Chateau de Fiennes

Apart from peace and nature, there’s little to do in Fiennes, but that’s precisely why Danny and Lucy ended up here. Their holiday home is a true haven: a place to escape, slow down, and fully enjoy – preferably barefoot – between the cape and the opal marshes of Picardy.

‘Chateau de Fiennes’, that's the name of their Picardian gem. The name was carefully chosen, as the authentic holiday home is located in a renovated wing of the old castle of Fiennes. Its history reads like a novel and dates back to the early Middle Ages. The most recent chapter is one filled with dust, as Danny and Lucy spent two years working non-stop every weekend and holiday to shape the holiday home to their vision. The ultimate goal was clear: a cozy retreat filled with pure and natural materials.

The Ardennes on the Northern French Coast

The couple had been wanting to invest in a holiday home for quite some time, but the search wasn’t without its challenges. “There was always something: too much work, too far away, too expensive, or already renovated in a different style...” Danny explains. “Just when we decided to pause the search, we stumbled upon this property in Fiennes. We were immediately charmed by the castle tower and saw a lot of potential: good orientation, many rooms, close to the coast, yet surrounded by forest.”

Another advantage: it's only a two-hour drive from where they live. Lucy adds, “As we both still work full-time and have children and grandchildren, that relatively short distance was important. We want to escape the rat race here but still remain reachable if needed.”

There was no doubt that there would be an engineered wooden floor. Lucy says, “I love walking around barefoot, so tiles or ceramic parquet were absolutely not an option! A friend of ours distributes wooden floors from Lamett, and when he showed us the Farm Pure collection, we knew right away: this was it. It’s an authentic floor with knots, cracks, and grooves that have been manually aged. Pure craftsmanship! The floor honors the history of this place and forms the foundation of our home."

Chateau des Amis

Chateau de Fiennes is designed to be experienced with others. It's a place for rest, but above all, for living. Only the finest materials were used, as this is a place meant to last for generations. The house features four bedrooms, a pétanque court, a wine cellar, multiple terraces, and a long dining table that seats ten. Lucy says, “Happiness is meant to be shared! Hospitality is in our nature. Although we have to make sure we take time just for the two of us, otherwise we have friends or family over every weekend.”