This sprawling converted schoolhouse in the Ardennes is the perfect place to round up your friends for a long weekend away.

Accommodating up to 21 guests, the four-storey école was built in 1863, and sits at the heart of Denée, a small village in Belgium.

‘All the paintings, objects and installations have a connection to the old school, but in a humorous way,’ its owner Anne Laloux told HomeDSGN.

Gymnastics apparatus, stools and chalkboards are strewn across the interior spaces, which feature exposed brickwork, blue stone floors and high beamed ceilings. Meanwhile, bedrooms – seven of them – are named after school subjects.

Laloux and her partner Jean-Luc, both of whom are architectural photographers, oversaw the design of La Classe, which eschews the traditional ‘rustic’ country aesthetic in favour of contemporary finishes. A peppering of pieces by Ron Arad, Hay and Stuv complete the look.

The basement has been converted into an entertainment space, equipped with a nine-metre-long bar, Wurlitzer jukebox, fußball table, giant board games and a media room.
Outside, sculpted gardens encircle a tennis and basketball court.

If ball games aren’t your thing, head to Molignee Valley – just five minutes away – famed for its rolling landscape and home to the historic ruins of Montaigle Castle.

La Classe is available to rent direct.

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