Fontainebleau, Île-de-France 77300

An 18th-century house with a walled garden, a short walk from fields and forest, 1 hour from Paris and 10 km from Fontainebleau. A stone porch framed by tall rubble stone walls mark the entrance to the property, behind which a lane leads to a track lined with meadows where horses graze on the edges of the famous Fontainebleau public forest, only 450 metres away. The house stands around a courtyard paved with cobbles, in which Mediterranean vegetation made up of olive trees, lavender and grapevines converses with mineral materials. The rendered stone faade is punctuated by large windows with black steel frames and by two wall dormers in stone, fitted with wrought iron guard-rails, in keeping with the attributes of the local architecture. The house has been fully and carefully restored, with respect for the place's spirit and with the aim of instilling a modern interior appearance. The roof made of local flat tiles, lime rendering, modern yet discrete windows and elegantly laid out volumes all reflect a deliberate choice for sobriety and quality. Inside, there are generous volumes with impressive ceiling heights. The north-south orientation and dual-aspect rooms allow the light to stream through the building, while the large windows make the garden appear like a canvas of foliage. The living space is unique, with white painted exposed beams, a graphically lined black steel cantilever staircase and solid oakwood wide stripped flooring throughout the house. The discretely incorporated fireplace provides a minimalist touch. The mix of materials used is coherent and their choice is sustainable: polished concrete, corian, steel and untreated wood. Lastly, the house is fitted with a reversible air conditioning system and high-performance double glazing.