Chateau de Varennes is conveniently located in South Burgundy close to the famous vineyards of Beaune. The current buildings date back to the 18th century and the interior grounds boast a very impressive size of 2,000 sqm for the main building with an additional 600 sqm for the Orangery which is used as a function hall for private or professional events. When the current owners Aymeric and Sonia de Truchis de Varennes inherited the property in 2009, it was too big to keep as a holiday house for the smaller modern families. At that time, they were both working in London and their American friends working in the high-end travel industry encouraged them to refurbish the property entirely and create an ultra-luxury chateau resort. The 2-year ambitious renovation project was led by Fabrice Bejjani, a French-Lebanese interior designer known for refurbishing luxury villas in Paris and on the Mediterranean coast. Fabrice’s signature is the attention to details and the ability to mix beautifully the historic features of the Chateau with contemporary accessories. In 2012, just after its opening, the Chateau de Varennes was already named by CNN among the top ten best wedding holiday resorts worldwide. So here is an exquisite option for your that dream wedding you have dreamt about all your life.
Grand salon (first floor)
This sumptuous reception room is dating back to the building of the property in the 18th century. Its original decor and furnishings were carefully maintained throughout the time. Lavish silk curtains and a white marble chimney are matching perfectly with the splendid Versailles parquet floor. Romantic paintings of the four seasons are displayed on each corner of the room, showing the then dominant influence of Marie-Antoinette’s taste for pastoral scenes. Silver tea set engraved with the family coat of arms : family collection, Tea cups : Hermes, Vase : Zoeppritz
Marie-Antoinette suite (first floor)
The Marie-Antoinette suite is adorned with a classical wallpaper featuring a very original silver pattern standing out of a soft purple background. This makes it look like a modern’s queen boudoir. The impressive high ceilings are balanced with more cosy fabrics used for the bed furnishings (velvet and tweed). The classic Louis XVI medallion chairs were upholstered with matching purple velvet and the silk curtains were also custom made. All the fabrics and soft furnishings used in this suite were sourced at Osborne & Little in London. Carpet : Zoeppirtz, Cashmere shawl : Jab, Cushions : apartment 9 India, Hand bag : Louis Vuitton, Notebook : Christian Lacroix, Tea cups : Fleux, Tray : Habitat, Vase : Coming B, Wall lamps : Stéphane Davidts, Wallpaper : Osborne & Little, Water jug : Fleux
Music lounge (first floor)
The music lounge is where all the guests gather for tea time or for drinks. Adorned with family portraites and painted in a classic pale grey similar to the iconic grey shade used in Dior stores, it has not changed much since the 18th century. The precious Italian ivory-inlaid ebony cabinet and the Louis XV chairs are precious family treasures as well as the authentic Murano glass chandelier which was brought back from Venice in the early 19th century. The contemporary accessories are bringing more joyful vibes to the otherwise very classical lounge. Clock : Joy de Rohan Chabot, Fur bedspread : Zoeppritz, Lamp 1 (left side of the sofa) Jeremy Cole, Lamp 2 (right) : Corep, Paint : La Seigneurie, Sofa and table : custom-made, Stool : Exsud, Turquoise jars : Fleux.
Princess suite (first floor)
Offering a lot of space and painted in elegant neutral colors like vanilla cream and off- white, the spectacular Princess suite is often used as a honeymoon suite. The wooden stand tailor-mannequin and the velvet sofa dating back to the 18th century are both vintage treasures from the family collection. The ceiling medallions are displaying lion heads which are edged with a delicate gold line. This gold line is also repeated in the en- suite bathroom. Bed head board, curtains : Dedar fabrics and soft furnishings, Cushions and bed cover : Jab, Hand bag : Cartier, Hat box : Country Casa, Paint : La Seigneurie, Shawl : Zoeppritz, Sofa : family collection, Vases : SMJ, Wall lamps : Stéphane Davidts. The Princess bathroom was custom made with marbles from Italy. The strip made with gold coated mosaic tiles is a subtle reference to the gold edge of the master room’s ceilings. Bath towel : Pretty linge, Gold coated mosaic tiles : Bisazza, Marble basin : custom made by Cristal marble, Tap : Hansgrohe, Toiletries : Eden Park et Exvoto, Wall lamps : Stéphane Davidts.
