This traditional French farmhouse has the best of old and new. Retaining the beautiful details of its original 18th-century design, it has been renovated with fun 21st-century design sensibilities. The outdoor spaces are pretty great too - and it's roomy enough to sleep 10 guests. 

This lovely French farmhouse, covered in vines and rose creepers, was built in the 18th century by the owners of Lusignac castle. It is available for rent with a separate guest house, located in the adjacent barn.  

The property has been refurbished with careful attention to its original character, using only local materials such as rough-hewn stone, limestone, clay tiles, lime plaster and oak beams. It also has single-glazed bar windows and wooden doors. One of the coolest features of the house is the fun decor - colorful textiles, vintage objects and modern art. 

In addition, it is surrounded in an orchard full of apple, plum, cherry, walnut and fig trees, brambles and lavender bushes. The house has two large terraces, one with a barbecue area and lily pond, and there is a swimming pool on the grounds, surrounded by palm trees and bamboo. It has an outdoor shower, a water-spouting diving board and a little blue and red pool house, which has its own WC, kitchenette, Finnish sauna, shower and changing room.   

ADDITIONAL FEATURES  

The main house has a large lounge with an open fire, a kitchen with dining table for 12, and a bedroom with an open fire and en-suite bathroom. The first floor has a double room with en-suite bathroom, an attic room with a single bed, and another bedroom with three single beds and a cot, as well as a bathroom. It has hot water, gas central heating, a washing machine and tumble dryer, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, electric oven with grill and gas hobs, extractor fan, satellite TV, stereo/CD player, telephone and wifi.   

The guest house sleeps two to three and has its own small patio. The living room has a Franklin fireplace and a kitchenette, the bedroom a double bed and large bathroom. It has its own gas-fired central heating, hot water, washing machine, two electric hobs, mini-oven with grill, refrigerator, TV, stereo/CD player, telephone and wifi.  

AROUND  

Lusignac is situated in the Dordogne of south-west France. There is a cool market on Fridays at Riberac. Popular destinations nearby include the historic towns of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (13km) and Villebois-Lavalette (18km). The property is 36km from Perigueux, the regional capital which is well worth visiting for its Roman remains including the Vesone Tower and an amphitheatre, the Chateau Barrière which dates back to the early Middle Ages, and the 16th-century Saint-Etienne church.   

Périgord is noted for its cuisine, especially its duck and goose, in the form of confit de canard and foie gras, and truffles. The Dordogne is also famous for having some of France’s finest prehistoric cave art, in the Vézère Valley.  

LOCATION  

Lusignac, France. Nearest airport: Bordeaux (1.30 hours by car).  

BEST TIME TO VISIT: From Easter to the end of October

Photographs by Sven Raben