{"id":267883,"date":"2025-11-20T12:54:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=267883"},"modified":"2025-11-24T13:09:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T18:09:37","slug":"french-chateau-refresh-by-laura-bohn-and-richard-fiore","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/french-chateau-refresh-by-laura-bohn-and-richard-fiore\/","title":{"rendered":"Laura Bohn And Richard Fiore Renovate A Centuries-Old French Ch\u00e2teau"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"view
The Beuvron river runs behind the house, where a bridge believed to\nhave been built in the 1920\u2019s provides access to an island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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November 20, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Stephen Wallis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Eric Laignel\ufeff<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Laura Bohn And Richard Fiore Renovate A Centuries-Old French Ch\u00e2teau<\/h1>\n\n\n

Half a century into her career as an interior designer, Laura Bohn<\/a> still loves nothing more than a project with a capital P. The more challenging, the better. When it comes to her own residences, she and her husband of four decades, BFI Construction<\/a> founder Richard Fiore, have lived primarily in New York, never staying put too long in one place, always eager for the next renovation. They\u2019ve conjured stylish lofts for themselves in former industrial spaces, converted a beaux-arts bank into luxury apartments, moving into a glass-and-steel penthouse extension they built on top, and, just outside the city, updated old farmhouses in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who know Bohn, an Interior Design<\/em> Hall of Fame member<\/a>, and Fiore, it\u2019s probably not hard to imagine them in a cherry picker, 25 feet off the ground, ripping thickets of ivy off the facade of a historic ch\u00e2teau they bought in the French countryside. \u201cWhat can I say? I\u2019m a designer, my husband\u2019s a builder, and we\u2019ve been doing projects together for a long time,\u201d Bohn says, by way of explaining their decision to uproot and move to the Loire Valley to rehabilitate a ch\u00e2teau, unoccupied for 40 years, on a 165-acre property with a history going back some ten centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathing New Life Into A\u00a0Storied Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"dining
A Julia Calfee photograph, vintage pendant fixtures, and a restored plaster ceiling define a sitting area off the living room in Ch\u00e2teau Montrion, a 9,000-square-foot historic house in Cellettes, France, that designer Laura Bohn and her husband, BFI Construction founder Richard Fiore, bought and then renovated over\nthe course of four years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It all started nearly a decade ago, when Bohn read a New York Times<\/em> article about house-hunting in France that cited a number of ch\u00e2teaus for sale, many at surprisingly modest prices. The story landed like a siren call for Bohn, an avid Francophile who had lived in Paris in her 20s, when she worked as a model before becoming a designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she and Fiore set off for France, traveling around in a van. \u201cWe went all over,\u201d Bohn recounts. \u201cWe had no idea what we were doing, but it was the adventure of it.\u201d The couple narrowed their focus to the Loire and began working with a French agent, even moving in with him for a time. Ultimately, after all their searching, they wound up buying a property at auction in 2021, sight unseen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tranquil Scenery Surrounds This French Ch\u00e2teau<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"exterior
The ch\u00e2teau, framed here by 300-year-old horse chestnuts, has elements dating to the 12th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ch\u00e2teau Montrion, as it\u2019s called, is perched on the bucolic banks of the Beuvron, a tributary of the Loire. Nearby are some of the region\u2019s most famous ch\u00e2teaus, including Chambord, Cheverny, and Blois, where there is also a sizable town with shops, restaurants, and a train station, conveniently just a 15-minute drive away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Bohn explains, Ch\u00e2teau Montrion checked several key boxes, not least the fact that the house is a manageable size, at around 9,000 square feet, with rooms that are a comfortable scale. \u201cSome have 20-, 24-foot ceilings, which maybe looks great but doesn\u2019t feel good,\u201d she says. \u201cThe rooms here are beautifully proportioned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Poetic Blend Of Past And Present<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"kitchen
