KATE ARMITAGE
This 17th century stone-built maison de maitre is situated in the heart of the Dordogne. Ten years ago Katie and her husband Mike were looking for a French holiday home but after viewing the semi derelict property they decided to restore it and live there full-time. The ground floor was opened up to create a spacious kitchen/ dining/ sitting room which opens onto the terrace which surrounds the swimming pool. Mike is an imaginative gardener and he has used trees, shrubs and flowers to create a lush garden that marries elements of the traditional English garden with those of a warmer climate. Texture, shape, colour and scent have all been considered and the large circular stone planters are unusual features that provide a link with the past - the property was formerly a walnut mill.
Back in 2005, with four double bedrooms and a huge attic where there are yet more bedrooms as well as Katie's sewing studio, the couple decided to offer a series of short residential workshops taught by a carefully selected tutors including textile artist Julie Arkell and knitter extraordinaire Patricia Roberts (both will be teaching courses in 2012). The courses have proved to be hugely popular and a couple of years ago, the nearby barn was converted into a modern studio where the workshops now take place and where there is accommodation for participants.