Fairytale Cottage in France The New York Times 2.18.09

Fairytale Cottage in France
The New York Times 2.18.09

This leaning French home featured in The New York Times dates to the 12th-century — and it gives us the willies! Looking like a witch's chateau, the house is in Louviers, France (about 60 miles north of Paris) and is the home of chef and food writer Susan Herrmann Loomis...

The home is 3,800 square feet of living space and was a convent for 300 years. Loomis has modernized the kitchen and writes her books in one of the seven bedrooms (converted to an office).

Read all about the legends of this ancient home:
In France, a Labyrinth of a House and see more pictures in the slideshow.

(Images: Owen Franken)

Comments (14)

The best part of the house: the Obama sign in the yard...

posted by MFlick on February 18th 2009 at 5:03pm
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MFlick - ha! good eye....I hadn't noticed

posted by Aaron on February 18th 2009 at 5:09pm
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First thing I saw was the Obama sign too!

posted by marlamischief1 on February 18th 2009 at 5:14pm
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lovely. it's nice that there are people out there committed to maintaining these treasures.

posted by foodefafa on February 18th 2009 at 6:05pm
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how amazing

posted by hanako66 on February 18th 2009 at 7:15pm
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Am I doing the math right, a house they bought for 60,000 is now over 7 million? I remember a magazine story about this house and her commissioning of the custom built stove. Curious about the spirit inhabitants that the article mentions. Who does she think is in her house?

posted by Kate (NC) on February 18th 2009 at 7:20pm
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I would be so paranoid about ghosts.

posted by ChloÃƒÂ« on February 18th 2009 at 10:44pm
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Here's an AMAZING tour of a faux Bavarian Castle outside Toronto, complete with secret passageway: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/01/folly-bavarian-castle-in-mississauga/

posted by ChrisToronto on February 19th 2009 at 8:51am
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Beautiful!!!!
I am so very fond of these old treasures.

posted by polychrome1 on February 20th 2009 at 3:38pm
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Beautiful house. So much atmosphere and character. I'd love to live in this old beauty.

posted by Josephina on February 20th 2009 at 8:01pm
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Kate (NC): You've got an extra zero in there, I think. It'd be about $750,000 now. Great price appreciation, for sure, but not quite as crazy as you thought.

posted by bonanos on February 21st 2009 at 10:07am
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Love the Obama sign. Hate the house--and I usually like ancient, run-down buildings, the older and more decrepit the better. Too bad there were no decent photos of the common areas.

posted by madsarah on February 21st 2009 at 1:17pm
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I live in an old house in Houston and every room slopes in a different direction and it drives me crazy.. had to take the wheels off of the bed because it would roll into the center of the room .. this house would push me over the edge, I guess the spirits are the long departed still looking for something that rolled away...No Thank You...

posted by tex.a.lex on February 21st 2009 at 3:16pm
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The best thing about the house is that it is a house, not a museum. I love the Obama sign, but I love the lived-in quality more, and the fact that it appears to be falling down. That it is not falling down makes it so much more appealing.

posted by Usbek de Perse on February 22nd 2009 at 3:26pm
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