Stone & Timber
Encased with a mix of stone and stucco and sporting a steep mansard roofline and charming shutters , this rambling chateau speaks loudly of the country French homes that inspired it. But an inviting porch nods to classic American ranch homes, proving that you can successfully marry architectural influences to achieve your own perfect translation.
European Manor House
Although built in the 21st century, this home looks as authentic as the 18th-century European manor house it was modeled after. Built in the courtyard vernacular, the home, like many others in the French countryside, contains a large square gravel forecourt. Its warm, honey-hue limestone ranges from white to caramel in color; a mixture of smooth and rough-cut pieces were used to create a traditional look. Rustic details, such as a simple portico and wrought-iron flourishes, add impeccable old-world panache.
Country French Entertaining
A tonnelle , or pergola, attached to the side of a stone facade provides the perfect venue for casual alfresco dining and relaxing sans sun overhead. Made of black hammered iron and topped with a bamboo roof, this tonnelle exudes French Provincial flavor thanks to its pairing with French doors framed by blue-gray shutters . Climbing vines trained onto arched iron support poles further soften the view. A pea-gravel patio lends authentic ?crunch? underfoot.
Well Traveled
A harmonious mix of architectural details inspired by travels within France gives this home its distinctive look. Wrapped in stucco and topped by tiles salvaged from a farm in Bordeaux, the home welcomes visitors with delphinium-blue shutters and doors, and wrought-iron balconies hung with potted geraniums.
French Welcome
It's clear to guests long before they pass through the circa-1670 stone front door surround that this Southern California home speaks fluent French. The grounds are overflowing with espaliered apple trees, olive groves, and drifts of lavender, and the exterior's low and rambling roofline is capped with 100-year-old red clay tiles. The gate and finials are 18th-century French antiques, but the French limestone pillars are new.
Cottage Comforts
This new home gutters soffits walls and hand-carved wood shutters complete the look.
Exterior Makeover
From its graceful peaked dormer to its crushed aggregate forecourt, this gracious home exemplifies a classic chateau exterior, which makes it all the more remarkable that the same house once boasted a midcentury modern facade. Its once half-brick, half-wood siding was resurfaced with stucco to provide a clean backdrop for French-blue shutters , stone lintels, and a magnificent stone door surround. A fanciful wrought-iron balcony, which was modeled after a building in rural France, serves as the home?s crowning glory.
As Seen in France
The exterior of this home was fashioned from plaster garage courtyard garden .
Mediterranean Color
Categorized as a muted terra-cotta or burnt peach, this home?s exterior color changes with the sun and the rain, much as a Provencal sunset would. The color was chosen to give the petite chateau a gentle patina to disguise its newness. Traditional French architectural hallmarks, such as a stucco exterior, tall arched windows, and a Juliet balcony further the been-around-for-forever illusion.
Natural Shapes
Located in California
Definitely French
Once a vaguely Italianate ranch, this home underwent dramatic renovations to become the gracious French manor it is today. Texas limestone surrounds the entrance, while soft green antique double doors welcome guests. The home boasts a bevy of country French features, such as a dovecote tower, old French balusters, zinc oeil-de-boeuf dormers, and a mansard-style roof.
Light Effect
The goal of capturing maximum light guided the design of this home inside and out. On the front of the house, tall, shuttered windows doors majestic pecan tree and leafy pergola
Mediterranean Marvel
A forecourt of large-pebble chert and a zigzag of stepping stones lead guests to the charming facade of this Mediterranean-style house. Lush vines climb up the stucco walls , and upstairs window boxes brim with geraniums and petunias. The red brick accents pleasantly contrast with the home?s honey-drenched walls and mossy-color shutters , imbuing the exterior with an old-world ambience.
Piece of Provence
Exuding French formality with its symmetrically placed windows limestone Provence
Castle Inspired
A hipped roof, a stone-covered turret, iron balconies, and a tall brick stone limestone
Front Porch Finesse
A remodeled 1920s Colonial receives a country French makeover . A barrel roof crowns the home?s new porch , French blue shutters pop against the pale yellow exterior, and the mahogany front door receives the royal treatment when it is capped with a Napoleon-hat detail.
Timeless Touches
Fitted with iron railings, this home?s shutter-flanked windows pay homage to the charming balconies found in many French apartment buildings. Round windows from a French chateau and a late-1800s bluestone door surround, treated with a slush-and-brush technique to mimic repaired stone, help instill the distinguished character of a century-old villa in the new home.
Federal Meets French Style
Built in Federal style in the 19th century, this early American home was heavily influenced by French architecture. The home boasts French blue shutters , tall windows capped with window lintels, and cozy dormers on its uppermost level.
Stony Success
Stone is cleverly used as an accent to add distinction to this home?s interesting architectural features. A large chimney, turret, front patio , and foundation all pop thanks to a medley of warm stonework. Romantic arched windows, French doors, and shutters carry out the home?s French-inspired theme, lending this home a patina well beyond its true years.
Provencal Redo
Built in the 1920s, this home formerly served as a carriage house, stable, caretakers' quarters, and greenhouse . The residence required a total redo before it could be called "home." A brick courtyard Provence
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