A house is just a house, until you make it your home. Whether it's a mango-colored tiny home or a house customized for cats, it's so interesting to see how people make over and customize their dwellings to suit their needs.
I'm not a particularly crafty or industrial person. I see "DIY" and think, "I'd better call a contractor" — but for some people in the world, their greatest joy and dream is to flip houses and renovate old homes into stunningly gorgeous dwellings.
Sometimes I feel too lazy to even hang up a new piece of art, so I can't imagine "flipping" an entire French château, but to Karina and Craig Waters of Perth, Australia, having the opportunity to renovate an abandoned château is a dream come true.
The couple went to France in 2011 to look for houses. Everything they saw seemed too clean, neat, and "quiet." They nearly gave up until their 16-year-old son Ben found a property for sale online that changed their entire lives: An enormous, abandoned château that was initially built before 1580 and rebuilt in 1741 by the Marquis Louis Gaspard de Sales, or the "King of the Pyrénées," as he was famously known.
They knew that turning this mammoth mansion into a suitable dwelling space would be a struggle, but it fit the mold of the "shabby chic, rustic" home that they'd been dreaming of.
It looks like something right out of a fairy tale, and now they're making their own fairy tale. Please SHARE these photos with friends.
The property was purchased in the 1990s by a national syndicate that planned to convert the château into apartments. Fortunately, these plans were blocked by the French Historic Monuments organization, but the dispute caused the building to fall into massive disrepair.
The roof had imploded and needed to be completely replaced. There was no plumbing or water, but they could see the building's potential.
Karina agreed to oversee the restoration while Craig worked from Australia.
Karina says, "At this stage of the project, I must confess that my eyes were shut tight and that denial was sweetly comforting."
The house escaped destruction during the French Revolution, and some rooms even feature frescoes, murals, fireplaces, and embellishments from the past two centuries.
The once gorgeous château...
...needed a lot of attention, but the end product will be worth it.
Not only will construction, painting, wiring and plumbing be difficult and extensive, Karina will have to face a lot of red tape and paperwork from the French Historic Monuments organization.
For many months, she could not get the organization to respond or agree to her plans, even though she was so willing to work with them. She admits that at one point they had "broken her positive spirit."
But Karina is as crafty in her negotiations as she is in her renovations. She told them she was just going to sell it back to the highest bidder if they didn't respond. Once she'd said that, she received a response a mere five hours later approving her work on the château.
If the château feels too large for a family of four, that's because eventual plans for the house include possible commercial activities such as conference rooms, wedding venues, a cafe, and hotel rooms.
They know that returning the home to its former glory may be too cost ineffective and perhaps not even physically possible, but they plan to do all they can.
The house has hosted centuries of lavish parties for nobility and prominent intellectuals. Voltaire was a common guest at these gatherings.
The surrounding village is quintessential French countryside with winding paths, beautiful mountains, and a wide variety of fruit-bearing trees.
A simple stroll in the area provides ample opportunities for visitors to pick apples, pears, berries, and figs and enjoy the clear air.
Unsurprisingly, the château is still undergoing construction, but even without the renovations, it's a sight to behold.
Please SHARE this incredible space with friends. Check out footage of the interior below.
