Nuits Perchées

It started with weekends away, then one house, then another, then the desire to be here full time, to imagine a different life, and finally to create a place to share their love of the Perche. One house, then, set within a 4-hectare estate, including a hectare of woodland. At its heart, two wooden treehouses perched above the landscape, with sweeping views over the surrounding hills — and, if you grab the binoculars provided, perhaps a glimpse of birds or even deer, if luck is on your side. Two cabins, each with two terraces to switch up the mood and the view, one of them with a Nordic bath always ready, plus a sitting area where a fully homemade dinner can be delivered if the idea of venturing out after dark doesn’t appeal (though there are some very lovely restaurants just a short drive away). Annabelle, after all, was born into an innkeeping family and trained at Lausanne’s legendary hotel school. These are cabins designed so beautifully you may never want to leave. And from intimate hideaways for two to a house made for tribes, perhaps it was only ever a small step. Annabelle and Antoine have also brought an old 15th-century manor back to life. Effortlessly stylish, with a sharp eye for vintage finds and clever upcycling, it now offers seven bedrooms, a dressing-up trunk for the kids, a wellie boot bar for everyone, a yoga studio in an outbuilding, and a covered spa. They’ve created the ultimate fantasy country house — but without all the usual hassle. Do we ditch the tribe or not?