We are John and Derek from the Netherlands and moved to France 2 years ago. Our background is in computing (IT) and business psychology. A few years ago, we felt the need for change and therefore decided to look for a new challenge. Central to this challenge was our love of nature, art & culture, architecture and design. When we visited Villa Paignon for the first time, we instantly fell in love, even though the villa was very neglected, with the romantic idea of turning it into a beautiful jewel again! However impulsive and naive we may have been, because the project turned out to be many times bigger and more complicated than imagined, we persevered. We had to overcome many obstacles and sometimes missed our old life with family and friends. We are now proud of what we managed to achieve in two years. All the more we hope that Villa Paignon will now become a place, where people can meet, relax and have fun, creating new memories together. We hope to welcome you to Villa Paignon soon!

Welcome to our beautiful old restored villa! We would like to welcome you to our beautiful domain where nature, space, tranquillity and comfort come together. Villa Paignon was built in 1843 by a famous lawyer & publicist Mr Eugène Paignon. When we bought the villa in 2021, it was completely dilapidated. Now, in addition to our residence, it has become a beautiful maison d'hôtes. We hope our guests, like us, will enjoy the grandeur of yesteryear & design of today. Our estate of almost 4 hectares, in the south of the Charente department on the border of the Dordogne, is located on a hill with small patches of woodland, grassland by the river La Tardoire. On the north side is the famous cave of Montgaudier The village of Montbron is 2 km away.

In this region, you will find medieval towns and villages, with castles & farms. All this amidst beautiful hilly countryside with forests & lakes, with many walking and cycling (MTB) routes and canoeing possibilities. Furthermore, there are many attractive outings possible such as visiting markets, brocantes, museums etc. in the nearby towns of La Rochefoucauld, Piégut and Nontron. The ancient episcopal city of Angoulême is half an hour away and Périgueux & Limoges are one hour away.