Who we are
We are François and Nathalie Grauss and we’ve been living in Celon since 2016, when our big boys, Yoann and Valentin, went to leave the family nest.
It’s been a total lifestyle change for us, because up to that point we had lived in the Paris region. The lifestyle becoming too much to bear, our choice of the countryside was a matter of vital importance!
Having changed careers, the idea is to attempt food autonomy as a first stage, then expand our activities on our estate.
Why “Les Myosotis”?
“Les Myosotis” (English: “The Forget-me-nots”) because – quite simply – they’re a favorite flower, for both François and I. When we arrived there weren’t any, so I’ve been planting them little by little and sowing them here and there.
So, we decided to call our place “Les Myosotis” even if, on a map, the hamlet is called ‘Bord’, and, on older maps, “domaine de Bord”.
Why the Berry region?
Because I was born about 70 km from here, and Argenton has always been a town I’ve liked, since childhood. It’s a homecoming of sorts.
Choosing this place
We fell under the spell of this plot and recognised its potential. Its proximity to Argenton was also a determining factor (its beauty, attractivity, vitality, infrastructure, businesses etc.)
When we arrived there was a liveable house as well as a farmhouse the former owners had begun converting. We fell for its spaciousness and could already see ourselves in the farmhouse with two large French windows looking out over the verdant terrain – what a dream!
But reviving a renovation project a number of years after the works had been abandoned is no mean feat.
All the same, we knew that we would be able to take our time, given the already liveable neighbouring house with its 3 bedrooms and large kitchen-lounge. We knew we would be to rent it out once we’d moved into the other house.
The other farmhouse is more of a garage, and the former pigsty of a DIY workshop.
All in all, they’re a collection of old buildings which used to form a farm distinct from our neighbour’s property located just to the side of the main road.
We’re rolling our sleeves up!
We started by creating vegetable patches, then went about clearing the entire perimeter of the 2 hectares, in order to fully repair the old boundary fencing, as well as the grove which was at one point impenetrable.
We planted fruit trees, put up a greenhouse, made a shelter, a chicken pen, a pond… in short, carried out about one year’s work before taking on the house in which we wanted to live.
So, since December 2019, after just over one year of works, we have been living in our now home. Our previous home of 2 and a half years then became a furnished holiday let for tourism and work experiences.
At the start of 2020 we carried out works on the cottage. The shower room was too large and the corridor leading to the first floor was dark and very narrow. What’s more, the toilets were within the corridor and it was an upflush! So we took it all down, made a smaller shower room but with a larger shower basin, normal toilets in a separate room, with a hot-cold water sink, so that the corridor would be spacious and the stairwell would have much more natural light.
Eco-toilets for the garden are currently in construction.
It’s your move
We really have had a great time in this house; it’s a very pleasant place to stay. We hope you will have just as good a time staying there as we did. The walled garden round the back is separate from our house and is pleasant in all the seasons.
We wish you a pleasant stay in Bord.
Welcome to Les Myosotis.