Renovating Returns
Hello
I have long promised an update on some of the many projects we have lined up. Each room is, of course, a project on its own but over the time we have been here, and even before, we have acquired numerous articles to renovate, update, upcycle or repair. There are chairs, tables, an old French sofa found in a barn, lamps, mirrors and even a baguette box! These things, one person’s rubbish, another’s treasure, have been bought at brocantes, found at vide-greniers (the French equivalent of a car boot or yard sale) or given to us. Some items were found here in the attics or came with the house. I think at times we have got carried away, seeing where a particular item could fit in to the house but underestimating the time available to realise all these plans!
We have finished some projects and are finally getting a bit more momentum going, or perhaps we are getting a little more organised! Things come along that get in the way of course, like the current water leak which has required floor tiles and floor boards to be taken up to find the source and then find a way to run a new pipe upstairs. Not an easy challenge when the walls are stone, very thick and slightly more unusually walls on different floors do not sit on top of each other as you would expect. More on that in the next blog post.
A long while back we went to a vide-grenier in the village. A house was being sold and emptied. I have talked about this and showed you photos of the sofa, washstand and cherry ladder that we bought. Don’t ask why we bought the ladder – I just can’t answer that question. It was just so beautiful! The sofa awaits my future expertise in upholstery as it is, as you can see, a major project. The washstand, however, is done. The marble was carefully cleaned, the wood painted and new handles added with a touch of silver wax in places to pick up some detail. I am so pleased with it. I have always wanted one of these but often the marble is damaged or they are quite pricey. This one was neither. It had a bit of woodworm which is unavoidable but once treated was ready to update.
We have also finished a few rooms – the Directoire bedroom where my mother now resides, the bathroom for that room and the guest loo! We were finishing the Directoire bedroom when my Mother decided to come and live with us, so we changed plans a little to accommodate her furniture but insisted that the wallpaper panels planned went ahead! The room was always going to be white but I think the panels add a little something to the room which has an amazing and unusual floor.
The bathroom we inherited boasted peppermint green and white walls with lilac and a sort of turquoise sea green tiles around the sink and in the shower. An unusual combination and one that I didn’t take to at all. Given a very stretched budget, new tiles were out of the question so Max painted all the lilac tiles white, using a fabulous tile paint which works very well and is so far showing no signs of wear. The greeny coloured tiles stayed and look so much better against white. The peppermint green has also gone too, replaced by white walls. Like everything this was not quite as straightforward as hoped and the green was quite insistent that it should stay, so it took a number of coats to persuade it to bid us goodbye. A recent new over sink light was the final touch.
The guest loo was also green, with an alcove from an old doorway. This room too has been painted white but with blue on the frame of a filled-in doorway which forms a nice alcove now. The blue was an experiment at the time as the room was lacking in interest. I loved it so much I painted an old pine mirror to match and in a moment of paint enthusiasm stencilled alliums in the alcove. We just have to add a couple of shelves and it will be done. However this is not quite true as now we will have a pipe being put through the wall so will have to patch up what we have done in due course. The ‘artwork’ at the back is in fact an old floorboard from the attic. The blue side must once have been the ceiling below. Water damage has caused the blue paint to change. Can you spot the sea lion?
There are many more projects to share with you from the main hall to the updating of brocante finds. I would love to hear what you think of what we have done, but also any suggestions! We are always on the look-out for ideas.
A bientôt
Ali x
