Pergolating Part Deux
Slowly but surely. This week we planted Silver Lace Vine on the uprights. I know, it’s one of those out of control plants, but considering the erratic weather we want … Continue reading
Number 42, Before Us
Yesterday we had the great pleasure of being visited by a former resident of number 42. One who grew up here and loves the place as much as we do. … Continue reading
The Wonders of Absurdist Entertainment: Chateau DIY
Imagine this scenario: There are British people who want to live in a grand French country house, but they (a number on this program) can’t quite afford to do it. … Continue reading
Summer Girls, Guest Rooms & Kitchens
SUMMER GIRLS ARE COMING!!!!! We’re more than thrilled. We’ve had no visitors since the pandemic began and it seems we’ll be making up for it this year. Mike’s brother and … Continue reading
The Difficulties with Villa Ermo Pt. 2
The background problems were discussed in some detail here, but having had ample experience in design/furniture/art over the past 24 years, I wanted to talk about the things people don’t … Continue reading
Mid-March in Mazamet. Sold, sold, and please don’t sell that!
It seems we’ve arrived at the hot-cakes stage of the market. The Reynes house sold for asking price, approximately one million US$. I don’t know who bought it. The park … Continue reading
February Auction Highlights, London & Madrid
Still time to bid! Each with caned seat and back with loose cushions upholstered in red and cream damask. Profoundly French. I’ve always loved sitting at dining tables where everyone … Continue reading
Winter in Mazamet: Visiting the Molinié Villa
It’s been cold! The lawn has been regularly covered in a white dust of ice. There have been storms and flooding in various parts of France. Luckily, we’re not in … Continue reading
September in Mazamet. A House of Substance
Thank goodness for September, the cool nights are back. This month and October are some of the best months in Mazamet. Lovely sunny days punctuated by cooling rains. Skies that … Continue reading
The Redemptive Power of Beautiful Things
A more light-hearted post since whenever one turns on the television all we hear are terrible things – so I give you some beautiful things: I found this great little … Continue reading
Beautiful Things: Roland Oudot and Mercier Freres
Roland Oudot and Mercier Frères. Two names that aren’t terribly well known although they should be. A few weeks ago I saw a painting by Oudot at auction and thought … Continue reading
Preparing the house for Imaginary Summer Girls
It’s the one time a year when the house gets cleaned from top to bottom, hard to get to cobwebs removed, unused rooms opened; So even though Summer Girls won’t … Continue reading
Things to do during confinement: EXTREME FLOOR WAXING!!!
First I (hand) scrubbed the floors to get rid of old wax buildup which caused dark patches (and there were also specks of accumulated dirt especially where walls meet floors.) … Continue reading
Louis XVI Commodes, Including a Highly Important Marquetry Dresser by RVLC
Firstly, have a look at this: “… The commode having three drawers, the first set in the frieze, mounted with panels of ormolu interlace and rosettes above the remaining two … Continue reading
Lights, Camera – Mazamet
Lights, lights, lights in the garden! Absolutely wonderful. There was one thing I missed terribly about Spain and that was the ambience at night. Particularly in the garden at Villa … Continue reading
Call this number and tell the woman I must see her chest without delay.
That’s the sort of unusual note Mike finds on his desk in the morning. And let me tell you, what a chest it turned out to be! Central or Northern … Continue reading
Early February in Mazamet. A little bit of wonderful.
First things first, I’ve been doing the interiors of the cabinets in the scullery. They were plain and boring – completely unrefined. So I thought I’d add a bit of … Continue reading
The End is in Sight!