Kitchen (ground floor)
The kitchen was custom made by a local carpenter. Custom designed built-in include storage cabinets and a recessed display wall for storing small kitchen equipment. The vintage farm table and the modern pink chairs are conveying a joyful and relaxed atmosphere in contrast with the more neutral shades of the kitchen cabinets. With the attached pantry, the kitchen spans 100 square meters and the professional equipment allow the meal preparation for the 30 resident guests. Another large professional kitchen is available in the Orangery for big catered events. Cake stand : Habitat, Chairs : Habitat, Lamps : Hind Rabii, Paint : Farrow and Ball, Resident pastry chef : Muriel Arcos, Roller shades : Linum, Tea cups : Fleux, Tray : Habitat
Main dining room (ground floor)
While the elegant lounges on the first floor are very similar to reception rooms of a Parisian “hotel particulier”, the main dining room reminds one of an English gentleman’s library. This was actually the purpose of this room until the previous dining room (which was located in the current Princess suite) was moved from the first floor to this more convenient location on the ground floor. The wood panels were custom built by a local carpenter with oak trees from the property woods. The huge table extends to seat up to 25 guests. Another smaller dining room is available next to the main dining room and is used for children’s meals. Black candleholders : Conran Shop, Chicken wire cloche (cloche en fil de fer grillagé) :Un esprit en plus Porcelain plates and silverware with coat of arms : family collection, Tablecloth : tailor made, White candleholders : Bougies la Française, White low flower vase (coupe blanche) : Coming B
Jeanne suite (second floor)
The Jeanne suite is one of the 4 rooms on the second floor which were painted in 16 different shades of grey (4 different shades of grey were used for each room : walls, doors, door frames, ceiling, ). In order to contrast with this neutral background, a fifth color is used in each en-suite marble bathroom as well as for the soft furnishings (curtains, beddings and seat covers). All these bedrooms are equipped with ultra king size beds allowing them to be transformed into twins if necessary. The Jeanne suite is the only room to feature built-in shelves which replaced a former fireplace. The simplicity of the Louis XVI sofa is matching well with the authentic wood flooring, the exposed beams and the sober wall lamps. Bed head board, bed spread, upholstered sofa, cushions, curtains : tailor made with Dedar fabrics and soft furnishings. Hand bag : Thursday Friday, Lamps : Stéphane Davidts, Yellow bed cover : Zoeppritz
Louise suite (second floor)
The designer Fabrice Bejjani used an autumnal colour palette to soften the bright natural light due to the double exposure of the Louise suite. With East-facing exposure, the master room is providing a superb sunrise view on the private Chapel of the chateau. The. An open walk in wardrobe was built behind the headboard and the study room is overlooking the pool and French gardens. Except for the Marie-Antoinette suite which is decorated with Osborne and Little fabrics, all the other bedrooms are appointed with exceptionally high quality fabrics and soft furnishings provided by Dedar, the famous Italian brand who just created a joint venture with Hermes. Bed head board, bed spread, upholstered chair, cushions, curtains : tailor made with Dedar fabrics and soft furnishings. Fur bed cover : Zoeppritz, Orange boxes : Sarah Lavoine, Wall lamps : Stéphane Davidts
Chapel outdoor by David Brenot chapel indoor_by DB Chapel
After the destruction of the village church during the French Revolution, the owners of the Chateau de Varennes decided to rebuild a new church on their premises. Due to various hiccups including the first World War, the Chapel was only completed in 1920 but its timeless architecture took inspiration from the romanesque style of the Middle Ages. The capacity is 80 guests and it is frequently used for many celebrations. It is quite unique that a private chapel can host Catholic weddings and christenings.
Chateau de Varennes cocktail area LD Outdoors
With 100 hectares of private land, the property is offering substantial space for big functions and for practicing various sports including clay-pigeon shooting. A big cocktail area is set in front of the main chateau with fields and woods on one side and French gardens on the other side.
Pool area
The heated pool is quite large (16m) and is equipped with luxury outdoor furniture by the famous brand Kettal. The fully renovated pool house is featuring a kitchenette, a shower, a changing room and toilets.
www.chateaudevarennes.fr
Images- Alexandra Meurant
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