Photos by © Eric Sander
**This article is a direct feature from the September/October 2025 My French Country Home magazine with photos by Eric Sander and written by Nicola Clark. To see more articles like this, be sure to subscribe to the magazine**
When a pair of seasoned Parisian designers discovered an abandoned château in the Limousin, its faded grandeur and Louis XVI elegance sparked an ambitious vision. What followed was a meticulous restoration that marries 18th century refinement with modern comfort, breathing new life into a cherished local landmark.
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Years before Julien Deparis and Charles Surun ever set foot inside Château de Thouron, they admired its noble façade perched atop a hill as they scouted homes along the lush green landscape of the Limousin. Though they eventually bought and renovated a nearby house, the château’s blond granite stones called to them, forlorn and majestic, whenever they passed.
Reviving the Château
Their curiosity eventually led them to dig deeper. Through local villagers and craftsmen involved in their renovation, they pieced together the château’s colorful history. Its most recent owner, an eccentric Austrian pianist, had died in 2019 after abandoning the property more than a decade earlier. Though on the market for years, no serious buyers had emerged.
Stripped of much of its art and furnishings, the château’s cavernous rooms had become a refuge for squatters and amateur explorers, drawn by local legends of ancestral ghosts. Graffiti marred some of the walls, and the roof, Julien recalls, was “one winter away from collapsing.”
The damage was heartbreaking. “It was a quasi-ruin,” Julien says. “Almost no trace remained of its former splendor.” Yet they were captivated. “I felt at home immediately,” Julien admits.
Working With the Bones of the Château
Designed by Joseph Brousseau, a revered late-18th century architect from Limoges, Thouron’s symmetry and proportions embody the neo-classical elegance of the Louis XVI style. Its nearly 4.5 meter (15-foot) ceilings and vast windows impart an almost cathedral-like grandeur. The upstairs windows overlook expansive, English-style gardens and rolling hills, emitting an ethereal light. Gazing through them, Julien says, “you have the sensation of almost flying.”
With more than 12 years of professional design experience, Julien and Charles understood the daunting challenge of acquiring and restoring such a vast, decaying estate. Spanning more than 1,000 square meters (11,000 square feet) — not including multiple outbuildings and 10 hectares (25 acres) of gardens — the château far exceeded their needs as a residence.
“It seemed like a folly at first,” Julien admits. But gradually, a plan emerged: to transform Thouron into an immersive brand experience for their Paris-based firm, DS Intérieurs. “Not only did we save a monument,” Julien says proudly, “we created the ultimate showcase for our savoir-faire.”
Even before closing the purchase, they set to work sketching plans to restore the château’s original grandeur. The arrival of Covid lockdowns in 2020 proved an unexpected blessing, allowing them time to finalize details, secure permits and assemble a skilled team of craftsmen and artisans. Once restrictions lifted, restoration began — and was completed in just 18 months.
Transforming the Space through Decoration
After this intense period of grueling work came the joy of decoration. “We wanted the décor to feel coherent, considering each room’s volume and purpose,” Julien explains. Since DS Intérieurs designs bespoke furniture, this became both a labor of love and pride. “Designing sofas and coffee tables, covering them with made-to-measure fabrics, and pairing them with 17th and 18th century antiques was a true pleasure,” he says.
The result is a careful blend of heirlooms, auction finds from Drouot and antiques snapped up from local brocantes. Among Julien’s favorite rooms is the salon vert (green salon), adorned in English style and layered with paintings — a hallmark of grand English estates. Here, tableaux portraying battle scenes from Louis XIV’s reign hang alongside portraits of period military leaders.
Another salon, dressed in delicate pink hues and overlooking gardens and ponds, draws inspiration from Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon at Versailles.
The library has reclaimed its period woodwork, including intricate door mouldings hidden for nearly two centuries.
The expansive dining room, conceived as an extension of the gardens, pays homage to the famed 17th century tapestries from nearby Aubusson. Julien and Charles commissioned a local artist to paint a whimsical vegetal motif, lending a fairy-tale atmosphere.
A smoking room channels the Napoléon III era, with an eclectic mix of styles creating a richly layered space. Furniture in the style of 17th century cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle sits alongside curtains in heavy velvet and bold panther prints. “Fabrics, crucial to this project, were carefully selected from Pierre Frey, Braquenié, Throp of London, JM Thompson and Lemanach,” Julien notes.
Visiting the Château
Despite its remote location — about a four-hour drive from Paris — clients eagerly visit. “It is a place for passionnés,” Julien says. The chance to share their unique aesthetic and restoration philosophy in situ is priceless. Experiencing their designs as lived-in spaces only adds to the allure.
Want to know more about Julien and Charles’ work at DS Intérieurs? Check out their website and get in touch with them at www.dsinterieurs.fr