A chance meeting, a house, and a dream, realized…
OUR PROJECT
Le Boucheron is the given name of the farm where Nicolas grew up. He took over the family farm and developed, as his parent had done before him, a herd of Charollais sheep. A narrow country road that weaves through forest and fields ends at the long-standing family home surrounded by acres of the farm. After having been inhabited for many years, this majestic and charming abode was given a new lease on life (began a new life) when Jane came into Nicolas’ world. It was immediately evident to the young couple that this very special place needed to relive its elegance. So in the autumn of 2012, they threw themselves, heart and soul, into the renovation of this stately home, built between the 16th and 19th centuries. The renovation was to become Jane’s principal activity over the next 3 years during which she would literally immerse herself into every aspect of construction, designing the project, then installing a swimming pool, numerous skylights, insulation, wallboard, tiles, breaking through stone walls, painting and more. In short, building holds few secrets for this former communications and marketing executive who left her life in Paris to establish a new life in the Limousine region. In the end, after a multitude of hours of hard work and effort, and thanks to the help of their families and entourage, Jane and Nicolas have opened 2 large vacation get-aways: one 7 bedroom home for 15 people and one 4 bedroom home for 10 people.
It is in this gentle and enchanting setting, silent and peaceful, that Jane and Nicolas are happy to welcome you and to share with you a slice of their life.
An environmental approach
OUR PHILOSOPHY
From the very beginning of the renovations, Jane and Nicolas have strived to respect the calm and well-being of the home as well as the building’s past by honoring environmentally-friendly, sustainable-energy construction and modifications.
Wood Wool Insulation
To insulate the exterior walls, they installed wood wool. This recycled material boasts excellent insulation from cold as well as from heat.
A Wood Chip Furnace
They chose a wood chip furnace to heat the house and produce hot water for the bathrooms and the pool. A wood chip heating system makes excellent use of white wood which grows quickly and, since it burns inefficiently as full logs, is not used in traditional wood furnaces. In the form of chips, the percentage of combustion is excellent. Here this system provides an ecological use of trimmings, rarely used in the past, from the many hedges along the farm’s roads and streams.
A Garden for the Treatment of Wastewater
To insulate the exterior walls, they installed wood wool. This recycled material boasts excellent insulation from cold as well as from heat.
Other Measures to Save Energy and Water
Naturally, recycling of all materials, including compostable matter is respected.
By 2016, all toilets as well as the washing machines will employ grey water.
Le Boucheron: a family farm
THE FAMILY FARM
Nicolas took over the family sheep farm from his parents in 2002, becoming his family’s third generation to work the land of Le Boucheron. Today the farm spreads over 200 hectares (nearly 500 acres) that nourish a herd of 1500 Charolais ewes.
Lambs, the principal product, are sold under the label “The Breeders of the Limousine Region”, the official stamp of quality. Nicolas also grows wheat, barley, oat and corn to nourish his herd during the winter and augment the lambs’ aliment of maternal milk, optimizing their growth.
A full three quarters of the farm’s land are grasslands, permitting the herd to graze throughout the year. The humid zones on the banks of streams as well as the areas that are not able to be cultivated remain grasslands and are managed in an extensive manner with neither fertilizer nor phytosanitary treatments. The cultivated fields are sown with clover-based seeds to insure a superior autonomous growth rich in protein and to avoid the use of Brazilian soy.
Overall, Nicolas is committed to limiting to the fullest extent the purchase of outside products in order to maximally favor the resources of Le Boucheron.
