PHOTOS: Dutch artists make eco-friendly renovations to a French farmhouse

When artists Derk-Jan Gerritsen and Honorine van Citters started house-hunting in Nièvre in 1998, the plan was simply to buy a small holiday home as respite from city living in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

After a tiny, tick-all-the-boxes, two-room property fell through, however, they panicked and widened their search to “anything and everything”, says Honorine – even homes outside their budget.

The result: a sprawling, dilapidated farmhouse (and outbuildings) in a small village on the River Yonne, not far from Clamecy.

“It had been empty for 30 years and we were both 30 at the time, so it felt like it had been waiting for us,” she says.

Her husband, Derk-Jan, admits the price was also an attraction: “If you come from somewhere like Holland, where every square centimetre has a value, the cost of property in rural France feels like such an opportunity.

“Even in the countryside in Holland, this farmhouse would have been 10 times the price.

Roughing it in rural France

“We ended up paying 250,000 French francs (about €40,000). Admittedly, the whole roof had to be re-done, there were windows missing, a big beam to replace – things were falling down. The previous owner had done the bare minimum to keep the property standing. But that didn’t scare us. We were just in love with the place.”

With cows still in the barn, and no sewerage, heating, indoor washing or toilet facilities, the couple initially had to rough it. They credit years of squat-living in creative communities in the Netherlands for preparing them for the hardships, and Derk-Jan insists those early months of “camping” yielded great memories.

What they were not prepared for, however, was the toll that splitting time between the Netherlands and their new life in France would take, and they made the decision to move permanently in 2000. 

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Resourceful renovations

Their first priority was fixing the front roof, which they did entirely themselves, without scaffolding or other professional equipment. Derk-Jan, whose art is focused on making automatons from recycled materials collected from brocantes, vide-maisons and the déchèterie, was quick to apply his unique creative skills to the renovation, fashioning a pulley to hoist tiles from a moped wheel and an old photocopier motor.

Honorine has been no less resourceful over the years, even making her own paint for the interiors.

They both admit they were aided by volunteer labourers (mainly friends and family) from Holland, who they rallied in the early stages to help out in return for free board and lodging.

“It took a bit of getting used to,” admits Derk-Jan. “In Holland we’d see our friends for a few hours. Here they stayed for a week. We ended up charging them a little per night, just for food. Later, we converted one of the outbuildings so we could get people out of the main house and give everyone their own space. It gave us the idea to set up a permanent gîte, which is now a useful income.”

Bringing a smile to the community

Other parts of the property have been creatively re-imagined, including a huge room in the main building that serves as a gallery/live music/film screening/party space.

Meanwhile, a barn that previously stored farm machinery has been flooded with light thanks to a new facade of recycled windows. It is in here that Derk-Jan works on his Heath Robinson-esque inventions, which he periodically allows members of the public to view.

The couple also host a hugely popular annual Singer Street Race. Another showcase for their zany ideas, it features remote-controlled sewing machines on wheels, zipping around a challenging obstacle course in the centre of the village, and is open to all to take part.

So, 25 years on, is the house finally finished? No, laughs Honorine, “and it never will be.” Derk-Jan says: “The house is patient. It says: ‘Okay, if you can’t do it this year, do it next.

I won’t fall apart straight away.’ “I think creative people are always worried that they’ll get bored. Here, that will never happen. There’s always something to do.”

Just to make sure, the couple recently bought two additional properties – an old mill not far from the farmhouse, and what they describe as a ‘garden house’ on an olive plantation in Italy.

Unsurprisingly, both have next to nothing in the way of traditional ‘comfort’ and facilities.

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Eco-restoration

The guiding principle for all these buildings is ultimately “restoration, not transformation” – a soft-footed approach that has been informed as much by environmental considerations and limited funds as a firmly-held belief that they are merely custodians of the property.

“We try to re-use whenever we can. We’ve always been like that but when you start living in the countryside, you realise how it works in nature and don’t just do it because someone on the TV tells you to,” says Derk-Jan.

“In these properties that have been here for 300 years, you can’t help but realise you’re just a visitor.

“They were there before you arrived on the planet and will remain long after you’ve gone.”