I walked to the address of the village house in St. Denis de Gastines. It was just around the corner from the cheese plate. When I first saw the semi-detached stone house I was not overcome. It sat at the end of a row of houses and had red-trimmed windows and two front doors that led out directly to a sidewalk. I am a sucker for a pretty face and I am similarly amused by houses with curb appeal. I like shutters, window boxes, porches, and flowers. This had none of those, but I knew from the pictures I had seen online that the beauty of this property was within this first exterior. Mentally, before I even entered I imagined adding shutters, window boxes, and planters like we add makeup to a plain face.

The realtor came to meet me at the property after all and confessed the reason she said she couldn’t show it before was that it was her day off. She apologized for her appearance (which was lovely) but explained she was in the middle of a painting project. She explained that this house had originally been two separate small homes that had since been joined. She took us through the living room front door and it opened to reveal a beautifully tiled room with exposed beams, whitewashed ceilings, and a stone fireplace with a wood burner insert. It was roomy and light and I could instantly envision it with a Christmas tree in one corner which I know from past home purchases is always a good sign. From there she took us three steps down to a kitchen that was open and light with exposed shelving and beautiful built-ins and another log burner fireplace. The room was lovely and it felt like a place I would want to spend a great deal of time. From there, we went up some steep stairs to a landing that took us to a guest room that was huge, high ceilings, skylights, and room for three separate beds, wardrobes, and bureaus. Across the landing was a primary bedroom which was a bit smaller with similar skylights and plenty of room for a king-size bed. Adjoining that room was an anteroom with a sink and dressing area. I immediately asked if a bathroom could be put in there and the realtor told me that had been the plan prior to the current property owner’s decision to move and it was plumbed and ready to go. Down from this room was a much more accessible stairwell that led to the living room. Behind the living room was a beautiful laundry, storage area, and gorgeous new bathroom that had recently been completed.

This house had all the charm and character of the older French stone homes I had dreamt of but it was updated in a way that felt clean and bright. The realtor brought us outside and that is where I felt my heart surge. The garden of this home has several “rooms” or distinct areas. The first room was accessible by the back kitchen door and utility room door. It was graveled, shady, and private. There was an arbor covered in sweet smelling wisteria vine and I almost immediately placed an imaginary dining table in this space with fairy lights and metal chairs. In the corner completely shaded by the arbor, I imagined Matthew curled up with a book on a comfortable chaise. The next room stepped down into a garden that had a little stove in the corner and beautiful sunny banks filled with roses, iris, peonies, bluebells, and mature shrubbery. The whole of the next central garden was lined by boxwoods all sheered to perfect roundness. The main garden room carried off from there with perimeters of beautiful perennial beds, fruit trees, and more plant arbors that gave way to shady spots that would remain cool on very hot days. The plants were gorgeous and had been loved and curated in such a way that I knew this had always been the heart of this property. There was a tiny hidden compost shed and storage area as well as space for a private but sunny vegetable plot. All of this was surrounded by shrubbery so no one could see in. It was magical.

I was horrified that the first house I saw gave me such a thrill. How easy was I? I’d hoped to be discerning, critical, and careful, but here I was swooning like a blushing bride. Several times the realtor looked at me and winked saying, “I’m not sorry I interrupted my day off because you are going to buy this house.” I told her I had many homes left to see in Brittany that I was very excited about and she winked again and told me exactly what the process would be should I decide to make an offer. She also reminded me a family from Paris had scheduled a 3-hour viewing for Friday afternoon. I spent time talking to the current owner who was a lovely British ex-pat who had bought the home seven years ago with the intention of making it a holiday home. He explained that when Covid and Brexit occurred, he and his wife decided to make it their primary home and they loved the little village where they soon made many friends.

I took a video of the entire house and Tori took careful notes on her phone. I told the realtor I felt it was essential that I view further properties and left completely exhilarated to drive to Brittany. Could this actually be the one?