House Nohant-Vic (36)

A group of buildings with an enclosed garden, just over 1½ hours from Orleans, 3 hours from Paris and but a stone’s throw from novelist George-Sand’s country house.
On the borders of the Champagne-Berrichonne region, to the south-west of the Indre department, in the natural Boischaut-Méridional area that George-Sand named “Vallée Noire” (Black Valley), meadows are to be found in the valleys on the edge of forests, marked by a maritime climate.
3 hours from Paris, 1⅔ hours from Orleans via the L’Occitane or A20 and the A77 motorways, less than 30 minutes from Châteauroux, a regional TER train station provides 2-hour links to Paris-Austerlitz and an airport charter flights to northern Europe and other southern destinations.
The hamlet is right next to Nohant. It comprises a group of buildings reflecting architectural unity. Constructed on Gallo-Roman foundations, the houses are scattered around the church, built in the 11th century. The place appears isolated, timeless, with no roads, parking areas or electricity.
Constructed in the 17th century, the two houses are in a good overall state of repair as major renovation works were carried out in 2017 (roof, insulation, laying of floors both inside and outside, with a sanitation system in line with current day standards). The architect who supervised the restoration works took meticulous care of the cleverly preserved and enhanced character features, like the rooms with their exposed roofing framework.
The first house on the property, clearly delimited by a hedge and a low stone wall, adjoins a neighbouring building. Two houses can be seen. The main, semi-detached house and the guest house. They are separated by a courtyard leading to the garden with an opening on to the countryside. The property is accessed via a chest-high, wooden barrier opening on to a gravel courtyard leaving a stretch of wooded lawn, enhanced with flowering shrubs. One section of the garden, planted with a few fruit trees, is separated by a stone wall and fencing. A first access is reached from the exterior, on the road side, via the first house. The second is set back then, on a slightly lower level, a garden shed used for storing gardening equipment. The roofs are covered with flat tiles, the walls are composed of quarry stone blocks, rendered using natural lime so as to leave the stone exposed. Lighting has been discreetly installed under the roofing framework.
The buildings give an unobstructed view on one side over the garden and the surrounding woods.
The main houseSpanning two levels, this house can be accessed via several entrances, one off the street, another in the gable near to the entrance gates and the third is round the back of the building. The area underneath a stone stairway is sealed off by oak wood planks and used for storage purposes.
The ceilings in all the buildings feature exposed beams. The floors are covered with parquet and limestone or terracotta tiles. Underfloor heating has been installed, cupboards are concealed by doors, panelling and mirrors. The walls are lined with wallpaper or rendered so as to leave the stone exposed with openings on both sides of each floor letting in through light. Each opening is embellished with oak wood shutters.
Ground floor
This level comprises a kitchen and a living area in the same room, with a cooker set in the hard stone moulded fireplace, dating from the 17th century. Next to it, a sink is surrounded by blue ceramic tiles. The floor is covered with large, limestone tiles. The ceiling features exposed beams. Through light comes in via the glazed doors opening on to the interior courtyard on the garden side and on to the road side.
First floor
A wooden stairway goes up to the first floor, where a hall area houses a toilet with a wash-hand basin. A lounge has beautiful oak wood parquet flooring, …