french country table scapes – domaine de primard

Bonjour from Normandy! not that far from my home, where I visit the Domaine de Primard, and share with you the first in our new series of French Country Table Scapes.

As you may know, I love to entertain, and for me a large part of a successful dinner is the care that goes into the table scape. A pretty table is more than just flatware and flowers, it is a message to my guests, “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here, let’s enjoy this meal together.

Here at home we always lay the table with care, choosing the right elements for the meal ahead, sometimes creating a seating plan if the table is big. And then there are the flowers. Be it individual stems in tiny glass vases, or an intricate mix of flowers and maybe even fruit down the centre, I always aim to create a floral decoration in keeping with the seasons and the occasion.

So in this new season of French Country Table Scapes, I shall be visiting with friends to see how they like to lay their own tables. This may include dinners in private homes in the middle of the country side, or more formal settings for grand occasions. The fun is in the diversity.

For this first episode, I visit Guillaume Foucher, who has recently opened a stunning luxury hotel and gourmet restaurant, close to me in Normandy. The beautiful Domaine de Primard, just an hours from Paris, was originally built in the 18th century as a leisure abode for a Parisian family. They chose a prime position on the river’s edge in the heart of the valley de l’Eure.

Unusually the chateau is surrounded by a moat, not because it needed to defend itself, but rather as a safety barrier should ever the adjacent river break its banks. I love the design of the moat walls, with their round recesses creating perfect oval reflecions in the water below.

Before Guillaume Foucher and his partner Frédéric Biousse purchased the chateau, it was the private home to Catherine Deneuve. Within easy reach of Paris, she often spent time here with family and friends. This new chapter in the chateau’s existence as a luxury hotel, obviously required a major renovation, but the Fontenille team are used to that. This is not their first rodeo.

Primard has taken its place as the latest jewel in the Fontenille crown, which already included properties in Provence and South West France. The common theme to the venues is well-being with simple elegance.

Here is a short video of the table I created in the private dining room at Primard, I hope you may also get to visit one day.

We’ll soon bring you another video and tablescape, thank you for reading!