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Château de Gudanes Proudly Presents Shop The Château!

shopthechateau.com is all about sharing things with thought - filled with everything and anything made with love, purpose, kindness and care. A wonderland of odds and ends!

"Pays de Merveilles" (français)

Definition: Wonderland

It is our hope to create a space online that encourages the world to value, respect and appreciate the quality of hand crafted items and the stories of treasures and wares both old and new. 

To surround ourselves with things that reflect the fullness of our humanity and individuality. To create our own unique sense of place and a warm and welcoming home that enriches the lives of those living there.

“What you surround yourself with in your home should bring you peace of mind and peace of spirit”

Stacy London

Helping to support the restoration of Château de Gudanes

This online adventure has evolved from the challenges we have all faced during and since Covid-19, as well our personal experiences of how these challenges have uniquely affected life onsite at the Château. With our summer tours and retreats cancelled for two years and consequently the restoration work at a standstill, we realised how essential it was to grow and expand in different ways to allow the restoration work and legacy of Château de Gudanes to continue no matter what the future may hold.

When we first purchased the Château we originally imagined that it would eventually become a private residence for our family. However, over the many years of the restoration journey we have slowly come to realise the reality of the enormity of not only the restoration project but also our commitment to protecting the Château’s history. 

By looking back to the past we understand that families may arrive and depart over centuries but the Château continues on a life of her own. As stewards of the Château’s future we believe our small part in her long history, and the greatest gift we can contribute, is to help strive for her financial independence.

Equally and at the same time, we have come to more deeply appreciate the Chateau’s history and understand her place in our local community. Being a historical monument we now understand the importance of sharing the Château’s legacy. Indeed, we are very grateful to all of the wonderful people around the world who have followed and been part of the journey with us and have provided such kindness and support amongst the challenges along the way. 

And so with this in mind, proceeds from every order placed on Shop The Château assist in financially supporting the ongoing restoration.

More specifically, proceeds received from this commission will be donated towards continuing the restoration of 18th Century frescoes in the Salon de Printemps (which is the Château’s main dining room), the restoration of the 19th Century chapel inside the Château and for the planting of trees and flowers in the Château’s Woodlands...

Uncovering 18th C Frescoes

Uncovering 18th Century hand-painted frescoes in the Salon de Printemps by carefully removing overlying paint from the 1960s. This process involves using a small scalpel 

Recreating 18th C Painted Beams

Recreating hand-painted 18th Century beams, colour matching all of the pigments, to be installed along with their original counterparts in ceiling of the Salon de Printemps

Restoring The Chapel Ceiling

Restoring the hand-painted ceiling of the Château's chapel begins by carefully cleaning the remaining paintwork. We then match the pigments to recreate what is lost

Planting In The Woodlands

Planting trees and flowers is an important part of maintaining, growing and nurturing the Château's woodlands for the future, as well as for taking care of our mother earth

We wholeheartedly believe that this contributes to a positive cause by supporting the restoration of a Class I Historical Monument and an important part of French architectural history...

Our Philosophy - Joining the Past, Present and Future

With this boutique we hope to weave the past and future together in the present. Nodding to the days of old by offering a combination of hand-made items, valued craftsmanship and slow fashions as well as modern luxuries. 

Mixing old with new - antique objects of interest with the latest of unique and à la mode designs, and artisanal treasures hand-made with love alongside expertly crafted modern masterpieces reimagining what it means to be made new. 

Shop the Château is a mix of unexpected antique elements with modern simplicity! All sorts of special things that capture both dreaminess and timelessness. And not just treasures from or made in France but all sorts of beautiful wares from around the world!

We recognise that newer isn’t always better… but equally neither are the ways of the past. We hope to build upon the values of old to transform them into a present frame of reference and relevance for now and the future. 

Bringing traditional craftsmanship into a modern context, and sharing it with our amazing community of interested people, to ensure that centuries old heritage continues to thrive. 

And, using the ways of new and old to inform our present understanding and create an online boutique strongly committed to environmental and ethical sustainability to safeguard our planet now and forever...

Devoted to Ethical Practices and Environmental Sustainability

We want to be fully transparent with you about the positive footprint we hope to make in this world and the important spiritual and social dimensions of our platform. We hope to create a world where everyday is made up of beautiful moments, which will become treasured memories...

It's time to go back to basics!