The fabric above is a 100% linen fabric called Water Iris, by Zoffany. Only £78 p/ metre. It’s what we’ve settled on for the dining room chairs. I’ve been working on … Continue reading
Let’s talk about good stuff. Mazamet, August 22nd, 2018
The wallpaper is up and I’m thrilled. The effect is even better in person than in the pictures. The room is alive. The dark table will anchor the whole thing, give … Continue reading
More dining-room-inations and some pergolating
The blue-grey is going up as I type. The blank space in it is for the Palmeraie (wall)paper after Carl Blechen. I’m in the last stages of the ebonising of … Continue reading
In research this week: The Commode en Console
“… It’s French name, commode en console, indicates that it is, in fact, a console table designed to stand against a wall and a commode or chest of drawers. A … Continue reading
Number 42: Upstairs Landing Update
The bedrooms side of the landing is now painted. Scaffolding will be needed for the stairs side. The Baudson Wisteria mirror (from the charity shop) has a new glass and … Continue reading
Dining room-inations
So we were talking the other day about what to (finally) do about the dining room and Mike said it would be wonderful if we could make it feel like … Continue reading
A student pod – experimenting with space
This was a challenge. So much so that I’d been putting it off for months. I was so uninspired I was leaning towards just leaving the two studios in building … Continue reading
The Léon Daures Archives
The descendants of architect Léon Daures have donated all of his files/notes/drawings to the government of the Tarn. You might not recognise his name but if you’ve been to Albi … Continue reading
From a 2014 Sale: An Italian green and gilt-japanned chinoiserie bureau cabinet, Venetian, circa 1750
“This striking bureau cabinet, decorated with chinoiserie scenes imitating Oriental lacquer, takes its inspiration from the form of early 18th century Anglo-Dutch examples, which quickly took root as important pieces of … Continue reading
Demystifying Maison Jansen by James Archer Abbott
“Befitting its rich heritage, the name “Jansen” has multiple connotations. First, it identifies a century-long, global offering of decorating services that focused on both historical revivals and contemporary trends, largely … Continue reading
The African Textiles Are in Place
I’ve missed these terribly. They’re either Ajar veils or Bakhnug shawls, which are part of the attire of Berber women. We had them in the hall in Sotogrande (the … Continue reading
A Carpet for the Study
A very attractive silk and wool Bidjar from the first half of the 20th century in just exceptional condition. It fits the room beautifully leaving about the same distance on … Continue reading
Exceptional Beauty: Up Close and Personal with Goya
Boys with Mastiffs, de Goya y Lucientes Prado Museum 1786. Oil on canvas, 112 x 145 cm. “Two boys hold two large, muzzled mastiffs by their leads. On the collar … Continue reading
Autumnal
‘Tis the season to be raking – which is tiresome; but at least I like looking at the red ivy. It gives me a chance to exercise silencing my mind, … Continue reading
20ème siècle | Paris | October 2017 | Christie’s
“This October, Christie’s presents Giacometti’s colossal Grande femme II alongside Basquiat’s masterpiece, Jim Crow. Drawn from two exceptional French collections, the two works lead our series of auctions dedicated to … Continue reading
This week in that other part of my life
I’m overseeing the restoration of this rather wonderful Dolorosa (Madonna of the Seven Sorrows, to be specific). She’s circa 1750, carved wood, applied gesso and polychrome painted with glass eyes. … Continue reading
The WC. at the top of the stairs, before & after
This was a fiddly affair, but we’re nearly there. All that’s missing now are the windows which are being restored. The floors unfortunately had to be replaced because when the … Continue reading
Summer at number 42 (Mazamet, 2017)
“And when the Lord said drinketh champagneth, we didith.” Alcoholics 20:17 We’re enjoying summer no end this year. The girls have made it particularly fun and special. They do every … Continue reading
Nearly there
We’re still waiting for the moulding that tops off the wainscoting (aka chair rail), and then it’s mostly details. In all I’m pleased. It’s got great light and a welcoming … Continue reading
“Home” of Friedrich Nietzsche – Palazzo Berlendis for Sale
Source: Home of Friedrich Nietzsche – Palazzo Berlendis for Sale 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms 300 m2 2,500,000 EUR (2,181,703 GBP) The advertisement is slightly misleading, this is actually an apartment … Continue reading
Ask not what a mirror can do for you-
Above are all Louis XIV mirrors. Fascinating period. As transitions go, probably one of the most significant in the history of art. We leave behind the heavy-handedness of everything that came … Continue reading
April at nº 42
It’s been a busy month. And dusty. Work has begun to move the west bathroom into a larger room. And what was the bathroom is going to become a dressing … Continue reading
Changes
Dealing with the limited counter space in the kitchen has not been easy, but finally we have a solution. A cross between an island and a table. It’s the height … Continue reading
A North Italian, Clear & Cobalt Blue Glass Mirror| VENICE, 1st half of the 18th century | Christie’s
A NORTH ITALIAN ENGRAVED, CLEAR AND COBALT BLUE GLASS MIRROR VENICE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY The rectangular plate within a stepped foliate-decorated surround interspersed with oval medallions depicting flowering urns … Continue reading
Matisse, Tiziano, Veronese & Diana Vreeland
Bacchus & Ariadne have just left. They’re on their way to Madrid where they’ll be restored by the exceptionally able hand who presided over much of the work at the … Continue reading
Musée d’Orsay: Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870). La jeunesse de l’impressionnisme.
