I said on Saturday how it has been seven years since the boys first saw what was to become Eco-Gites of Lenault. We moved here 2 months later and since then things have certainly changed a bit. Here are 6 double pictures of the gite and grounds then and now to show you what I mean.
What was to become the gite was an old hay barn with cattle shed and storage room. It's a bit more habitable now it has been converted I think you might agree!
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| The gite |
Next to the gite was an old bakery with crumbling walls and a leaky tin roof. This is now our freezer and storage room and in summer the upstairs is where friends can sleep if they want, so long as they don't mind the odd spider!
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| The Old Bakery next to the gite |
In the gite to be, upstairs the entire barn was full of hay, but we managed to scrabble up and get this photo of what was to become the mezzanine bedroom.
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| The mezzanine |
Outside it was all very overgrown and full of dilapidated sheds and rubbish. We cleared and flattened the ground to make the play area:
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| The Play Area |
The old storage room is now the gite kitchen:
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| The Gite Kitchen |
And the old cattle barn I mentioned is the gite living room with the cosy fireplace for winter visits:
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| The Gite Living Room |
So that is my story for today - the story of how an old unused barn became a gite that has since welcomed over 70 families from 14 countries worldwide. Hopefully we will welcome many more over the next 7 years. Will you be one of them?
What a fabulous transformation! I love looking at then and nows like this, and yours are brilliant x
ReplyDeleteThank you Jocelyn :)
DeleteThat's amazing, what a wonderful transformation! You obviously have put a great deal of time and effort into making these changes, lovely :)
ReplyDeleteMerci Iona - Simon did all the hard work to be honest - I was merely in the background making tea, choosing furnishings and keeing the boys out of the way!
DeleteWow, what a transformation! You've done really well with it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Fiona - it was hard work but worth it.
DeleteHow very satisfying. :D Love before/after pics and those really show how much you have achieved.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sally - it was Simon who had the vision and did all the hard work though!
DeleteIt is always nice to see before & after photos! Love the amazing transformation. This and the Coombe Mill are my dream destination! Someday hopefully we can go and visit your Gite cuz it just looks awesome =) #WhatsTheStory
ReplyDeleteThank you Merlinda - some day I hope you can make it over here :)
DeleteWow what a transformation. It looks like so much hard work has gone into it. I would find it hard to visualise from looking at a barn. I hope its a wonderful home for you now.
ReplyDeleteSadly our house still needs the Simon treatment - it is far more scruffy than the gite!
DeleteWow! What a transformation. You have achieved so much, I imagine you are very proud x #whatsthestory
ReplyDeleteThank you and we are, Louisa. We also love the fact so many families have enjoyed out little transformation when on holiday here.
DeleteWhat a transformation. Bet you're glad you took the before photos. It really looks wonderful. A tribute to you both, that you could look at it's dilapidated state and see what it could be. Here's to the next 7 years.
ReplyDeleteWe did miss taking a few before photos. The one I really wanted and forget was the complete mess that was the gite front garden and driveway the day BEFORE we were to welcome our first guests. Seeing that I don't think anyone could have believed we would be ready but it the style of all good make-ever programmes we made it ... with just minutes to spare!
DeleteOh my word Rosie you have done so much! It looks amazing, such a great transformation. Must be great to look back and see what you've done. Great post, thanks for sharing with #whatsthestory
ReplyDeleteThank you Charly - it was extremely hard work (especially for Simon) but well worth it ... now to get our house done up in a similar way!
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