A pair of Bohn\u2019s beloved old train station lights suspend over a vintage table and chairs in the dining room, where the existing mosaic floor was preserved but the wainscot\u2019s height reduced for a lighter, more open feel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first time Bohn and Fiore visited Montrion, its condition was what one would expect of a place that had been boarded up for decades. The iron front gate had been wedged open by creeping tree roots, and the entrance drive\u2019s all\u00e9e of 300-year-old horse chestnuts was so overgrown that a car could hardly get through. Then there was the dense ivy that cloaked much of the facade, while inside, as Bohn puts it, \u201cThe house needed everything.\u201d (During the renovation, the couple lived in a cottage outbuilding attached to a centuries-old stone church on the property.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts of the main house date as far back as the 12th century, with the last renovation taking place in 1921. Needless to say, electricity and other systems required upgrading, all windows and doors had to be replaced, and plaster ceilings and walls needed to be completely redone. Where they could, Bohn and Fiore took a light-handed approach, preserving existing elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"entry
The stone-veneer tiles cladding the walls around the entry and upstairs hallway were existing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the entrance hall, for example, they did little more than clean up the intricate plaster ceiling and extend the flooring\u2014classic white marble with black cabochons\u2014toward the back of the house, where they ripped out a powder room and added new glass doors so the entire space is splashed with natural light. Bohn inserted her own personal touches, such as a low metal cabinet with glass panels, a vintage piece from India she has owned for years that reflects her \u201cindustrial thing,\u201d as she describes her affinity for sleek materials and the pared-down aesthetic she inherited from her early mentor, designer Joseph D\u2019Urso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the entry\u2019s lighting, instead of a crystal chandelier\u2014\u201cThat would be typical,\u201d she notes\u2014Bohn hung a simple, oversize paper globe. \u201cI think it was 10 euros and reduced to 4,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was supposed to be temporary, but I like it so much, I\u2019ll never change it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover How Laura Bohn Imbues Elegance Into This Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"office
In the office, under a vintage canoe Bohn has displayed in multiple\nhomes, an opening to the terrace was cut into the thick stone wall; the leather-and-linen sofas are custom, the large painting by Antonio Morado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bohn, who still consults on European projects, enjoys mixing high and low, and she often recycles favorite pieces from previous residences. A vintage turquoise-canvas canoe that she has installed like a wall sculpture in multiple homes\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s probably from the \u201920\u2019s, I think it\u2019s got a thousand holes in it\u201d\u2014is perched atop a wall of cabinets in the office. The canoe overlooks a pair of beloved gray leather sofas Bohn designed years ago with double fringe, only here she recovered the seat cushions in a chocolatey linen. \u201cI\u2019m taking those wherever I go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More long-owned pieces turn up in the living room. There\u2019s the massive, richly patinaed antique medicine cabinet with dozens of drawers and Chinese labels that presides over one corner, as well as the live-edge cocktail table Bohn made using \u201ca giant piece of redwood that a friend in Wisconsin found in someone\u2019s garage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vintage Furnishings Add To The Design Narrative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"living
In the living room, the refinished herringbone\nfloor and stripped and replastered walls surround Bohn\u2019s custom mohair-covered\nsofa and redwood-slab cocktail table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pre-renovation, the living room\u2019s plaster ceiling was crumbling, and the walls were clad in a silk \u201cthe brightest yellow-orange you\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d Bohn says. When the wallcovering was removed, the scarred plaster underneath wasn\u2019t much better, so she and her team spent months chipping it away, down to the stone rubble walls, which are 2 feet thick in some places. Bohn then added a layer of plaster in gray, a color she uses as a less conventional and, to her mind, a warmer and more versatile alternative to white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a gray freak,\u201d says the designer, who used various shades of it in the dining room\u2014above the original wainscot paneling that was shortened to lighten the feel\u2014and in the overhauled kitchen, previously grime-caked with a huge coal-burning stove surrounded by a warren of tiny rooms. \u201cIt was gutted front to back with helpers, friends, anybody who had a sledgehammer,\u201d Bohn recalls. She then crafted a multifunctional space, adding a counter extension off the island with stools for casual dining, plus composing a denlike sitting area next to a fireplace with an Eames lounge chair she has owned for three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"kitchen