We hope our space will encourage you towards a more thoughtful and responsible way of buying and consuming. To make thoughtful choices about what you decide to bring into your life - only purchasing what you truly love and enriches your world. Whilst still cherishing things that express joy,  sentimentality and expand and grow the portrait of who you are as and individual. Making your home personal - a rare work of art just like yourself!

A home should not be a master and a change is in the air… It’s time to welcome that feeling of slowing down and settling in.

Now more than ever our homes should be a sanctuary. 

And so, it’s a perfect time to incorporate simple, environmentally friendly ideas and ethical consumption into our decor and daily life!

This is aligned with everything we do at the Château. We repurpose and recycle as much as possible!

Repurposing Building Materials

For our building materials we predominately use items that were found and saved from the rubble that was removed from inside the Château before any work began. Such as the nails used in this medieval style table...

Milling Wood From The Château Parkland

Where possible we use wood that we mill from the fallen trees in the Château parkland to make beams for ceilings, doors and base boards. All of the wooden fittings in the bathrooms were created from this process!

Salvaging Material From Other Sites

We also often source materials from salvage yards or from other historical buildings that are being decommissioned. The tiles here were salvaged from another property by one of our sellers, Salvage Europe

Restyling Antique & Vintage Treasures

For furniture and decor, on the weekends we enjoy exploring local brocantes and vide-greniers for antique treasures. We mostly find pieces from antique markets, dealers, auctions and even charity stores! 

At the Château we genuinely try to live by environmentally and ethically conscious decision making. Giving old things a new lease of life whilst still understanding the need for some modern luxuries. And, we hope to motivate you to do the same!

Before making a purchase here or anywhere, we encourage you to really consider how and where an item is made, its quality, and the values of the business making it. At Shop The Château we’re all about a wholesome home! Not the stuff in life that ends up doing humanity and our earth more harm than good. 

We place importance on valuing and celebrating the people and stories behind an objects creation, stories which will also weave into our own lives and homes. It’s hard to keep treasured traditions and storytelling alive as the globe seems to turn quicker than ever, and we are committed to both preserving old stories and discovering new ones. 

We hope that we can stand together as a group in love and kindness for the highest good for all - for humanity, our beautiful animals and our Mother Earth.

"Now Is The Time. We Are The People. Love Is The Way”

Marianne Williamson

Shop The Château is all about love, community and support! 

We believe in human kindness and trying to nurture a better world by working together and giving back to our community and environment in real and constructive ways. 

As part of our environmental initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint and take practical climate action at the close of each year we pledge to offsetting the carbon emissions of all orders placed on Shop The Château through Greenfleet. 

Greenfleet plants native biodiverse forests in Australia (our home-country) and New Zealand to capture carbon emissions and protect our environment from the impacts of climate change. To read more about Greenfleet we encourage you to visit their website here

In addition, at the end of each year part of the commission received by the Château will be donated to a different charity organisation.

In 2024 this donation shall be made to the National LGBTIQ+ Health Alliance, born out of a growing need for a more holistic view of LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing. To read more about this organisation we encourage you to visit their website here.

In previous years, donations have been made to the Purple House, who offer remote health and disability services to indigenous communities through Australia, and Zonta House, an organisation based in our home-town in Australia that supports women who have experienced or are at risk of domestic or family violence.

Similarly, part of the Château's commission each year is also donated to our local animal refuge in France - the Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) in the nearby village of Mirepoix. We appreciate all the wonderful work that the team at the SPA in Mirepoix undertake to protect all creatures great and small. To read more about the SPA we encourage you to visit their website here.

We found our German Shepherd cross, Alfie, at the SPA in Mirepoix in 2016. After lots of tender love and care Alfie has settled happily into his home at the Château

The Shop The Château Team

We have worked together to create this website and platform in the belief that it could be a positive step towards the self-sustainability of the Château and in the hope of contributing to the larger movement towards a more ethical and environmentally conscious home and world. 

We would welcome your feedback, whether it be regarding our philosophy or website, and invite you to reach out to us via our contact page here

As a team, we hope this online boutique will join kindred spirits in the choices we choose to make to help guide humanity and mother earth along a loving path. And, in sharing all things beautiful, big or small, and the stories that surround them.

Creating a place where everyone and everything has a story to share. We hope that the eventual receiver of these beautiful things will find a place in their home, life and heart to receive them with grace and love...

"The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart"

Judy Garland

With love, thanks and gratitude always,

Karina, Jasmine and all of the Château Family and Team x