Facilities & Location

Residents live and work in the house, studios and gardens of Studio Faire, located in the Gascony market town of Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, South West France.

Studio Faire is a maison de maître (mansion), built around 1830, situated near the centre of a vibrant town with all amenities.

The Bureau offers an ideal office space for writers, photographers, musicians or designer/makers who are happy with a small clean space with a garden view (230 x 290 cm). A separate private double bedroom is offered along with this room.

The artist’s, designer’s or musician’s garage studio is cool and spacious (780 x 370 cm) and can be accessed from the bedrooms and kitchen. Two large attached workshops can also provide great space for sculptural projects or messy work. A separate private double bedroom is offered along with this studio.

Our room with a view is suitable for anyone who simply requires a bedroom with a desk and a view out over the large back garden.

We also have a live/work space in what we affectionately call The Usher Hall as it is a very generously proportioned room (679 x 460 cm), this is also ideal for all creative practitioners working in clean media.

See full details of all three options by clicking on the images below.

The large dining room can be enjoyed by the residents during their stay and can also provide an ideal space for private meetings and events.

Accommodation is provided on a self-catering basis and residents are given cupboard, fridge and freezer space, plus shared use of a fully fitted kitchen (dating from the 1960s!).

The walled garden is enclosed, offering private, shaded space for reading or drawing under the mature trees, or for dining with fellow residents on the patio. Beyond that there is a wild park full of fruit trees, a perfect hideaway!

Even though the property sits on a main road, the large rooms and enclosed garden at the back give a feeling of isolation and are ideal places for focused work.

The beautiful river Baïse trickles by just a five-minute walk from the house and is the perfect place to stretch your legs and clear your mind.

The Bureau, Studio Faire

The Bureau & Cosy Bedroom

The Garage Studio & Room with a view

Studio Faire, The Usher Hall

The Usher Hall

Sharing of Skills, Knowledge and Useful Contacts

We have many skills between us and are well connected in this area. We will be happy to share our knowledge and contacts with you during your stay. There will most likely be other creative residents at Studio Faire during your stay with whom you can share information and ask for feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nérac

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though there is plenty of space for contemplation and creative work in and around the house, the reality is that Studio Faire is near the centre of the vibrant town of Nérac and less than a ten-minute walk to shops, cafes, bars, weekly market, library, theatre, music hall, cinema, supermarkets, old town and Château.

As for the surrounding area … it’s extremely beautiful! The best plan would be for you to hire a car at the airport, as there is much to see in the Lot-et-Garonne (especially the stunning panoramic views from the twisty country roads!). See some of our images of the area here.

If you don’t want to drive yourself, Nérac is just a short journey from the city of Agen, where the station is served by high speed TGV, which can whisk you along from Bordeaux or Toulouse (with excellent airports in both). Colin will happily pick you up from Gare d’Agen free of charge (though he does enjoy a cool Rosé wine for his apéro!) or you can jump on a bus if you prefer to be independent.

This part of France has long daylight hours and reliably good weather throughout the spring, summer and autumn. Dinners in the sunshine are a regular event!

Château Henri IV, Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne. Photo Colin Usher

Château Henri IV de Nérac

The two bridges spanning the Baïse river, Nérac.