The French Files

The French House represents a long-held dream I share with my husband Andy to bring a taste of French lifestyle to our hometown of Melbourne. Since the dawn of time, our families have shared an inexplicable connection with France. There is absolutely no credible lineage that either family can trace to this gorgeous nation but we have – most all of us it seems- been born with a love for all things

French. I also thinks it helps that the country produces some of the most amazing wines and cheeses known on earth! So when the chance came up to move to Toulouse in 2006 for work and study, we jumped at it. During the year we travelled often and stayed in many chambre d’hôtes. The old French farmhouses we visited both fascinated and enamoured us: the casement windows with their cremone bolts; the large stone fireplaces; the crunch of gravel underfoot. The sheer history of the homes (if only walls could talk!)! We shared many a glass of wine with their owners as we enquired about their construction, interiors and gardens. Fast forward to 2014 and France was calling us back like a magnetic force. It had been six long years and we had celebrated our wedding, survived two home renovations and welcomed two energetic kids. Despite being petrified at the very prospect of travelling with our two “angels”, we couldn’t wait any longer. It took 36 hours of transit until we felt the crunch of gravel pulling into the driveway of our gîte in Bordeaux. Bless our dear host who greeted us with a chilled bottle of rosé. It took little more than the sound of that cork popping and the sight of the kids going troppo in the garden to know that our hectic city lifestyle needed to change. We needed more time for the simple pleasures we cherish:
1) quality time with family and friends where no one has to be anywhere in a hurry (nor worry about drinking and driving)
2) space for our cityslicker kids and their pals to go just a little feral

And the question was posed: could we create a little piece of France back home? How many other busy families were there, just like ours, who were desperate for the type of holiday when time stands still and one drinks wine on the terrace until the sun goes down and the mozzies start to bite? Plenty, we reckoned! And so it was decided. For the rest of the holiday, we trawled websites looking for land in Trentham. Within a week of returning home we had put a deposit on an acre block at the edge of town. It felt right in our gut, so we just went for it! So, why Trentham, you ask? Why not Daylesford? That is a really good question. Well, price, for one thing! The size of the town was another. Trentham is a budding little hamlet and, having spent a gorgeous day trip there – sans enfants – the year prior, we had already discovered that there was already a little hint of France in the air (see Annie Smithers’ Du Fermier) and a growing foodie following. Trentham being just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne's CBD (45 mins from the airport) was the clincher. That was 9 months ago and this page picks up our story just weeks before we turn soil and lay foundations on our plot. Countless hours have been spent poring over the house plans with our talented architects at Project12Architecture and we look forward to handing the site over to our builder Dean from ReelHomes who also shares our love for all things rustic, old or recycled. The French House will feature exposed timber beams, and shuttered French doors that spill open onto a vine-shaded terrace. Sleeping accommodation includes four bedrooms and two bathrooms, divided into two equal wings allowing two families to share the house in comfort and privacy. The garden landscape features a heated pool, synthetic grass tennis court and pétanque piste (bien sur!). I invite you to join in the journey and get excited with us as we progress through the build and make preparations to launch this unique property on the market. We value your support and your feedback dearly - so thank you in advance! Bien amicalement,
Narelle