bed, pine
commode, oak wardrobe, table and chairs. Adjoining is a full
bathroom with large tub, 1930 ceramic washbasin and toilet.
Across the landing, bedroom South is decorated in oriental style:
double bed, 1930 armchairs, table and commode. Next to it is
a full bathroom, colonnaded washbasin and toilet. A full-mirrored
sliding door allows communication with the bathroom of the master
bedroom. Back on the landing, a corridor closable by a double
door takes you to the other fully independent bedrooms. On the
right, the master bedroom or bedroom East: antique wardrobe,
antique queen size bed, table, armchairs and its adjoining bathroom.
This contains two washbasins mounted on columns, a wonderful
bathtub with elaborate brass tap fixtures and the gliding door
mentioned above. A walk-in closet is to be found between room
East and North. Bedroom North has a king size bed, a painted
commode, table and chairs and a pine wardrobe; attached is a
huge bathroom with a double Art Deco washbasin, a large shower
and of course a toilet.
Upstairs,
second (top) floor:
Back to the landing, the big staircase leads on up to the second
floor. The landing on the third floor is used as a relaxation
space for soft gymnastic and yoga and is equipped with exercise
mats, steps, weights, swiss ball. At this level is a fifth double
bedroom, a twin bedroom, bathroom and toilet shared between
the two. The other rooms are for storage and are off limits.
Below-ground
level:
One can go from the ground floor down to the basement
through the servant staircase mentioned before. One thus accesses
a second kitchen: in fact the old servant quarters (kitchen,
back kitchen and ironing room) transformed into a fantastic
summer kitchen. Its prime features are: Year 1900 coloured tiles
on floor and walls, exposed oak beams, exposed stone work on
some walls, a huge walk-in fire place, a professional gas fired
range, refrigerator, dishwasher, a long oak farm table, two
antique buffets and loads of usable copper pans. A sheltered
outside patio with garden table and chairs for dining “al
fresco” can be reached from the kitchen. A second door
leads to the game hall: billiard table and table football. This
hall opens on the park area.
Outside:
Garden and park: ca 80,000 sq ft surrounding the house via a
gravelled walkway. Centenary linden shade part of the lawn,
other parts are sun exposed for the better part of the day.
Tree species to be found: linden, maple, hazelnut, cherry, cedar,
privet, horse chestnut, laurel. Flower bushes grace the surroundings
of the house in season.
Next
to the swimming pool is an enormous stone barn next which houses
the bikes and pool equipment and a large paved open and covered
area housing the table-tennis, canoe and a rustic trestle table
for outside sheltered dining. A further barn division contains
tools all at the disposal of the guests, and the owner's precious
red MG which is not!
Away from the house and by the pool, the grounds neighbour a
petrol station (due to be demolished in Autumn 2007), separated
from the grounds by a hedge. Noise from the station is audible
by the pool, but has not been a matter for concern by previous
guests.
Further away in the grounds is a charming little stone cottage
which the owners move into during the summer. They are on hand
for advice and enquiries but will otherwise leave you in peace.
The owners may use the swimming pool, but only if guests are
out, or indoors. The owners are friendly, charming, well-travelled
people who enjoy meeting guests and inviting them for an aperitif
on arrival.
