French idyll
After many years of driving around France in their beloved 2CV, Charlotte and her husband finally found their beautiful home in Saillans, which is right in the middle of the Vallée de la Drôm with the river La Drôme running through the town. They bought a lovely house at 24 Grand Rue the same year their eldest son was born. He was only eight weeks old when he first came to Saillans. The family was and still is very overwhelmed by how warmly the people of Saillans welcomed them, which is why they have stayed.
After several wonderful years at No. 24, they moved to No. 12 Grand Rue in 1999, which is a 1.200 m2 house further down the street. Two families live here, and it is so large that it could easily be divided, so that they each have their own half, which is divided up like a regular apartment building. Charlotte and Hans have the entire Belle Etage on the first floor. On the second floor they have two guest rooms and a bathroom. There is also a terrace and garden, as well as several basement rooms. In several of the rooms they have kept the old wallpaper from Joseph
Dufour, which is a bit worn but really beautiful in all its decay, and the wallpaper bears witness to family life in a bygone era. The terrace is an absolutely fantastic place. It faces south and has sun most of the day, and if the sun gets too overwhelming, you can seek shade in the small garden under the olive tree or the vines. The interior is of course very much influenced by the house's original details, such as the beautiful, old Joseph Dufour wallpapers from the 1800th century, the carved walnut doors and the whole spirit of the house, which the couple is trying to preserve. The house is believed to be from 1776. The couple is very aware that the house should not appear like a museum but like a home with space to relax and enjoy life.
Charlotte's husband, Hans, is a former stage painter at the Royal Danish Theatre, and she is a trained decorator. For the past 11 years, she has been a store manager at the company Bungalow, and at the same time she has run her own online store Ladrome.dk, which sells linen, French brands and old French flea market finds. The couple has two sons, Vincent, 21, and Philippe, 25, who have filled the house with friends during most holidays. They have always been able to move freely in the big house, eat when they wanted and not at set times, and walk freely around the city and by the river, and as a result they have had some wonderful holidays just like in the old days, when you made up your own games when you were bored. The couple rents out the house on a holiday basis on the website Grandrue.dk. You can find the online store at Ladrome.dk.
