Decorating these rooms, along with the Orangerie, felt daunting at first. I had never had curtains made before, never chosen wallpaper, and certainly never imagined decorating rooms on this scale. To help me, I worked with an interior designer who created mood boards and suggested suppliers, which was especially helpful as I was still new to France. Even so, I am still amazed at how it all eventually came together. The woman who made all of our curtains was incredible and made the process feel far easier than I had expected. Once I had chosen the wallpaper, the paint colours followed, and I decided to be bold. This was not an apartment — it was a château, and it needed to be decorated on that scale. I still remember the painter calling me in when the cornice colour first went on, convinced that it could not possibly be the right shade because he did not believe I would have chosen something so strong. Only when everything came together did he finally admit that he loved it — and by then he was taking photographs of the finished work himself. We used the framing from the old timber panelling to border the wallpaper, with one strip vertical and one horizontal in one room, and two verticals in the other.

One great gift in these rooms was the artwork left behind. We inherited two large paintings from the château. One was vibrant in purples and blues, while the other initially looked almost like a blank canvas. Later, we discovered that it was in fact a genuine artwork, complete with papers from the artist, and part of a series called White. Once the walls were painted, the faint circle within it became much more visible, and it worked far better than it had before on a plain white wall. Having these large pieces already in place was a huge help, because the walls in these rooms are substantial and needed artwork with enough presence to hold them.

We also bought two old chairs with upholstery in very poor condition, and rather bravely I declared to Peter that I would recover them myself. Famous last words. It quickly became obvious that this was not a job for an amateur. Thankfully, Marilyn — the wife of our electrician, who was not working because of COVID and had already become such a gift to us — came to the rescue. As a couture machinist in a five-star hotel, she had real experience with fabrics and upholstery. Even so, these chairs tested her patience, with days spent removing endless tacks and staples. The result was extraordinary. They now sit beneath the large painting, drawing out the purple tones beautifully, and they are wonderfully comfortable. It was a huge job, but absolutely worth it.

When the reception rooms were finally finished, the floor protection was removed, the radiators were painted, the windows cleaned, the skirting boards and timber sliding doors polished with beeswax, and the glass made to shine. Even the sliding door hand plates were cleaned, revealing a lovely surprise: what we had thought was chrome turned out to be brass on the Orangerie side and silver on the reception room side. That kind of detail made us smile.

Of course, old buildings always have a way of keeping you humble. We had just moved the first two sofas into place while the plumber was working upstairs in a bathroom. He reconnected a pipe that did not seem right to him, and we then discovered why it had been bypassed: there had clearly been an old leak. Suddenly, a large section of cornice came crashing down. It was a real shock, and especially upsetting because we were expecting guests that weekend. In the end, we patched it as best we could, placed a pot plant in front of it, and hoped no one would notice too much. Thankfully, it has since been properly repaired and caused no further problems. We had used a paper on the ceiling to smooth out the finish of the old plaster, and the effect was lovely and lasted well. Then, in January 2025, nearly five years later, Peter had to reglue the edges and repaint the ceiling. These rooms have certainly brought a few reworks over the years, but we have never stopped loving them.

The Orangerie had its own story. My vision for that room was to bring back something of its original spirit — a place that once would have displayed evidence of travel, with plants and images of animals and botanicals from distant places. I chose a wallpaper full of toucans and tropical plants, imagining rather naively that wallpaper was simply a matter of hanging it on the wall. Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple in a château. Because the wall I wanted to use was rough render, we first had to create a smooth surface. Plasterboard had to be fixed along the full length of the wall. Our first attempt to glue it failed, so it had to be screwed in place instead. Then came plastering, sanding, and only after that could the wallpaper finally be hung. We were fortunate to have a very talented painter and decorator working with us at the time, because I suspect Peter and I might otherwise have given up — and that would have been such a shame. The wallpaper transformed the room exactly as I had hoped. With bird prints, botanical prints, banana trees in pots, and other plants, the Orangerie went from a plain white room to a bright, joyful space that feels sunny whatever the weather.

The Orangerie windows are beautiful, though they come with their own demands. They require scaffolding to paint and even to clean, and every year we need that scaffolding again. Still, we would not change them for anything. In winter wedding ceremonies, or on rainy days, they allow you to feel almost as though you are outdoors because of the extraordinary light. In the colder months, when we use the space for our winter restaurant, it still feels bright and sun-filled even on the greyest day.

The Orangerie runs the full length of the two reception rooms and the entrance hall, with the large double doors opening directly onto the river terrace and perfectly aligned with the front door. From the moment you step inside the château, you can see all the way through to the river. We fell in love with this part of the château the very first time we walked in, and even now guests often give a little gasp of surprise when they enter. We always knew we had to get these spaces right — and make them truly special.