Originally from Wales, the father-of-two lived in Paris for several years, but after a break-up, he entertained the idea of moving to the French countryside. He realized he had struck gold when he was shown around a house in Courgent, a town located in the Île-de-France region, about a 45-minute drive from the French capital. However, it wasn’t just the house that had him full of excitement. It was the amazing, but sorely neglected swimming pool that came with it.
Reservoir of possibilities
The renovation process took around 12 months, but Jeremy is delighted with the end result. Jeremy N While the pool was destroyed, it was clear that it was once an impressive structure and could be again — with a lot of work. “I was absolutely amazed,” Jeremy, who asked that his full name not be used, tells CNN Travel. “Because being able to rebuild the pool and create an extraordinary project was all I could imagine. I just thought, ‘this is the place’.” Jeremy, who worked for many years in real estate, soon discovered that the house was once owned by French actress Danielle Darrieux, who appeared in more than 100 films during her eight-decade career in the 1950s. After talking to locals, he learned that the pool, believed to have been built in 1938, was once a popular hangout and many remembered learning to swim there. Some even sent him pictures of Darrieux, who died in 2017 at age 100, swimming in the pool while she was at home. Darrieux, who appeared opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the 1938 Hollywood film “The Rage of Paris”, he is believed to have lived there for over a decade. “That made me even more motivated to do the project,” he admits. “This place has history. It has history.”
Famous former owner
The pool is said to have once belonged to French actress Danielle Darrieux, who died in 2017. John Springer Collection/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Once he weighed everything, Jeremy says he cautiously submitted an offer that was “about 30 or 40% less than the asking price” and waited for what he thought would be an inevitable rejection. “I did not believe it [the owner] he was going to accept,” he admits. “But to my surprise he did.” While Jeremy has worked on many hotel renovations, this would be his first pool. The project also happened to cost about five times its original budget. “It hadn’t been used for over 35 years, so it was a wreck,” he explains. “We had to start all over.” When it became clear that the cost of restoring the pool would not necessarily be financially viable in terms of adding substantial value to the home, Jeremy began looking for other ways to cover some of the renovation costs. Noting that there was no such pool in the area, he decided to rent it for a few days a week, while the rest of the time he would keep it for his personal use. Jeremy says he was able to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. Jeremy Determined to get the wheels in motion as quickly as possible, Jeremy did everything he could to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. He then began negotiating deals with various companies to start the restructuring work, including a specialist pool company, in order to turn it into “the most beautiful heated lagoon in France”. Jeremy signed the contracts in September 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He says that by the time he officially became the owner in February 2021, almost four months of work on the pool had already been completed. In terms of design, Jeremy chose to go as “over the top” as he could.
Incredible transformation
Some of the locals who first swam in the pool when it was owned by Darrieux have come to admire its transformation. Jeremy “I wanted tall rocks, LED lights, the full works,” he says. The project included creating new infrastructure for electricity, gas and water — the water previously came directly from a nearby river — as well as installing new electrical, creating rock rock and installing pipes, drains and feeders under the pool. . Jeremy says the entire renovation process took about 12 months and cost €500,000 (about $500,000), with around €330,000 spent on the pool and the rest on exterior work, including infrastructure, plants and the terrace. He declares excited with the final result. “You really feel like you’re in a natural lagoon, except you’re within an hour of France’s biggest city,” he adds. “There are waterfalls and you can jump off the rocks from a height of two meters. You don’t feel like you’re in a swimming pool.” Jeremy was surprised to discover an old flagstone path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. “It was a complete discovery. I guess I can say I’m the only person in Paris who has a private island,” he jokes, adding that he plans to renovate the path within the next year. While the pool, which is 24 meters long and nine meters wide, with a depth of over two meters, is undoubtedly the main attraction, Jeremy is delighted with his new home, which thankfully required very little work before he moved in.
