John Mahshie
Stop Looking at that French Château
Like almost everyone, I enjoy a little trip through Instagram to browse any number of categories. There are a surprising number of interesting tidbits ranging from ways to clean your garbage disposer, what exercises you should do to fend off the inevitable march to the grave, how to fold a fitted sheet (a shockingly high number of these), and, of course, my favorite – the French château. Now, there are many of us who also spend time looking at many other interesting posts; however, none of us will relinquish the fondness for that seemingly ultimately luxurious abode.
Curiously, a number of these châteaux are for sale, which can be extremely problematic. At least three times a month, someone I know messages me with a link to something that seems impossibly attainable (“in U.S. dollars, this place is only $500,000! We should buy it and renovate it!”). Knowing my predilection for outbuildings, a friend will attempt to tantalize me even further with: “Look! It also has its own chapel! You always said you wanted your very own! And with the current exchange rate, we could get the whole place for less than $700,000!” I feebly attempt to deflect these entreaties with my concerns about the location (“It’s in the Altoona, Pennsylvania, of France”), or its proximity to the coast. Never do I point out that this “bargain” will seem like far less of one once we factor in the myriad restoration costs, legal fees, travel, and new clothes suitable for the French countryside.
Given how well my friends know me, they know that it only takes one photo of something they’ve been pining over for me to give more than a moment’s consideration, especially if it has a dovecote in addition to a private chapel. This has caused me on more than one occasion to consider how I could raise the purchase price in addition to what would likely devolve into the outer stratosphere of costs for renovations. A dovecote, after all, is very hard to find in good condition. As for the chapel? All it really needs is a new roof, and perhaps a little restoration of the windows, maybe some masonry work. What could it cost, after all? We could do it ourselves!
A little while ago, a friend introduced me to a television program, and I was completely enthralled by the ingenuity and ability of an English couple who took over a 19th-century revival-style château somewhere in the French countryside. Each episode documented some milestone while they attempted to turn the house – and multiple outbuildings – into an event venue. Watching this show proved a big mistake. I didn’t watch all of the series because the charm and cleverness of this indefatigable couple began to infuriate me. They dealt with all of their challenges with such equanimity that I knew that I wouldn’t be able to match this pair.
During the course of a number of episodes, as plaster was restored and kitchens were being newly fitted, I began to assessmy own meager skills as a homeowner, wondering whether I could manage such a project. After all, I do speak French and lived there in my youth. I am an attorney, so I should be able to manage the legal requirements of ownership in a foreign country. I am a Realtor, so I should be able to find “just the right thing” through my global network of contacts. I am known for my impeccable taste, so no matter how desperate the interior, I should be able to create a space to rival any of Jacques Grange’s. Also, my husband is an expert gardener, so we should be able to transform any swamp into a garden worthy of André Le Nôtre.
Reality set in eventually, as it annoyingly does most times, and I realized that no matter how many resources I had at my disposal, any type of project like this would likely land us in the French courts, broke and divorced. This is not how I planned to spend my “best life” years. I am just not up to the task of anything of this magnitude. I know this because we have been in the same house for 25 years and still haven’t managed to get the powder room wallpapered. We can’t agree on the pattern and cannot find anyone who will do a small project like this for any amount of money.
Weary from what has seemed an endless series of bad news, many of us have found comfort scrolling through historic properties that seem like the perfect little project. Who wouldn’t want to have a house in France (or England, Spain, Portugal, Italy…wherever) where we could entertain our friends for a summer, sitting by the pool while someone other than us is preparing the noonday meal, and arranging flowers in that vintage Lalique vase we brought in our hand luggage because we knew we would find the perfect spot for it. Who doesn’t imagine the thrill of flinging open the massive oak front doors (although in my fantasy, it’s someone else opening the doors) to receive you, dear visitor, and then conduct you through the enfilade to the pea gravel walk to find me sitting among the rosemary.
For now, I think I’ll just learn how to fold the fitted sheets.
John Mahshie has resided in the District of Columbia for more than 40 years and has had a life-long interest in architecture spanning Vitruvius through van der Rohe. He has worked on numerous renovation projects including his personal residence – a Spanish Colonial Revival built in 1926, published in Spaces magazine in 2006. His last renovation project was his winter residence in Miami Beach, Florida, where he is licensed with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty.
He has worked with esteemed architects and developers throughout the city and has sold four successful condominium projects totaling more than 100 units. A project he sold at 1401 Q Street, NW received a merit award from the American Institute of Architects, and the Washington Business Journal nominated his project for “Real Estate Deal of the Year.” He was the top individual producer at his firm for three consecutive years. As Senior Vice President, he works with the firm’s leadership and associates to increase their knowledge and understanding of American residential and commercial architecture. In 2008, he was appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty to serve on the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Prior to his affiliation with TTR Sotheby's International Realty from 1981 - 2002, John held positions at the Embassy of Malta and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He served as Counsel in the Litigation Section at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and was an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. As an attorney, he has been an active member of the Virginia State Bar for the last 31 years.
John graduated from Georgetown University in 1981 with a B.S. from the School of Languages and Linguistics and studied at the American University in Cairo. He received his M.A. in Arab Studies from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1983. In 1989, he received his J.D. from the College of Law and an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
He is a former board member and Chairman of the Education Committee of the Washington Mid Atlantic Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA). He has developed programs relating to important commercial projects for the Wharton Club, and his most recent program for the ICAA was The Legacy of the Roman Empire’s Building Traditions on the Development of Islamic Architecture in Spain, held at the Cosmos Club in 2018. In 2020, he joined the American Institute of Architects as an Associate Member.
