~Julia Child in her southern France kitchen in 1978~

In November, The New York Times reported that Julia and Paul child’s small stucco home which they built in Provence, France, is now on the market for the first time in 50 years. Named by Julia as La Peetch or La Pitchoune (“The little thing”), the house boasts no more than 1500 square feet, and while remodeling has been done to other rooms, the kitchen is largely untouched.  The Childs owned the home from 1963 to 1992, and upon Paul’s death returned the ownership to the Fischbacher family (Simone Beck and her husband). The Fischbacher’s rented the house to an American, Kathie Alex who had moved to France in the 1970s to take cooking classes from Beck. As time passed, she eventually opened a cooking school in the house and bought it.

Alex, now 75 has listed the property for 800,000 Euros (approximately $860,000). To learn more, click here.  Promptly purchased and now available on Airbnb beginning May 2016. Click here for the listing and reserve your night, weekend or week (or more) in this cozy three bedroom piece of culinary history.

I must say, to own and live in such a home in France would be a dream. Should I have the means to purchase this house, I would jump like a leopard upon it. However, that is not meant to be. I am excited to learn of the fortunate person who next inhabits this nostalgic piece of real estate. What is clear is that Julia and Paul Child demonstrate that size doesn’t matter when it comes to making a house into a home. Rather it is how one exists within it. Enjoy the tour.

Images via Sotheby’s International Realty