A comfortable, harmonious home

Taste the charm of a country home with an 18th-century atmosphere, recreated by passionate owners Henry and Renée Viguier.

Elegant architecture

Beneath its square, regular appearance, the Château de Bouges hides a great deal of charm. A closer look at its facades reveals traces of the modifications made over the centuries to turn the château into a modern, domestically functional residence.

The four pediments are the only decorative elements carved in Villentrois tufa stone: on the east side, the main entrance features the builder's coat of arms; on the opposite side, on the west side, the rural aspect of the premises, with flowers, vegetables and garden tools; and on the north and south sides, rocaille cartouches surrounded by more traditional flower garlands.

Château de Bouges, façade ouest et bassin
© Yann Monel / Centre des monuments nationaux

A refined interior

As soon as you enter the Hall of Honor, the decor changes. Forget white tufa! Make way for trompe l'oeil marble. Each era has left its mark on these premises, to the point where we no longer really know what the original decor might have been.

Nevertheless, a very eighteenth-century atmosphere and harmony emerges. Mrs. Viguier, the last owner, surrounded herself with the best craftsmen and decorators to bring back to life the residence, emptied by the previous owners, the Dufour family.

Château de Bouges, le hall d'honneur
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux

A room, an atmosphere

Château de Bouges, cabinet de travail
© Caroline Rose/ Centre des monuments nationaux

Château de Bouges, chambre de Madame Viguier
© Caroline Rose/ Centre des monuments nationaux

Château de Bouges, salle à manger
© Caroline Rose / Centre des monuments nationaux

Château de Bouges, salon bibliothèque
© Caroline Rose / Centre des monuments nationaux

Château de Bouges, la chambre aux perroquets
© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux

Each room has its own atmosphere and personality: waxed wood panelling for Henry Viguier, floral textiles for his wife; golden touches for the dining room and the grand salon, the reception rooms; a more intimate ambience for the library and the Atelier (their living room). Some rooms are even named after their decor, such as the inevitable Perroquets room.

Renée Viguier made a point of reusing textiles already present in the château when it was acquired in 1917, as well as purchasing old hangings to make her new decors. Textiles being expensive, the reuse of old fabrics is a time-honored tradition; removing damaged hangings, cutting them up and reassembling them to make curtains or quilts, is quite traditional. These techniques are still used today in restoration work.

Exceptional furniture

The Viguier couple bought, selected and arranged a profusion of furniture to create a veritable collection. Most of the furniture is from the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods, installed according to the universe and function of the rooms.

Furniture with transformations (such as the library step stool) or mechanisms (such as the watercolorist's armchair) are of interest to this couple of enthusiasts and collectors, with some pieces even making the reputation of the premises.