When we first bought Château de la Boutinière, we knew we were taking on a rather enormous project. What we probably did not fully realise was just how many stories would come with it.
Some of them are about renovation, of course. There are rooms to restore, walls to repair, gardens to tame and endless decisions to make. But there are also the stories behind the move itself, the first nights in the château, the strange noises, the discoveries we are still trying to understand, and the history that slowly reveals itself as we spend more time here.
That is why we have now started a Patreon account, for those who would like to follow the château journey in a little more detail.
On Patreon, we are taking our Patrons on a more private tour of Château de la Boutinière, room by room. Some videos are about the beautiful interiors, some are about the practical side of restoring an old French château, and others are simply about the odd, funny or unexpected things that happen when you live in a building with such a long past.
So far, we have begun with an introduction to the château before opening the doors to the ground floor and our grand salons. The tour then continues upstairs, with the first floor, the bridal suite and some of the rooms and details that often raise the most questions. We have also started to explore the sous-sol, which has its own stories and surprises.
Alongside the tour, we are adding more of our memoirs from buying the château and moving to France. That part of the story includes some wonderful memories, but also some difficult ones. Life here has never been dull, and the early days certainly gave us plenty to talk about.
Patreon gives us a place to tell longer stories and post videos without trying to squeeze everything into a quick social media update. It also helps support the ongoing work of bringing this beautiful old building back to life, which is something we are very grateful for.
So, if you would like to see more of the rooms, hear more of the stories, and follow the renovation journey more closely, you can now join us on Patreon.
We will be there every Sunday, opening another door and showing a little more of life at Château de la Boutinière.