Backed by a tall cabinet designed by Fiore, the kitchen now centers on a quartz composite\u2013topped, L-shape island incorporating a cooktop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here and throughout the house, Bohn peppered the spaces with wunderkammer\u2013type natural objects\u2014cloches containing bird\u2019s nests, deer and elk heads, a spectacular walnut-root sculpture. The walls, meanwhile, host a personal mix of family photos and artworks the couple has collected over the years. For the second-floor hallway, Bohn commissioned a 20-foot mural of a pastoral landscape, echoing the setting outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best vantage points for taking in those surroundings is on the back terrace, where Bohn and Fiore have coffee or lunch overlooking the river. \u201cIt\u2019s only about 12 feet wide, too narrow for much of anything, but it\u2019s just the greatest little spot,\u201d she muses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever creatively restless, Bohn says she\u2019s already thinking about her next project, perhaps a home in Mexico. \u201cWe\u2019re crazy\u2014we love to work,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m dying to do it again.\u201d Not that Ch\u00e2teau Montrion has lost its allure. \u201cEvery time I drive through the all\u00e9e, I can\u2019t get over how beautiful this is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tour\u00a0Ch\u00e2teau Montrion Revitalized By Laura Bohn And Richard Fiore<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"kitchen
In the kitchen\u2019s sitting area, a restored Eames\nlounge chair and footstool Bohn acquired from a client and a\nwalnut-root sculpture on the mantel pair with a painting by Kathryn Lynch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"white
A humble paper lantern hangs from the entrance hall\u2019s intricate original ceiling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"entryway
Flooring is also original, but the area behind the stairs was opened up and\nglass terrace doors added to bring in more light.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"aerial
A second, back staircase has been refurbished.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"dining
Among the animal mounts in the dining room is an elk above the carved mantelpiece.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hallway
Across from a commissioned woodland mural by Staszek Kotowski that spans 20 feet in the second-floor hallway is a Don Friedman photograph of flowers styled by Joseph Lembo, Bohn\u2019s former\nLembo-Bohn Design partner, as inspiration for a Donghia textile they created in the 1980\u2019s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"rear
The rear terrace, looking through one of the castle\u2019s two towers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"a
A neighbor and their horse visiting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"main
A Kotowski painting atop an antique dresser in the\nmain bedroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"shell-encrusted
A shell-encrusted mirror by Bohn in the main\nbedroom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"driveway
An all\u00e9e of more chestnut trees along the entry drive. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"tabletop
Tabletop curios in the\noffice. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"bathroom
The main bathroom\u2019s RH chair, locally sourced tub,\nand undyed floor covering, all vintage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"foyer
Sconces found at a Loire Valley flea market in the\nfoyer stairwell. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"outdoor
Terrace seating area beneath a tower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"guest
A set of doors Bohn found in the property\u2019s church have been repurposed into\na screen to divide the sleeping and bathing areas in one of the 10 guest bedrooms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"bedroom
Simply furnished, the main bedroom was given a walk-in closet, its entry visible behind the armchair and hide-covered ottoman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"view
The Beuvron river runs behind the house, where a bridge believed to\nhave been built in the 1920\u2019s provides access to an island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

LAURENT D\u2019EU: <\/strong>LIGHTING DESIGN. FARLEY COLLOM:<\/strong> WOODWORK. BFI CONSTRUCTION:<\/strong> GENERAL CONTRACTOR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FROM FRONT ANN-MORRIS:<\/strong> PENDANT FIXTURES (SITTING AREA). DONGHIA: <\/strong>CHAIR, FOOTSTOOL (LIVING ROOM), CHAIR (MAIN BEDROOM). KRAVET:<\/strong> LINEN PILLOW FABRIC (LIVING ROOM). CHILEWICH; SAVEL: <\/strong>SOFA FABRICS. SCHMIDT GROUPE: <\/strong>CABINETRY (KITCHEN). DEKTON:<\/strong> COUNTERTOPS. THOMSON APPLIANCE:<\/strong> REFRIGERATOR. BOSCH: <\/strong>STOVE. AIRLUX:<\/strong> COOKTOP. ELECTROLUX: <\/strong>HOODS. RALPH LAUREN: <\/strong>SOFA (SITTING ROOM). LARSEN: <\/strong>SOFA LEATHER (OFFICE). ARTEMIDE: <\/strong>LAMPS (OFFICE, BEDROOMS). RH:<\/strong> CHAIR (BATHROOM). THROUGHOUT PEINTURES SAINT-LUC:<\/strong> PAINT.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n