I saw an Instagram story recently that said, “Approximating a European vacation by walking 40,000 steps in shoes not meant for walking, then eating cheese outside.” Which, having recently come back from just such a trip (in suitably unsuitable shoes), feels accurate.
With all love for the do-it-all, pack-in-as-much-as-possible trip, there’s something to be said for going someplace quiet and doing absolutely nothing.
Located two hours outside of Paris, Le Moulin guest house offers just such a respite. It’s the work of couple Lucas—founder of the design and architecture studio Hauvette & Madani—and Marine, with 10 years of experience in ready-to-wear fashion and “a growing taste for vintage decor and objects, giving them a place in the 21st century.”
“With Le Moulin,” the couple says,” we wanted to create a memory factory, a place to gather and reconnect with what matters most: nature, family, and friends. We found that feeling of escape here in this haven of peace where a river flows through.”
The guest house is designed to inspire slow living—but the two also took a slow approach to its design. Redone by Lucas’s firm, and finished with details hand-done by the couple themselves, “we decorated the house to the rhythm of flea markets and empty houses,” they say. “We favor ‘upcycling’ to give life back. We don’t get attached to objects either—everything (or almost everything) is for sale!”
Join us for a virtual tour—and scroll down for a look at the sublime outdoor dining situation, no shoes required.
Photography as noted, courtesy of Le Moulin.
Above: Le Moulin is just two hours from Paris (“Take the A10,” they advise). “Here, the trees are centuries old, the orchards are rich in fruit, and the Sarthe countryside flourishes between fields and hedged farmland.” The two-hectare property has an orchard and a river. Photograph by Adel Slimane Fecih.
Above: Lucas’s firm has worked on residential projects and high-end hotels in Paris and elsewhere since 2010—including Les Bains Gardians in the Camargue, a Remodelista favorite. In updating the historic buildings at Le Moulin, they opted for “a wise balance between antique furniture, soft colors, and noble materials.” Photograph by Adel Slimane Fecih.
Above: In the living area, a mix of white matte tiles, wood-clad walls, and warm hues.
Above: The couple’s goal: “Give a soul back to a space that was uninhabited for more than a hundred years. While Lucas drew, freehand, the pattern that adorns the kitchen wall, Marine reupholstered the antique chairs.” Photograph by Delphine Jouandeau.
Above: Brick floors meet graceful archways. Photograph by Adel Slimane Fecih.
Above: The kitchen invites cooking meals in, with ingredients from the market. Thoughtful details include a built-in dish drainer alongside the sink and floor-to-ceiling curtains that can pull across to conceal the open shelves. (Note also the peek-a-boo cat passageway beneath.) Photograph via Inside Closet.
Above: There are six bedrooms in the main house. “Connected by an inner courtyard, two other spaces are open to travelers: The suite, inspired by the seventies, with its carpet on the floor,” and the two-level Sheepfold, which has Pierre Frey curtains that belonged to Lucas’s grandmother.
Above: Among the mix of antique and vintage finds (many of them for sale here) are the works of select artists: handmade wall hangings by Atelier Paolo, ceramics by Vincent Shoepfer, and Marine’s own mosaics.
Above: Just out of view in this bath: L.M. (for Le Moulin), a monogram in tile. Photograph by Ludivine Le Cornec.
Above: On a tiled bedside table: Hay’s Matin Table Lamp.
Above: “Nature reigns supreme, luxury is unpretentious,” and long, barefoot lunches are encouraged.
Above: The ideal way to cool off.
Above: Lucas and Marine. Photograph by Catherine Madani.
For more on Le Moulin and to inquire about booking, head here.
And for more French guest houses we love, available for stays, feast your eyes on:
