French Country Lamps

Finding the right lamp for a room takes a little shopping.  I found this lamp at the Neiman Marcus discount store called Horchow in Plano.  The shade of gold is very soft and adds just the perfect amount of lighting to

the family room.   I found the rooster lamp for our kitchen at a specialty store in Dallas.  I happened to run across it and thought it would go nicely with my toile fabic on the windows.  

Sorrento Italy Home to Inlaid Wood

The French decorate with pieces from all over the world but they look for quality.  Sorrento is a special place in Italy where unique furniture is made with inlaid word.  Inside the old city walls there are demonstrations and explanations of the art of designing unique patterns in furniture.  The artistry and craftsmanship of older inlaid items are quite stunning, made by recognized masters. 

The steps to making each unique piece is very intensive.  First the master cuts out design pieces.  They place the pieces in sand on a hot plate.  The pieces have burned edges and are ready to place in the design.

I purchased this unique piece at an estate sale from a family who traveled to Italy.  It goes quite nicely by a chair in our family room.   Estate sales are places you can find unique items not normally found elsewhere.  

Sorrento is along the rugged coast  of Italy with cliffs soaring upward.  When we took our Mediterranean cruise we were close by in a town called Pompeii.  The mild climate makes the Sorrentine Peninsular a travel must in any season.  Even though I didn't purchase our table in Italy it reminds me of our trip.  

Flea Market, Les Puces, Shopping In Paris

Paris is full of surprises at every corner.  On our trips to Paris we stumbled upon flea markets full of french country furniture to buy.  Look for the french word Les Puces.  Say "poose" and the French will guide you to a world of merchandise.

My favorite find is fabulous artwork from local vendors.  Paris is the birthing ground of artistic talent waiting to be discovered.

The most famous flea market is Clignacourt and also known as Le Marche aux Puces de Saint-Quen.  It is the largest flea market in Paris with a rich history. More than five million go each year. You may find rare items to buy Saturday from 9 to 6pm, Sunday 10- 6pm,  Monday 11am-5pm.

History:  Puces opened in 1870 as rag and bone men moved outside city limits for public health reasons.  They spread their wares flat on the ground.  When it became reachable by the metro in 1908 it became a popular place to find treasures.  Second hand furniture dealers took over the market around 1945.  Thirteen other markets opened between 1945 and 1991.


    Porte de Vanves flea market, is located on the 14th.  The eastern edge of Paris has Porte de Montreuil on 20th arrondissement.

You can find good prices.  Sometimes they go down 10 to 30%.

The larger flea markets have the option for shipping.  Another option is to send items through La Poste.    What a great conversation piece for your home.

If your family wants a distraction from shopping delicious food is available with the smell of your nose.

A good landmark in Paris is the Eiffel Tower.  It lights up at night and twinkles in the dark as a light to everything French.  

What treasure will you bring home?

French Country Tablecloth

It's fun to change the atmosphere of your kitchen by using fresh tablecloths full of color.

I remember purchasing the French Tablecloth while at a market place in Europe.  I thought this will be a nice souvenir of our travels.  It was easy to pack in my suitcase and didn't have trouble in customs.  

 French Country includes colors from the landscape of Provence.  Sky blue and sunny yellow brings light to our breakfast area.

French Country Kitchen

Our home was built in 1980 as a model (so my neighbor says), so the cabinets came with the home.  I know a lot of designers like to paint or replace the cabinets.   But..............

Our cabinets are solid oak.  I think they go quite well with French Country.  Our built in shelves hold my wide assortment of cook books and decorating wisdom.  If my cabinets look a bit weathered I just  take out the Liquid Gold and they look like new.

I have a lot of cabinet space which holds an assortment of china.

Our back splash is tumble stone for a natural look.  We replaced the cook top with the flat surface which makes cleanup very easy. 

I found these tiles at the last minute to create a soft design.  

Our French Country Chandelier makes the room.  We purchased this after the flood at Lees Lighting in Frisco.  Our contractor recommended the place and we were very happy with the selection.  It had been reduced in price and the minute I saw it I fell in love.  It felt like a gift from God  I started laughing with joy because it was what I had always dreamed of.   

Our kitchen has a vaulted ceiling so it makes the lighting more dramatic.  We have a little window from the upstairs which over looks the kitchen area.  For many years our sons would call down and peek through the window to ask

 "Is dinner ready?'

My mom made the drapes from a Toile Fabric we found at a wonderful fabric store called, Cutting Corners.  Our favorite thing to do was going shopping for material just to see what was new.  Toile fabric tells a story.  I like the picture of the husband and wife working together on their farm.  Since a hundred years ago most people worked in the rural areas its a little bit of history.  

I also found the same fabric at Calico Corners.  I will probably never replace them because it reminds me of my mom.  I also have a matching French Chair she recovered.

Sue, which means Grace,  was always very stylish and had a flair for decorating.  She was an excellent seamstress and recovered sofas and chairs. I'll post another story to feature her home.  I think decorating is a complex mix of who you are, culture, and colors you love.  

Decorating always tells a story.  There's always a reason why you purchase something.  My favorite thing about our kitchen is the oil painting I purchased in front of my favorite place, Museum D Orsay.

I visited my girlfriend since 7th grade who lives in Germany teaching military students.  After a family trip to Europe i stayed an extra week and my girlfriend and I took a road trip to Paris.  We had the best time watching people at sidewalk cafes  So every time I see this oil painting it brings back a  very happy memory.

