Édito

Family Home

Family Home

Laurence de Charette

These pages will take you on an extraordinary journey.

Forget about those perfect beaches, on the other side of the world, or those interminable flights, spent squashed into a tiny seat etc.

When you open Le Figaro Properties magazine, you’re embarking upon a different kind of adventure. You may find yourself … sitting, thoughtfully, shaded by a great oak tree, on the terrace of a sturdy, northern property; or listening to the creaking of the chevron parquet floor in a townhouse opposite Parc Monceau, the light coloured wood, perfectly polished; or even inhaling the cool air conjured up by the image of the Provençal farmhouse with its imposing walls –they must be more than one metre thick, don’t you think?– the mere thought has you extending your arms as if to measure… and, as you turn the pages, you experience that special thrill evoked by this connection with the past and ancient history.

A soothing sensation envelops you as you gaze, admiringly, at a romantically old-fashioned Norman manor house; or a pretty château flanked by its charming, asymmetric towers; a beautiful and comfortable home, with a long poplar-lined driveway. You brush against the imaginary walls a thousand times, spreading your palm flat to feel the power of the stone. The spirit of the place leaps off the page, travelling through time and space. The reason why it feels so wonderful to flick through these pages – whether you want to purchase one of these rare properties or simply dream - is because the Provençal farmhouse, the manor house, the château and the numerous other dwellings, all essentially convey the same message: they speak to us of families, transmitting knowledge and stories. Listen to these walls which vibrate with the words of children, and reverberate with wild dreams and desperate sorrows; the maelstrom of life is embodied within these walls. So, rather than planning a return-trip to the Seychelles, you may prefer to spend your Sundays – past, present or future – in your dream family home. And this wonderful journey that you get to experience by reading Le Figaro Properties, will also be a deeply personal, inner journey