City life
He has since imported and renovated a 1974 American Airstream camper with lagoon views. Jeremy Since relocating to Courgent, which has a population of around 400, Jeremy says he’s settled in relatively easily and has received great feedback from locals about the pool. In fact, some of the villagers who first swam there when it belonged to Darrieux have come forward to ask if they can take a look at its transformation. Darrieux had a long association with the town and apparently returned to the area later in life, living just a few kilometers from her former home. While Jeremy says he has received a lot of support from the town hall since moving to the Courgent, he tries hard not to “step on anyone’s toes”. “You have to be careful,” he explains. “You don’t want to make a lot of noise or do a lot of construction work [going on]. But it has turned out pretty well.
Final touches
The triathlete says he still feels overwhelmed when he takes a dip in the pool at night. Jeremy “One of the neighbors came to me a bit worried because he heard I was planning a party and someone had said we were going to put a DJ in the trees. “I told her, ‘not this week, but ask me next week.’ Wanting to maximize his 1.5 hectares of land, Jeremy decided to import and refurbish a 1974 American Airstream motorhome, which overlooks the lagoon and is also available for rent. When he’s not enjoying the pool himself, hosting his daughters’ friends or having the local school over for a visit, he rents it out for around €250 for two hours or up to €3,000 a day. While it gets rave reviews from customers, as well as onlookers who sometimes pop in to ask if they can get a closer look, Jeremy wants to add a few more special touches. He plans to put in a power line to light up some of the trees and add a tunnel of roses over the bridge and an outdoor kitchen. “I’ll only be satisfied when all the details are finished,” admits Jeremy, explaining that it will likely be another two years before the pool is fully completed. Meanwhile, he’s making the most of a beautiful pool, or lagoon, with so much history at his disposal. “Even now, I still get overwhelmed while swimming at night,” he says. “When it’s completely dark, you can see the moon and the stars, and it’s just you, nature and water. “I always say it’s like being in Costa Rica without the plane tickets.”
title: “The 330 000 Makeover Of A Lagoon That Once Belonged To A Famous Actress Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Connie Williams”
Originally from Wales, the father-of-two lived in Paris for several years, but after a break-up, he entertained the idea of moving to the French countryside. He realized he had struck gold when he was shown around a house in Courgent, a town located in the Île-de-France region, about a 45-minute drive from the French capital. However, it wasn’t just the house that had him full of excitement. It was the amazing, but sorely neglected swimming pool that came with it.
Reservoir of possibilities
The renovation process took around 12 months, but Jeremy is delighted with the end result. Jeremy N While the pool was destroyed, it was clear that it was once an impressive structure and could be again — with a lot of work. “I was absolutely amazed,” Jeremy, who asked that his full name not be used, tells CNN Travel. “Because being able to rebuild the pool and create an extraordinary project was all I could imagine. I just thought, ‘this is the place’.” Jeremy, who worked for many years in real estate, soon discovered that the house was once owned by French actress Danielle Darrieux, who appeared in more than 100 films during her eight-decade career in the 1950s. After talking to locals, he learned that the pool, believed to have been built in 1938, was once a popular hangout and many remembered learning to swim there. Some even sent him pictures of Darrieux, who died in 2017 at age 100, swimming in the pool while she was at home. Darrieux, who appeared opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the 1938 Hollywood film “The Rage of Paris”, he is believed to have lived there for over a decade. “That made me even more motivated to do the project,” he admits. “This place has history. It has history.”
