Hello Friends!
It's been a while since my last post, somehow I've been lacking a bit of inspiration but yesterday I was browsing through my old pictures on the phone and came upon this great building we discovered last September and I though I would share it with you.
For once I won't be writing about Scandinavian Modern Architecture but rather late 19th Century French tastefully restored with a bit of a modern touch.
Like many great things in life this visit wasn't planned. We were driving across France towards Normandy. It was a 10 hour drive that we planned to do in one day. We stopped for a good lunch on "Trucker Restaurant" on the side of the road and did a couple of pit stops to stretch our legs and visit picturesque french villages. At around 7:30 PM we were somewhere in the Loire Valley, and we had still a 4 hour drive to our destination. We decided it was getting late and it would be better to stop over and spend the night. So while I was driving, my wife started looking for hotels & B&B's in the area.
We always try to stay in small boutique hotels or Bed and Breakfasts with character, good reviews but without having to break the bank. We came across a place that was only 30 minutes away and the description said "A Historic 19th Century Court House in the Royal City of Loches Recently restored with all contemporary modern and refined amenities that will make your stay comfortable and unforgettable" There was no live pictures of the hotel, just some very beautiful architectural renderings, no customer reviews either but we decided to call them anyway and book a room for just 100 Euros. It seemed too good to be truth and we never stayed in a court house before, would the bedrooms be like prison cells? We kept looking for other options just in case.
30 Minutes later we arrived at a big square in downtown Loches and the hotel was standing right there, magnificent, surrounded by a black metal fence typical of the french public buildings.
Once you crossed the metal gate we had to go up a few steps and arrived at terrace overlooking the city with very modern black and white outdoor furniture & "greyge" umbrellas. The contrast between the modern furniture and the neo classical architecture of the building was stunningly beautiful and we were already dreaming of a glass of wine with some cheese on this outdoor patio the next day. Passed 8PM on a week night it was completely empty and already closed for the night!
The interior of this place was even more spectacular. I find that French Interior Design can be a bit over the top sometimes but when it's done right, it's just "Magnifique" The Foyer isn't very big. it has the Hotel reception in the middle, very small and minimalist. Very High ceilings and two oversized solid oak doors on each side wich are part of the original buildings features. On the right you can read "Tribunal Civil" which was the original Civil Court and on the left "Justice de Paix" which I'm assuming would have been the Penal Court.
Both side walls are made of white limestone blocks and ornate with 19th century columns, mouldings and plaster busts of local justice historical figures. In contrast with these historical features, a very colourful carpet was covering the whole floor. the back wall had a very interesting and modern royal blue wall paper and the whole place was illuminated by very sculptural gold and black lighting. Just Stunning.
We were checked in by very a very friendly reception clerk, and booked dinner for the night at the Justice de la Paix Room. We found out that the hotel had just opened 3 days ago which explained why there wasn't any live pictures or reviews online yet. (And probably why it was so cheap too) We couldn't believe our luck.
The dinner turned out to be a gastronomical experience too, I won't bother you with the menu or pictures of the dishes more suitable for a foodies community but will share instead pictures of the restaurant which turned out to be in the Civil court room. Again you can only admire the contrast between the old and new, with very subtle touches of colour. I was very pleased to see that this dinning room although inside a 19th century french court house, had all the ingredients of a Scandinavian Interior design. Very Lagom I would say!
The Bar in the civil court room was very stunning as well with lush velvet chairs and beautiful wood panelled walls painted in sage green. The Designer used a ranger of colours that the sober Scandinavians wouldn't have thought to put together, including a soft pink carpet on the floor, but in this case it works and the results are pretty harmonious don't you think? I'm just wondering how it will age.
The bedrooms were on the upper floors and no, they didn't look at all like prison cells. Very Spacious with high ceilings and tastefully decorated. You will have to believe me on that one as I didn't take any pictures.
The next morning we took our breakfast at the outdoor Terrace and spend a couple of hours strolling the cobblestoned medieval streets of the Royal City of Loches which is really beautiful. I couldn't believe we drove nearby a few times and never stopped.
All the buildings are very interesting and could be featured in a post on their own but I think I have overextended myself already so I will just leave you with a couple of pictures and will let you discover this medieval city on your own!
All pictures are mine and taken with my phone