Anthony and Rachel Pinwill transformed an old stone house in the small French village of Pieusse into a luxury bed and breakfast called Maison Laurent. They renovated the run-down property over nearly two years, creating en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, and a swimming pool. Since opening for business in 2010, Maison Laurent has received excellent reviews from guests and awards from TripAdvisor, making it one of the top chambres d'hôtes in France. The Pinwills were drawn to France for its beauty, culture, relaxed lifestyle, and the opportunity to work together running their own business abroad.

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À LA MAISON

2. completefrance.com October 2014 Living France 57
I
n the small, ancient village of Pieusse in south-west
France, between vineyards and green hills in the
countryside, is a bed and breakfast named Maison
Laurent. Surrounded by blooming sunflowers, the
once old and worn stone house is now transformed
into a luxury bed and breakfast. First featured in Living
France in August 2011, it is owned by 55-year-old Anthony
Pinwill and his wife Rachel, 53, both from Yealand Conyers,
Lancashire, and there’s no doubt that they have turned
rocks into gold. After countless impressive guest reviews,
they recently received TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice
Award 2014 for the number one chambres d’hôtes in France.
“Initially it was a shock as we never expected it. It is
something we are very proud to have achieved and we feel
privileged to have won the award,” says Rachel.
She adds that they never aimed at being ‘all things to all
men’, but to create the best possible experience for their
intended guests. “We also feel satisfied that our website
truly reflects our property. This is echoed in the positive
feedback from our guests – they simply booked the right
place for their tastes and requirements.”
However, the pathway to their success has
been challenging at times as was the
decision to take the big step across
the Channel. Before ending up in
Pieusse, Anthony was a
self-employed travel agent,
while Rachel worked as a
personal assistant in a bank.
“We were overworked and
over-stressed, wondering what
life was all about. Rachel was
longing to escape the office work,
and I wanted to follow my dream of
cooking professionally and running my own
bed and breakfast abroad,” says Anthony.
And so they did. After spending their holidays travelling
around France, the couple fell in love with its beauty and
THE
MIDAS
TOUCH
Anthony and Rachel Pinwill have
transformed a run-down maison de
maître in Aude into one of the top
chambres d’hôtes in France, as
Nina Bjordal discovers

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À LA MAISON
culture, and decided to settle. The small village of Pieusse is
known for its white and beige stone houses with terracotta
rooftops. The ancient village is surrounded by green
vineyards in the world’s largest wine-producing area and
boasts more than 300 days of sun a year. Wide rivers flow
past green willows, which stretch down to the riverbank in
the summer heat. After months of investigation, this
peaceful landscape became the base for their new bed and
breakfast as they felt it had great tourism potential.
“We wanted to be close to the market town of Limoux,
which has the Mediterranean Sea as its closest neighbour.
We felt this would be the perfect spot. It is close to the
fortified town of Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi, which
are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as the
mountain ranges and the coast. We were looking for a
maison de maître, which is the typical French village house
with four symmetrical storeys, high ceilings and iron
balconies,” says Anthony.
Nearly two years of hard work later, they were finally
ready to live their dream. They bought the house in Pieusse
in November 2008, and started the renovation. Their aim
was to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for
guests, but with all the modern facilities such as en-suite
bathrooms, air-conditioning and a swimming pool. Tiled
bathrooms with baths placed in the centre of the room and
beautifully decorated bedrooms are some of the elements
that make their ‘rural resort’ a perfect romantic getaway.
“Once we were open for business in July 2010, our new
life began. We were now working at home, together, which
was one of our primary reasons for making the move
abroad,” Rachel says.
The bed and breakfast is a nice mix of a hotel and a
house, and their dog Bella and the secluded garden help
make their guests feel at home. “Our greatest priority is first
of all to make our guests feel relaxed and comfortable,” says
Anthony, who also emphasises that they soon became
familiar with the greater benefits of living in France. “We
now have the good weather, the seasonal food, great
markets, excellent wine and a whole different culture.” But
the biggest change for them has been the time they are able
to spend together. Their previous life involved them
working office hours and only seeing each other in the
evenings, on Sundays and for the holidays. Now, they are
together almost 24 hours a day.
“We both had to learn to be more tolerant of our
different ways of doing things, and to adjust to more shared
responsibility and decision-making. But our hours are now
much more flexible and definitely seasonal. Since the move,
we have come to understand that despite the hard work and
long hours, this type of business has many rewards,”
Anthony says.
They now enjoy the sense of community and the
relaxed environment they moved into. “France has
beautiful countryside, a slower pace of life and a better
climate. It also has a better work and lifestyle balance.
There is a real patriotism and love of tradition, which is
reflected in the great food and wine of the country,” says
food-enthusiast Anthony.
In the town of Limoux, which is within walking distance
of the village of Pieusse, the cafés are filled with locals and
tourists enjoying their lunches in the shade. Local farmers
offer wide varieties of vegetables, home-made jam,
The ancient village is surrounded
by green vineyards and boasts
more than 300 days of sun a year
These pages: the
many aspects of life
at Maison Laurent in
south-west France
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