Famous former owner
The pool is said to have once belonged to French actress Danielle Darrieux, who died in 2017. John Springer Collection/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Once he weighed everything, Jeremy says he cautiously submitted an offer that was “about 30 or 40% less than the asking price” and waited for what he thought would be an inevitable rejection. “I did not believe it [the owner] he was going to accept,” he admits. “But to my surprise he did.” While Jeremy has worked on many hotel renovations, this would be his first pool. The project also happened to cost about five times its original budget. “It hadn’t been used for over 35 years, so it was a wreck,” he explains. “We had to start all over.” When it became clear that the cost of restoring the pool would not necessarily be financially viable in terms of adding substantial value to the home, Jeremy began looking for other ways to cover some of the renovation costs. Noting that there was no such pool in the area, he decided to rent it for a few days a week, while the rest of the time he would keep it for his personal use. Jeremy says he was able to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. Jeremy Determined to get the wheels in motion as quickly as possible, Jeremy did everything he could to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. He then began negotiating deals with various companies to start the restructuring work, including a specialist pool company, in order to turn it into “the most beautiful heated lagoon in France”. Jeremy signed the contracts in September 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He says that by the time he officially became the owner in February 2021, almost four months of work on the pool had already been completed. In terms of design, Jeremy chose to go as “over the top” as he could.
Incredible transformation
Some of the locals who first swam in the pool when it was owned by Darrieux have come to admire its transformation. Jeremy “I wanted tall rocks, LED lights, the full works,” he says. The project included creating new infrastructure for electricity, gas and water — the water previously came directly from a nearby river — as well as installing new electrical, creating rock rock and installing pipes, drains and feeders under the pool. . Jeremy says the entire renovation process took about 12 months and cost €500,000 (about $500,000), with around €330,000 spent on the pool and the rest on exterior work, including infrastructure, plants and the terrace. He declares excited with the final result. “You really feel like you’re in a natural lagoon, except you’re within an hour of France’s biggest city,” he adds. “There are waterfalls and you can jump off the rocks from a height of two meters. You don’t feel like you’re in a swimming pool.” Jeremy was surprised to discover an old flagstone path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. “It was a complete discovery. I guess I can say I’m the only person in Paris who has a private island,” he jokes, adding that he plans to renovate the path within the next year. While the pool, which is 24 meters long and nine meters wide, with a depth of over two meters, is undoubtedly the main attraction, Jeremy is delighted with his new home, which thankfully required very little work before he moved in.
City life
He has since imported and renovated a 1974 American Airstream camper with lagoon views. Jeremy Since relocating to Courgent, which has a population of around 400, Jeremy says he’s settled in relatively easily and has received great feedback from locals about the pool. In fact, some of the villagers who first swam there when it belonged to Darrieux have come forward to ask if they can take a look at its transformation. Darrieux had a long association with the town and apparently returned to the area later in life, living just a few kilometers from her former home. While Jeremy says he has received a lot of support from the town hall since moving to the Courgent, he tries hard not to “step on anyone’s toes”. “You have to be careful,” he explains. “You don’t want to make a lot of noise or do a lot of construction work [going on]. But it has turned out pretty well.
Final touches
The triathlete says he still feels overwhelmed when he takes a dip in the pool at night. Jeremy “One of the neighbors came to me a bit worried because he heard I was planning a party and someone had said we were going to put a DJ in the trees. “I told her, ‘not this week, but ask me next week.’ Wanting to maximize his 1.5 hectares of land, Jeremy decided to import and refurbish a 1974 American Airstream motorhome, which overlooks the lagoon and is also available for rent. When he’s not enjoying the pool himself, hosting his daughters’ friends or having the local school over for a visit, he rents it out for around €250 for two hours or up to €3,000 a day. While it gets rave reviews from customers, as well as onlookers who sometimes pop in to ask if they can get a closer look, Jeremy wants to add a few more special touches. He plans to put in a power line to light up some of the trees and add a tunnel of roses over the bridge and an outdoor kitchen. “I’ll only be satisfied when all the details are finished,” admits Jeremy, explaining that it will likely be another two years before the pool is fully completed. Meanwhile, he’s making the most of a beautiful pool, or lagoon, with so much history at his disposal. “Even now, I still get overwhelmed while swimming at night,” he says. “When it’s completely dark, you can see the moon and the stars, and it’s just you, nature and water. “I always say it’s like being in Costa Rica without the plane tickets.”
title: “The 330 000 Makeover Of A Lagoon That Once Belonged To A Famous Actress Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-11” author: “Jack Cogdill”
Originally from Wales, the father-of-two lived in Paris for several years, but after a break-up, he entertained the idea of moving to the French countryside. He realized he had struck gold when he was shown around a house in Courgent, a town located in the Île-de-France region, about a 45-minute drive from the French capital. However, it wasn’t just the house that had him full of excitement. It was the amazing, but sorely neglected swimming pool that came with it.