“Comment regarder l’oeuvre de Frédéric Bazille, mort au combat en 1870 lors de la guerre franco-prussienne alors qu’il n’était âgé que de 28 ans ? Si ses premières toiles sont … Continue reading
Pastoral Amusements
Isn’t that room stunning? The tapestry you see on the wall on the left is the Cheval Fondu from the Amusements Champêtres series. It was thought to be Beauvais but … Continue reading
A chest for the scullery
The chest for the scullery is in place. I wanted something very specific so we had it made (adapted actually) in Germany and then shipped to us in a flat … Continue reading
Light-hearted things
In the first half of the 20th century there were squads called Einsatzgruppen- HA! Just kidding. No depressing history or politics today. I promised a picture of the Louis Philippe … Continue reading
Photos of historical England ‘challenge Downton Abbey myth’ | Art and design | The Guardian
“Images of factories, schools, universities and civic buildings rising among old streetscapes – but also of rotting houses, barefoot children and faces pinched with poverty – have been unearthed from … Continue reading
Converted bus #TinyHouse
“When I was a kid I was fascinated by the idea of Gypsy caravans. Now, I’m fascinated by Tiny Houses, and this converted bus is one of the best I’ve … Continue reading
When Grand Meant Grand. Resurrecting a house.
As I’ve mentioned previously I was mystified when I heard the story of the property that used to neighbour number 42. A most impressive hôtel particulier (although here they prefer … Continue reading
Superb. The importance of not being earnest.
Every year when the girls visit, they spoil us with the most wonderful things. Super-chic, super-stylish things that one buys in London. This year we got the Moët twin set, … Continue reading
Super-cute. Down the street & around the corner.
This house has just come on the market. I know because I still get real-estate newsletters for our town even though we’ve already bought. It’s a very decent size, 450m2 which … Continue reading
Life at no. 42, month 16. The good and the not quite
So it’s been sixteen months. I’ve more or less lost my sense of time. Some days I feel like I’ve been here forever, others I wake up and still … Continue reading
Slowly but surely. Apartment 3 (2 bed/2 bath)
It’s taken longer than we hoped… but we’re there. The rooms were a bit fiddly in this one- very few right angles. In all I’m happy. Mike deserves a ton … Continue reading
Christie’s NY: The Joan Rivers Sale
“As the first female host of a late night network television talk show, well-known for her co-hosting of E!’s Fashion Police and her acerbic but honest and clever remarks, the … Continue reading
Rhododendron in flower
Isn’t that a wonderful colour? I think I’m going to get more of it. I spent the morning planting hostas under the camellias. When they arrived this morning I panicked. … Continue reading
This week at № 42
The tiles for the scullery have arrived. They’re by an Italian company called Marca Corona- from their new Terra collection. I’ve been sanding the cupboards which are going to be … Continue reading
Plans for the wall (and plant identification help!)
I’ve decided that I want to make the wall that’s behind the house a bit more interesting. Especially because that’s where the entrance door is. The planting is already great, … Continue reading
The kitchen garden + The Russians are coming!
The baby bok choy has come and been eaten. Excellent, easy crop. It only takes 30 to 45 days from seed to table. They’ve been replaced by a variety of … Continue reading
Blue skies, wisteria & other things
The wisteria looks glorious this year. I’ve planted euphorbia characias wulfenii at the base- and also liatris spicata. I think the ton-sur-ton effect will be amusing. Elsewhere in the garden … Continue reading
Doodling Floor Plans
Okay- I’ve been doodling and doodling to see what I could actually come up with for the currently unused atelier area. If you don’t recall, it looks like this: The … Continue reading
Work on apartment #3; Two bed, two bath
Work has begun. This is one of the apartments I prefer, which means it’s more fun. It’s got an interesting L shaped layout with a bedroom at each extremity (each with … Continue reading
They just scream number 42!!!
Just got a pair of amazing candle sconces. HUGE! 85cm x 75cm (that’s 33 by 29 inches.) They’re going to be absolutely perfect for number 42. I’ve been having a … Continue reading
One dining room, many kitchens. Design changes.
Slight change of design plan for two of the two bedroom flats… the kitchens are going to be white lacquer. Instead of black Friday in France the soldes (sales) start … Continue reading
Work at the 1 bedroom
A ton going on this week. The double glazing is in place in the 1 bedroom flat. Big, lots of light. Showing off the bedroom window is Ted Thatcher, our friend … Continue reading
Private posts & the art business
Sometimes I’m really itching to write about things I’m working on or things I happen to see here or there- but then I don’t because a client wouldn’t want me … Continue reading
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