Are you looking for a property in the French neighbourhood - for weekends and holidays, for remote work in a relaxed environment or as a second home to commute between your country and France? This house offers the perfect setting for it: Spacious and spacious, completely renovated, designed and maintained by us over 16 years, in a fantastically beautiful natural location and in connection to a friendly and lively place on the edge of the Vosges.
The holiday home "Colonie de vacances Bol d'air Pablo Picasso", built in the 1960s, was part of the French holiday colony of the same name near Le Val d'Ajol until the 1980s. It stands at 600hm on a slope overlooking the valley and is located in the middle of a mixed forest. We took it over in 2008 and over the years transformed it into a modern and attractive, but also very cozy residential building with a lot of enthusiasm and attention to detail. For us, it was mainly a weekend and holiday home, but also a place to work.
Home and garden
Location and surroundings are unique. The detached house opens onto the garden and forest and captivates with an extraordinary atmosphere, characterized by tranquility, a natural environment and a fantastic view. The large garden was terraced, professionally designed and made accessible for low-effort maintenance. In the garden, many corners invite you to linger.
Environment and infrastructure
The house offers peace and nature, but also the direct connection to the friendly village of Val D'Ajol, only 4km away, with approx. 5000 inhabitants and a complete infrastructure of shops, craft businesses and public facilities. The small town is full of life: 3 bakeries, 2 supermarkets, 2 butchers, various organic and specialty shops, seasonal markets and some bars and restaurants contribute to this. A highlight on site is the hotel-restaurant "La Residence", which offers culinary delights at star level.
Living and dining area on the ground floor
When renovating the interiors, we tried to take advantage of the generosity of the 20x5m floor space and create a kitchen and living area with a loft character.
At one end of the 80sqm room is an 8m long, L-shaped kitchen made of custom-made stainless steel. It includes a high-quality 100cm oven stove from SMEG with extractor hood, 2 AEG refrigerators, an AEG dishwasher and kitchen cabinets with plenty of storage space for dishes and kitchen utensils. The 3m long custom-made dining table with 2 benches is made of solid oak. Up to 14 people can easily sit down and eat together here. From the kitchen you have an almost continuous view out into the garden and the valley through the many windows. So the way from the kitchen to the garden is not far.
The kitchen flows seamlessly into a living area with seating sets, large fireplace and table football.
On the sofa you can enjoy the Tour de France via projector or in autumn and winter the fireplace, which creates an extraordinary atmosphere.
Bathroom and bedrooms upstairs
The upper floor consists of 2 large living rooms and bedrooms, as well as the bathroom in between and is accessible via two covered outdoor staircases. This has proven to be an advantage when living in the house, as the sleeping wing is acoustically separated and quiet. Here, too, all windows have been replaced. There are electric shutters.
All rooms are completely renovated and renewed. The original solid wooden floors have been sanded and waxed. The bathroom has been fitted with high quality sinks and fittings as well as a bath and 2 showers. The floor and tub structure were poured from concrete by specialized craftsmen. The two bedrooms each have access to a separate (new) toilet.
The garden as an oasis of peace and joy in nature
The property is spacious and borders the forest on all sides. It has been terraced and divided into different zones, each of which invites you to linger in its own way.
The kitchen garden comprises 2 raised beds, each approx. 10 metres long, which are automatically watered with a specially created system. The ornamental garden is largely easy to care for with perennials.
In 2024, we built a wooden saunaus in the garden with its own foundation.
