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Description
We’re an American family that moved to France a couple years ago with a big dream to bring back life into an old chateau. It’s a magical place surrounded by a forest and a little river, about 20 minutes from Laval and 1h 15m from Paris (by TGV).
We’re slowly bringing it back to life and our vision is to turn it into a creative, magical, and authentic space where people can come to connect, share the joys of France (the food, climate, culture, and lifestyle), and build something beautiful together. Right now, it’s just the two of us (plus our two young kids) juggling gardening, renovations, animal care, and daily life. We’re figuring it out as we go and hoping to meet kind folks who want to be part of this story, even for a short while. We love the idea of trading skills, sharing stories, and creating the kind of connections that last well beyond the time spent here.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Videography
Politics / Social justice
Sustainability
Self development
Farming
Culture
Writing
Performing arts
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
Astronomy
Books
DIY & crafts
History
Plant care
Music
Photography
Languages
Gardening
Cooking & food
Blogging
Art & design
Architecture
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Fitness
Camping
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Cycling
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
My wife Kamille is a singer-songwriter with a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from USC and still writes and records music with her sister in their band, Karmina. She also writes children’s books and blogs about our lives as expats living in and raising two kids in France (spoiler - it’s incredible). I’m Sean, and I spent 17 years teaching music, mentoring teachers, and composing as a jazz musician. In my career as a music educator, I earned several degrees and was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2018. I’m especially fascinated by folk music from different cultures and would love to learn traditional songs or musical styles from any Workawayers who want to share. Having left the classroom, I’m now turning more attention to my other loves like photography, permaculture, chickens, cooking, learning French, and raising incredible humans.
Though you’ll be staying independently in the coach house, we really enjoy getting to know the people who come here, whether that’s through a shared meal, a tea or coffee break, building raised beds in the garden, or decorating for an upcoming holiday (we especially love Halloween and Christmas).
We’re also actively improving our French and love the idea of language exchange, helping you with your English if that’s useful, and learning from you in return. If you speak another language or come from a different cultural background, we’re excited to hear your stories and learn more about where you’re from. And if you consider music a language (which we do), consider us fluent! We’ve traveled the globe performing and collaborating with some absolutely world-class musicians.
There’s so much opportunity here to experience life in the French countryside, from shopping at open-air markets and meeting local food vendors, to cooking fresh seasonal meals and participating in village events or festivals. We’re just 20 minutes from Laval, a historic city with cafés, charming cobblestone streets lined by half-timbered houses, and a train station with direct routes to Paris and Rennes. We’re also close to Château-Gontier, a picturesque riverside town with a fantastic weekly market, bike paths, cafés, and one of the best animal refuges in France. The surrounding region is perfect for slow, nature-connected living, with riverside trails, forest paths, and plenty of quiet spaces to reflect or create.
We like to dream big. One of our family sayings is, “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” (As you can probably tell from the fact that we packed up everything and moved from LA to France with a 2- and 4-year-old!) We see this place as more than just bringing a château back to life. It’s a chance to live a life in harmony with the land, to follow the seasons, give back to the community, and create meaningful and enriching experiences.
Help
We’re always happy to explain things and work alongside you, but we also trust you to work independently if that’s more your style. No special experience is needed, just a growth mindset and a desire to pitch in.
Tasks might include gardening, clearing forest paths, organizing storage areas, sanding shutters, painting rooms, taking care of the chickens, collecting firewood, or helping with creative home projects. It really depends on your skills, interests, and how you’d most like to contribute.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
English is our first language, but we’re actively working on our French and always looking for ways to improve. We’d love to learn through casual conversations and everyday tasks, and we’re happy to help you with your English in return. Music is a huge part of our lives too. We’re both musicians, and we see music as its own kind of language. We’re especially fascinated by songs and musical traditions from other cultures, so if you bring something from your corner of the world, we’d love to hear it and share some of our own!
Accommodation
You’ll stay in our charming coach house, a separate building from the chateau that offers peace and privacy. The space includes your own private bedroom and bathroom, with a shared kitchen if we host more than one Workawayer at a time (there are three bedrooms in the coach house). It’s a cozy, quiet spot that overlooks the grounds and gives you direct access to the garden, forest paths, river and stone staircase up to the chapel.
We aim to make your stay comfortable and welcoming, with clean linens, reliable WiFi, and everything you need to settle in.
Rather than preparing daily meals, we provide a €50/week food budget per person, transferred weekly or reimbursed via receipts. You’ll have access to a private kitchen and are welcome to share eggs from our chickens and use herbs and veggies from our garden when available.
If you don’t have a car, you’re welcome to ride into town with us for food shopping, and we’re happy to pick you up from the nearest train station when you arrive. We ask for a minimum stay of one week, though longer is even better if we all feel it's right!
What else ...
In your free time, you’re welcome to relax on the grounds, explore the private forest, kayak on the river, read in the garden, or visit the historic 15th-century chapel tucked into the trees. We’re just 20 minutes from the city of Laval, which has shops, cafes, a beautiful old town, and a train station with direct routes to Paris, Rennes, and Le Mans. If you don’t have a car, we’re happy to give you a lift into town now and then, help coordinate pickups from the train station, or lend you a bike to explore the countryside.
Please note that smoking is not allowed indoors or anywhere on the property, and quiet hours are from 10pm to 8am each day.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have reliable WiFi throughout the property, and the coach house is especially peaceful and spacious. Right now, our only animals are our chickens but we plan to get more animals in the Spring, such as ducks, a couple of outdoor cats, and maybe even some goats! We’re a non-smoking household, and while we love families, the setup here is best suited to solo travelers, couples, or friends traveling together. We also have two young kids who are part of daily life here. This isn’t a childcare exchange, and you’re not expected to help with the children, but they’re included in our projects whenever possible and are always happy to meet kind new people around the place. They are charming, clever, and helpful.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Photos