Reservoir of possibilities
The renovation process took around 12 months, but Jeremy is delighted with the end result. Jeremy N While the pool was destroyed, it was clear that it was once an impressive structure and could be again — with a lot of work. “I was absolutely amazed,” Jeremy, who asked that his full name not be used, tells CNN Travel. “Because being able to rebuild the pool and create an extraordinary project was all I could imagine. I just thought, ‘this is the place’.” Jeremy, who worked for many years in real estate, soon discovered that the house was once owned by French actress Danielle Darrieux, who appeared in more than 100 films during her eight-decade career in the 1950s. After talking to locals, he learned that the pool, believed to have been built in 1938, was once a popular hangout and many remembered learning to swim there. Some even sent him pictures of Darrieux, who died in 2017 at age 100, swimming in the pool while she was at home. Darrieux, who appeared opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the 1938 Hollywood film “The Rage of Paris”, he is believed to have lived there for over a decade. “That made me even more motivated to do the project,” he admits. “This place has history. It has history.”
Famous former owner
The pool is said to have once belonged to French actress Danielle Darrieux, who died in 2017. John Springer Collection/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Once he weighed everything, Jeremy says he cautiously submitted an offer that was “about 30 or 40% less than the asking price” and waited for what he thought would be an inevitable rejection. “I did not believe it [the owner] he was going to accept,” he admits. “But to my surprise he did.” While Jeremy has worked on many hotel renovations, this would be his first pool. The project also happened to cost about five times its original budget. “It hadn’t been used for over 35 years, so it was a wreck,” he explains. “We had to start all over.” When it became clear that the cost of restoring the pool would not necessarily be financially viable in terms of adding substantial value to the home, Jeremy began looking for other ways to cover some of the renovation costs. Noting that there was no such pool in the area, he decided to rent it for a few days a week, while the rest of the time he would keep it for his personal use. Jeremy says he was able to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. Jeremy Determined to get the wheels in motion as quickly as possible, Jeremy did everything he could to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. He then began negotiating deals with various companies to start the restructuring work, including a specialist pool company, in order to turn it into “the most beautiful heated lagoon in France”. Jeremy signed the contracts in September 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He says that by the time he officially became the owner in February 2021, almost four months of work on the pool had already been completed. In terms of design, Jeremy chose to go as “over the top” as he could.
Incredible transformation
Some of the locals who first swam in the pool when it was owned by Darrieux have come to admire its transformation. Jeremy “I wanted tall rocks, LED lights, the full works,” he says. The project included creating new infrastructure for electricity, gas and water — the water previously came directly from a nearby river — as well as installing new electrical, creating rock rock and installing pipes, drains and feeders under the pool. . Jeremy says the entire renovation process took about 12 months and cost €500,000 (about $500,000), with around €330,000 spent on the pool and the rest on exterior work, including infrastructure, plants and the terrace. He declares excited with the final result. “You really feel like you’re in a natural lagoon, except you’re within an hour of France’s biggest city,” he adds. “There are waterfalls and you can jump off the rocks from a height of two meters. You don’t feel like you’re in a swimming pool.” Jeremy was surprised to discover an old flagstone path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. “It was a complete discovery. I guess I can say I’m the only person in Paris who has a private island,” he jokes, adding that he plans to renovate the path within the next year. While the pool, which is 24 meters long and nine meters wide, with a depth of over two meters, is undoubtedly the main attraction, Jeremy is delighted with his new home, which thankfully required very little work before he moved in.
