the house is located about a kilometer outside the small village of massignac, in the department of france known as the charente. you can find it on a map exactly halfway between angouleme and limoges. it's southwest of paris, about an hour north of bordeaux, and about two hours inland from the atlantic coast.

the house was inhabited by an long-time bachelor, so while it had the basics (toilets and a shower) it was in need of a lot of aesthetic attention. and it still is: this renovation project is a long-term one because there's a lot to do, and we're doing it one project at a time.