A human adventure
La Villa de Louis is above all a human adventure: the story of a guy who set himself a crazy challenge — to build his own house from A to Z! Well supported and learning as he went, Polo began a titanic task in January 2021. He dug and poured the foundations, then received the kit for his timber-frame house. Then came weeks of sprints with a cheerful team of family and friends: putting up the walls, then the beams for the upper floor, more walls and finally the roof frame and tiles. In two weeks the house was standing. Empty, but standing. An immense joy for the team and for Polo… who had no idea it would take a hundred times more energy for everything else: insulation, interior and exterior cladding, electrics, plumbing, windows and much more. Days, and above all nights, of DIY after work. And always with an eye for detail, so that everything would be spotless.
So where did he find the determination to complete this huge project in barely a year?
Becoming a dad
Surely in another crazy challenge in his life: becoming a dad. The house had to be ready to welcome little Louis. And it seems this wave of love was enough to give him the strength to move mountains, overcome obstacles and finally finish the house. As you'll have guessed, it isn't called La Villa de Louis by chance.
It was imagined, designed and built by hand with one aim: to be a serene, soothing place to share moments of life together — to reconnect, talk and make unforgettable memories.
Polo, the owner
Polo is one of those guys you pass in the street who just naturally smiles. There are no problems, only solutions — and he creates those solutions with his beloved machines: drill, jigsaw, circular saw, impact wrench and many more. Chat with him about DIY and you'll quickly realise that 1) he's married to Makita (a rather plain but apparently very efficient multi-purpose lady) and 2) he wants to learn everything. Just as well, because that's the least you need when you set out to build your own house. Over all those incredible months, Polo learned to handle every one of his tools and many more (the Makita collection has grown since), but also to share his passion and lead a dedicated, hard-working team. On site: family, friends, neighbours, the cold, beers, hot chocolate, soup, music and memories. “It was seriously hard work”, but “it was so much fun”.
Did you know? Polo is also passionate about boats. It's no coincidence that La Villa de Louis is a stone's throw from Lacanau! Originally, the idea was to be able to sail on some weekends. The problem: Polo loves boats, but boats don't love Polo. They ran away one after another — one to the depths, one out to sea, another to… well, if the boat's current owner gets in touch, we'll let him know! It's not a sore subject, though, and Polo will be happy to chat with you about it.
Aurélie, the dog mum
There's a good reason why La Villa de Louis is dog-friendly. Paul knows all too well how hard it is to find holiday accommodation… for one particular reason. His partner is the proud dog mum of four gorgeous (yes, she's the one writing this) and perfect “little” dogs (20 to 40 kg each). The result: a happy, well-behaved pack that nonetheless often scares holiday-home owners.
So every holiday it's the same routine: search, call, persuade… or set off in the camper van with everyone, because in the end road trips are great too.
Aurélie's dream: to find a villa with a heated pool where she would be welcomed warmly “despite” her furry family.
And of course, Paul made that dream come true!