City life
He has since imported and renovated a 1974 American Airstream camper with lagoon views. Jeremy Since relocating to Courgent, which has a population of around 400, Jeremy says he’s settled in relatively easily and has received great feedback from locals about the pool. In fact, some of the villagers who first swam there when it belonged to Darrieux have come forward to ask if they can take a look at its transformation. Darrieux had a long association with the town and apparently returned to the area later in life, living just a few kilometers from her former home. While Jeremy says he has received a lot of support from the town hall since moving to the Courgent, he tries hard not to “step on anyone’s toes”. “You have to be careful,” he explains. “You don’t want to make a lot of noise or do a lot of construction work [going on]. But it has turned out pretty well.
Final touches
The triathlete says he still feels overwhelmed when he takes a dip in the pool at night. Jeremy “One of the neighbors came to me a bit worried because he heard I was planning a party and someone had said we were going to put a DJ in the trees. “I told her, ‘not this week, but ask me next week.’ Wanting to maximize his 1.5 hectares of land, Jeremy decided to import and refurbish a 1974 American Airstream motorhome, which overlooks the lagoon and is also available for rent. When he’s not enjoying the pool himself, hosting his daughters’ friends or having the local school over for a visit, he rents it out for around €250 for two hours or up to €3,000 a day. While it gets rave reviews from customers, as well as onlookers who sometimes pop in to ask if they can get a closer look, Jeremy wants to add a few more special touches. He plans to put in a power line to light up some of the trees and add a tunnel of roses over the bridge and an outdoor kitchen. “I’ll only be satisfied when all the details are finished,” admits Jeremy, explaining that it will likely be another two years before the pool is fully completed. Meanwhile, he’s making the most of a beautiful pool, or lagoon, with so much history at his disposal. “Even now, I still get overwhelmed while swimming at night,” he says. “When it’s completely dark, you can see the moon and the stars, and it’s just you, nature and water. “I always say it’s like being in Costa Rica without the plane tickets.”
title: “The 330 000 Makeover Of A Lagoon That Once Belonged To A Famous Actress Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-17” author: “Ronald Bird”
Originally from Wales, the father-of-two lived in Paris for several years, but after a break-up, he entertained the idea of moving to the French countryside. He realized he had struck gold when he was shown around a house in Courgent, a town located in the Île-de-France region, about a 45-minute drive from the French capital. However, it wasn’t just the house that had him full of excitement. It was the amazing, but sorely neglected swimming pool that came with it.
Reservoir of possibilities
The renovation process took around 12 months, but Jeremy is delighted with the end result. Jeremy N While the pool was destroyed, it was clear that it was once an impressive structure and could be again — with a lot of work. “I was absolutely amazed,” Jeremy, who asked that his full name not be used, tells CNN Travel. “Because being able to rebuild the pool and create an extraordinary project was all I could imagine. I just thought, ‘this is the place’.” Jeremy, who worked for many years in real estate, soon discovered that the house was once owned by French actress Danielle Darrieux, who appeared in more than 100 films during her eight-decade career in the 1950s. After talking to locals, he learned that the pool, believed to have been built in 1938, was once a popular hangout and many remembered learning to swim there. Some even sent him pictures of Darrieux, who died in 2017 at age 100, swimming in the pool while she was at home. Darrieux, who appeared opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the 1938 Hollywood film “The Rage of Paris”, he is believed to have lived there for over a decade. “That made me even more motivated to do the project,” he admits. “This place has history. It has history.”