Accessories also make a room.  I found the lamp at a special store in Dallas.  I wasn't looking for a lamp but this one cried out to me.  Purchase!!!!!  I've loved it ever since.  The clock is a nice green which brings together the colors.  It's always nice to know what time it is.  

Our table was purchased after the flood.  My husband and I went shopping together and fell in love with the rod iron.  The chairs are very sturdy and we both liked it.  I had my grandmothers table for many years made of solid oak.  But because it was built over a hundred years ago the chairs would break.  He wasn't a fan of the chairs breaking but it was difficult to part with something that belonged to my grandmother.  So he was very happy to find a new table we both liked  It was even on sale so i laughed again with joy.  This was a gift from God.  i believe he cares about the little things.

Our sink came when we purchased the granite about eight years ago.  I enjoy the faucet because it has a strong flow.  The granite is Cecilla Gold.  I had put off buying granite because I thought it might be too porous but it has turned out to be a great decision and will never be outdated.  

It's nice to have fresh basil to pinch for cooking.

It's fun to play with flower arrangements.  I'm always changing what i like.  Blue and white is traditional for French Country.

I also love table cloths and change them frequently.  I am blessed to have white roses outside our window which bloom from April to November.  

It's July and my Christmas Poinsettia is still blooming and alive.  All it needs is a little water and sun.

It's interesting how another photograph from the same space can  feel so different.  I love decorating magazines because i always wonder what the room really looks like in person.   

 

Here is a nice photo of the vaulted ceiling.  I think the architect was very creative when they designed our home.  The window makes me happy.

Vintage Fabric

I discovered this fabric at Calico Corners and Cutting Corners.  It has tiny pinkish red roses on it.  The blue goes great with my color scheme.  My mother sewed the material in one long piece so all I had to do is drape it across with a swag shape.  I think fabric softens a window.  In Texas alot of people use the blinds alone.  It seems when I visited homes on the east coast it was more common to see drapes.  Since I am more traditional I like the look of a more finished piece.  I wouldn't have bought the blinds but the glare on the TV needed to be blocked out.  They are also very important for privacy.  I used sheers for living room.  

French Country Bathroom

Be creative with your bathrooms.  This cabinet and built in sink was designed with the idea to be elegant with a flair.  This is perfect for a powder room or guest bath.  It allows storage for all of your personal items to be hidden away so all guests see is pure gold.  All you need to show are a box of gold tissues and luxurious hand soap.  

Girls Bedroom French Country Desk at Peach Festival

A friend and I went to the Weatherford Peach Festival in Texas.  We found this adorable desk perfect for a little girl's room.

Look how cute the lavender knobs add to the vintage look.  I can just see this desk in an all lavender little girls room.

To go with the pretty in lavender desk you could buy your little girl some cute clothes.

The  Peach Festival happens each year in the heat of July but the music flowing in the background

along with homemade peach ice cream made as a fundraiser for missions,  softens the heat.

French Country and Romantic Roses

Our family has taken several trips to France and we noticed there were roses everywhere.   We saw them crawling on walls like a French Bouquet.  France is such a romantic country full of surprises at every corner.

We smelled the sights and sounds of Paris as we walked the streets.   I took them to see Monet at my favorite museum De Orsay.   

French Country is a way to capture a little piece of France.  We stayed at a bed in breakfast in
  Texas called the Rose Inn.  I loved the place because roses were everywhere.

Even in the carpet.

French Country makes you feel warm and romantic. There is even a Rose Called French Perfume.  It is a rose striking with color with a fruity spice fragrance.  The perfectly formed petals have high creamy yellow centers shading to lipstick red near the petal edges produced in clusters of 3 to 5 on a sturdy upright plant with dark green, leathery foliage.

Fabric and rugs have been inspired by French Roses.   At one time I had roses in fabric in every room in our home.

When I look at roses in our backyard I see history come to life in beauty.  A 35 million year old fossilized rose was discovered in Europe, probably France, and petrified rose wreaths have been unearthed from ancient Egyptian tombs.  For the design of paintings and carpets roses were very important in Persia.  The early Christians saw the five wounds of Christ in the five petals.  

The red rose was declared a symbol of the blood of Christian Martyrs because they are associated with the Virgin Mary.

French Country Mantel

I found the French Scrolled Mantel Screen at a local consignment store.  It replaced our bronze outdated screen.  

The bronze log holder came from my Grandma Palmer.  My mom said it would be the perfect addition to our fireplace.

The question came whether to put back the wooden mantel after  putting travertine tile over the brick.  Since the goal was for a clean look we went with not putting back the mantel.  It gives a more modern feel to the room so i call it French Country with a twist.

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A Home Can Be Full of Surprises

I was just sitting in our family room when an unexpected visitor started flying around.

Our cat just looked at the owl as it was perched on my French Country Drapes.

Its funny how your home can seem so different when an unexpected visitor arrives.  Every detail seems exaggerated.

The owl probably was scared and wanted to fly away.  His home is in the trees.

The owl flew across the room to our oil painting.  It didn't know it held a memory for me.

I put the cat in our laundry room to calm the bird.  He flew closer to our entrance and perched on our French Country Chandelier.

The owl flew out to safety and felt free again.  Nature is fun to look at when its outside our home in its proper place.  But it gives it a different perceptive as something wild comes in.  I'm glad it was a happy ending and all is safe.