Master bedroom first floor
View from master bedroom
Main kitchen
Main kitchen
Kitchen apartment
Main living room
Living room apartment
Double bedroom
Bedroom 2 single beds
Bedroom apartment
Sunset over swimming pool
In total we have a hectare of land. However, the land behind the house up to the top of the hill is zoned as 'non-building' and it is left it in its natural state. It sometimes feels like having our own bird park.
The land in front of the house was once a plum orchard, and we still get more fruit than we can use. One good thing about owning the land both in front and behind is that we know that we cannot be inconvenienced or overlooked by any future building.
Our neighbours to the east retired to our village after running a local biscuit factory in Apt, and keep a low profile. Their house is largely hidden behind a row of cypresses, but we see them from time-to-time when we are out in the garden.
On the other side are a Parisian family who use their house as a holiday home and are only resident for a couple of months each year.
Another feature of the garden we get great pleasure from is our boules court. Every town and village in the south of France has its boules area, and we are fortunate to have our own. Sadly our skills have not yet matched our enthusiasm.
Our pool is one of the features of our home.It is 10 metres long, 5 metres ide, and 6 metres in the middle of the curve. Getting in and out is simple and easy using the Roman steps at either end. In summer the pool is cleaned and maintained by a professional on a weekly basis.
In addition to the usual water inlets, our pool has a further 21 small inlet jets where water enters under pressure and in rotation at the bottom of the pool and steps. These extra inlets help prevent dirt and dust settling on the bottom or the steps; any larger debris, such as flowers or leaves, are kept suspended and extracted through the skimmers.
In addition to housing the various mechanical works, the poolhouse provides extra shade for guests who want to sit or lie outside but out of the direct afternoon summer sun. It also has storage for sun beds and mattresses, and a bathroom with shower, basin, and toilet
The pool has several special features that make the water very pleasant to swim in, and reduces routine maintenance to a minimum.
We do not treat the water with chlorine or salt, but circulate it through a bioUV tube to purify it. The water is always clear, and does not irritate the eyes or the skin. We also have a pH-pump that continuously checks the pH and adjusts it if necessary so the water is always at its best.
The spacious (57 sq m) bright and sunny apartment comprises : large, open-plan sitting/dining room, sofa, dining table and chairs.
2 guests can stay in the apartment completelyindependent from the main house, but if appropriate they can easily be included with the main part of the house, by simply unlocking an interior door.
If the apartment is rented for the holidays, we do not rent out the remaining of the house. So that two different companies are never in the house and the apartment at the same time, and so you never have to share the swimming pool with other people.
Kitchen modern and well-fitted with ample bench and cupboard space, full-sized oven and hob, microwave, large fridge/freezer, double sink, dishwasher, washing machine, kettle, toaster, coffee-machine, etc.
Double bedroom (18 sq.m.) with double bed, plenty of cupboard and wardrobe storage
Spacious bathroom with bath/shower, basin, bidet, and toilet
In 2007 an awning was installed over the apartment terrace. This has proved very popular, especially at breakfast and lunch, and also as an alternative to the sun-umbrella on very hot and sunny days.
The house was built in 2003, by the well known Provencal builders Mas Provence.
All the bedrooms face south to get the maximum benefit from the sun and the view.
The master bedroom is on the first floor with its own bathroom - bath,separate shower, double basin, toilet, and bidet - and is that extra bit special.
It has a private balcony for breakfast and sunbathing, and a ceiling fan for those particularly hot days and evenings.
Three bedrooms downstairs all have built-in wardrobes and direct access to the terrace. There is a bathroom wiht shower downstairs, and a separate toilet. An extra bedroom downstairswith two single bedscan be used as a childrens room.
The kitchen was built by Cuisines Fabre from Robion, with a balance of traditional and modern. The windows look over the pool, and an arch leads to the lounge and dining room.
For larger photos of the kitchen see below "Our photos"
Our 40 sq. m. lounge is on the south-west corner of the house, with two French doors; one leading direct to the front terrace and the pool, the other to the west terrace. Views over the pool, garden, and trees. It also has a large chimney for log-fires in winter. We have a satellite dish feeding to the lounge, masterbedroom, and the apartment;providing TV Vlaanderen with all the common TV and radio channels such as Belgian and French TV, CNN, Nat. Geographic, etc and Radio één, twee, Studio Brussel etc
There are wide terraces on the front and west side of the house, and we have two covered terraces for outside dining.
One at the front immediately outside the kitchen where we eat most of the time and the other on the west side (where we use our barbecue) with easy access through the dining room. There is another toilet and basin on the west terrace.
There is extra storage space in the storeroom just off the kitchen, and also in the garage. The washing machine and drier are plumbed in the garage.
All internal floors and the staircase are in decorative tiles. Heating and hot water are electric.
Would you like to know which weeks the house is available and get further information ? We will be delighted to hear from you. To contact us: (Dutch/English/French/German spoken) : E-mail: ilsehespeels@gmail.com
Our house is situated in a small village called Villars, in the Luberon valley between the Luberon mountain range and Mont Ventoux , some 8 km north of Apt, in turn some 50 km east of Avignon. It's a very friendly place, with around 100 permanent inhabitants and a number of regular visitors.
We are surrounded by lavender fields, orchards, and vineyards, in the heart of the Luberon National Park. We are part of the commune of Villars (1.5 km), with its delightful village square and local weekly summer market, two excellent restaurants, a bar, and a baker.
Three km away is Saint Saturnin les Apt with two hotels (both with restaurants), several other restaurants and bars (one of which does home-made pizzas in summer), two bakers, a butcher, a mini-supermarket, and several other shops.
Our nearest town is Apt - 10 minutes by car - with its famous Saturday market. It has numerous hotels, restaurants, bars, a wide variety of shops, and an excellent tourist office (English spoken). The house is yours to rent during the holiday season. From one week to as many as you like. The house can host between 2 and 10 persons with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. During July and August we rent the house to a company of 10 persons. Of course you are welcome to stay in the house with less than 10 persons, but the fee is determined as if 10 people would stay in the house. During the remaining months of the year we rent the house to companies of either 2 people (see Our apartment), maximum 8 people (see Our house), or maximum 10 people (prices are variable according to the number of guests outside July and August). In fact the house has two major parts : one gîte that can host 2 peoplewith 1 bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchenette (see Our apartment). The other part can host up to 8 peoplewith 4 bedrooms2 bathroomsliving room main kitchen (see Our house). By simply unlocking an inside door the house can welcome maximum 10 people 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. And of course the swimming pool is not to be forgotten.
View from master bedroom 
Main kitchen 
Main kitchen 
Kitchen apartment 
Main living room 
Living room apartment 
Double bedroom 
Bedroom 2 single beds 
Bedroom apartment 
Sunset over swimming pool 
In total we have a hectare of land. However, the land behind the house up to the top of the hill is zoned as 'non-building' and it is left it in its natural state. It sometimes feels like having our own bird park.
The land in front of the house was once a plum orchard, and we still get more fruit than we can use. One good thing about owning the land both in front and behind is that we know that we cannot be inconvenienced or overlooked by any future building.
Our neighbours to the east retired to our village after running a local biscuit factory in Apt, and keep a low profile. Their house is largely hidden behind a row of cypresses, but we see them from time-to-time when we are out in the garden.
On the other side are a Parisian family who use their house as a holiday home and are only resident for a couple of months each year.
Another feature of the garden we get great pleasure from is our boules court. Every town and village in the south of France has its boules area, and we are fortunate to have our own. Sadly our skills have not yet matched our enthusiasm. 