Famous former owner
The pool is said to have once belonged to French actress Danielle Darrieux, who died in 2017. John Springer Collection/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Once he weighed everything, Jeremy says he cautiously submitted an offer that was “about 30 or 40% less than the asking price” and waited for what he thought would be an inevitable rejection. “I did not believe it [the owner] he was going to accept,” he admits. “But to my surprise he did.” While Jeremy has worked on many hotel renovations, this would be his first pool. The project also happened to cost about five times its original budget. “It hadn’t been used for over 35 years, so it was a wreck,” he explains. “We had to start all over.” When it became clear that the cost of restoring the pool would not necessarily be financially viable in terms of adding substantial value to the home, Jeremy began looking for other ways to cover some of the renovation costs. Noting that there was no such pool in the area, he decided to rent it for a few days a week, while the rest of the time he would keep it for his personal use. Jeremy says he was able to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. Jeremy Determined to get the wheels in motion as quickly as possible, Jeremy did everything he could to convince the owner to allow him to start work on the pool before the sale went through. He then began negotiating deals with various companies to start the restructuring work, including a specialist pool company, in order to turn it into “the most beautiful heated lagoon in France”. Jeremy signed the contracts in September 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He says that by the time he officially became the owner in February 2021, almost four months of work on the pool had already been completed. In terms of design, Jeremy chose to go as “over the top” as he could.
Incredible transformation
Some of the locals who first swam in the pool when it was owned by Darrieux have come to admire its transformation. Jeremy “I wanted tall rocks, LED lights, the full works,” he says. The project included creating new infrastructure for electricity, gas and water — the water previously came directly from a nearby river — as well as installing new electrical, creating rock rock and installing pipes, drains and feeders under the pool. . Jeremy says the entire renovation process took about 12 months and cost €500,000 (about $500,000), with around €330,000 spent on the pool and the rest on exterior work, including infrastructure, plants and the terrace. He declares excited with the final result. “You really feel like you’re in a natural lagoon, except you’re within an hour of France’s biggest city,” he adds. “There are waterfalls and you can jump off the rocks from a height of two meters. You don’t feel like you’re in a swimming pool.” Jeremy was surprised to discover an old flagstone path leading from the lagoon to the nearby river, with a fountain near its center, during the renovation process. “It was a complete discovery. I guess I can say I’m the only person in Paris who has a private island,” he jokes, adding that he plans to renovate the path within the next year. While the pool, which is 24 meters long and nine meters wide, with a depth of over two meters, is undoubtedly the main attraction, Jeremy is delighted with his new home, which thankfully required very little work before he moved in.
City life
He has since imported and renovated a 1974 American Airstream camper with lagoon views. Jeremy Since relocating to Courgent, which has a population of around 400, Jeremy says he’s settled in relatively easily and has received great feedback from locals about the pool. In fact, some of the villagers who first swam there when it belonged to Darrieux have come forward to ask if they can take a look at its transformation. Darrieux had a long association with the town and apparently returned to the area later in life, living just a few kilometers from her former home. While Jeremy says he has received a lot of support from the town hall since moving to the Courgent, he tries hard not to “step on anyone’s toes”. “You have to be careful,” he explains. “You don’t want to make a lot of noise or do a lot of construction work [going on]. But it has turned out pretty well.
Final touches
The triathlete says he still feels overwhelmed when he takes a dip in the pool at night. Jeremy “One of the neighbors came to me a bit worried because he heard I was planning a party and someone had said we were going to put a DJ in the trees. “I told her, ‘not this week, but ask me next week.’ Wanting to maximize his 1.5 hectares of land, Jeremy decided to import and refurbish a 1974 American Airstream motorhome, which overlooks the lagoon and is also available for rent. When he’s not enjoying the pool himself, hosting his daughters’ friends or having the local school over for a visit, he rents it out for around €250 for two hours or up to €3,000 a day. While it gets rave reviews from customers, as well as onlookers who sometimes pop in to ask if they can get a closer look, Jeremy wants to add a few more special touches. He plans to put in a power line to light up some of the trees and add a tunnel of roses over the bridge and an outdoor kitchen. “I’ll only be satisfied when all the details are finished,” admits Jeremy, explaining that it will likely be another two years before the pool is fully completed. Meanwhile, he’s making the most of a beautiful pool, or lagoon, with so much history at his disposal. “Even now, I still get overwhelmed while swimming at night,” he says. “When it’s completely dark, you can see the moon and the stars, and it’s just you, nature and water. “I always say it’s like being in Costa Rica without the plane tickets.”
