While our experience is hardly on such an epic plane, seeing Maison Désirée also gave us a sense of triumph, as if we had found something long sought. In our case the quest was for the perfect village house, a property that has nothing to apologize for in terms of décor, cleanliness, location, noise, privacy, amenities, space, authentic Provençal charm, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, modernity or price. We are now happy to offer this exceptional property to our clients in search of quality accommodations in a village environment.

Maison Désirée is what the French call a demeure - a comfortable and substantial house typically occupied by a bourgeois family of standing in the village. It is situated on a quiet street about two minutes by foot from the village square, where most of the shops are located. The courtyard, entered by a wide wrought-iron gate, is shaded by a leafy plane tree that casts its shadow over a broad terra cotta tile terrace. The shutters are off-white, the façade a pale gray, and the roof layered with thick rough tiles of burnt orange. The architecture could be mistaken for no other place than Provence.

Typically village houses have cramped bedrooms and a poor bedroom-to-bathroom ratio. Not so here. Maison Désirée is a three-story house with 330m2 (3,550 sq. ft.) of living space that includes four spacious bedrooms, four baths and, in the hallway between the kitchen and dining room, a guest lavatory. The plumbing and electrical systems are brand new. There are three telephone outlets. All doorways and windows are extra-wide, providing good ventilation in summer. In winter there is abundant heat from the gas-fired central heating system that feeds adjustable radiators in all rooms.

The ground level is comprised of a spacious living room, attractively furnished with a white sofa, several armchairs and several reading lamps; a formal dining room with an antique buffet, a farm table for up to eight guests, and an entire wall of storage closets concealed behind antique doors; a modern kitchen with an adjacent seating and dining area, and a laundry room with an American-style washing machine and separate tumble dryer. A foyer, entered from the terrace, lies between the living and dining rooms.

There is an ambiance about Maison Désirée that is elegant without being overly formal. All rooms have high ceilings with beams, white walls, and terra cotta tile floors. The furnishings, mostly antique tables and chests and bed frames with rich woody tones, are of a consistently high quality.

The kitchen at Maison Désirée offers what every good Provençal kitchen should - a large workspace and modern appliances, a bright and cheerful space for family members to gather to keep the cook company, and a convivial place to enjoy informal meals when not dining on the terrace or in the formal dining room.

The kitchen has wide counters tiled in a pale green, and plenty of cupboards and storage space stocked with good-quality china. Appliances include a modern but traditional-looking cast-iron stove that has two gas and two electric burners as well as a grill and two ovens. Concealed behind wood panels are a dishwasher and a large three-door refrigerator, the third door being for a special compartment to store beverages. A powder room is next to the kitchen.

Separated from the kitchen by a tall counter is one of the most delightful places in the house - a dining-sitting area with a table and chairs, small sofa, and a cabinet that houses a television with full satellite reception (including CNN and BBC channels). Light streams in from a long sliding glass door that opens directly onto the terrace. This is the perfect place for breakfast, for a simple meal in cool months, or for relaxing and catching up on the evening news.

Middle Floor

The staircase from the foyer leads up to a broad landing with an antique loveseat and a full window overlooking the courtyard. On each side of the landing is a spacious bedroom. The commodious master bedroom, which overlooks the courtyard, has a queen-sized bed in a wrought-iron frame, an antique chest of drawers with a gilded mirror, and a gorgeous 18th-century walnut armoire that almost reaches to the ceiling. There is also a sitting area with a loveseat and armchair. As with all bedrooms at Maison Désirée, there are twin bedside tables with good lamps for reading.

Adjacent to the bedroom is a dressing room with two walls of closets. Beyond is the lovely master bath, well-illuminated and tiled in pale gray and rose, with double sinks, a tub with hand-held shower, and WC.

The second bedroom, only slightly smaller than the master, also overlooks the courtyard and has a 140cm (55" across) double bed in a polished Louis-Phillipe sleigh frame. The small ensuite bath, tiled in white, has a stall shower and WC. The striking marble fireplace, of gray marble, is for decorative purposes only.

Upper Floor

On the top level (second French and third American floor) are two further bedrooms separated by a landing. Both have 140cm double beds in antique wood frames, beamed ceilings, and large windows overlooking the courtyard. The sparsely furnished larger bedroom, which stretches the entire depth of the house, also has a view northwest over village rooftops to the surrounding countryside. While more spacious, this bedroom is sparsely furnished. As with the bedrooms on the middle level, the floors are restored terra cotta tile.

These two bedrooms share a pretty tile bath, with a small tub and held-held shower and separate WC, that opens off a landing between the middle and upper floors.

La Petite Salle de Bain

For added convenience there is also a fourth bathroom, with a tub, hand-held shower and WC, discreetly hidden by an antique door that opens off the living room on the ground floor. This bath is well lighted and tiled in blue and white, but has a low ceiling that makes it inappropriate for tall people.

The Terrace and Vegetable Garden

The image that immediately endears Maison Désirée to first-time visitors is its pretty terrace. Around the borders are giant ceramic urns brimming with geraniums and other brightly colored flowers. For dining guests may choose between a wrought-iron table with inlaid ceramic tile top and benches for up to six people, or a smaller wrought-iron table with four chairs. The view is toward the village street and, in the distance, the Dentelles de Montmirail. With doors opening into the foyer, dining room and kitchen, the terrace seems to form one contiguous space with the interior rooms.

Along one side of the house, reached by a small stone stairway, is an immaculate little potager, or vegetable garden, that is lovingly maintained by the next-door neighbor, an elderly man with a warm and friendly disposition. Guests are welcome to supplement their purchases from the local légumier (on the village square) with tomatoes, lettuce, radishes and zucchini from the garden.