A 16th century family manor in Cotswolds

Such a beautiful home and a beautiful story. Keeping things traditional today. Dating back to 1555 this beautiful Grade II listed property has both an impressive history and a fascinating human story. Having been owned by a particular family for some generations, it was sold by the current owner’s grandmother when he was just a boy. Although he was very young at the time, the sale greatly affected him. He vowed that as an adult he would buy back the house which had brought him so many happy childhood memories – a goal which he recently achieved much to the delight of his family. We were thrilled to be approached by the family to help restore the house to its natural grandeur. We began by stripping away to rediscover original features, such as beautiful wooden panelling and magnificent stone fireplaces, which had become lost under layers of incongruous decoration. Our clients wanted a graceful yet contemporary feel which we achieved by using a light colour scheme and natural materials. Designed by Sims Hilditch.

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A reader's home - a taste of France part 2

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, Catherine has 2 apartments in the gorgeous southern France town of Carcassonne, and this one I am head over heels in love with. Look at those mirrors - and they match the moldings!! And those windows!! I am really craving a trip to France now. I have never been and now am dying to go more than ever. Thank you so much Catherine for sharing these with us! (Available here on Airbnb)

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A reader's home - a taste of France part 1

Catherine (of the blog Taste of France) has been following our blog forever, and kindly emailed us recently with some photos of a couple of 17th century apartments in Carcassonne, France that she owns and renovated over the past year. Not an easy feat it seems as she had to adhere to strict requirements of the Batîments de France (and expensive headache). It started as one gigantic (2000 square foot) apartment that we split in two because there were two entrances. That meant adding a kitchen and bathroom, but our possibilities were dictated by the historic authorities. The last renovation seemed to have been in the 1970s; we changed all the windows, wiring, plumbing and had all the ancient tomette floors restored. It was a challenge, with 2-foot-thick stone walls (just try running wiring through that), and other walls made of straw and lime. But it was above all a labor of love. We decorated with antiques. The furnishings either were bought from the previous owner or come from local brocantes, flea markets and the like. Also leboncoin.fr which is the French equivalent of craigslist. I made the drapes myself. You can’t buy 3.5-meter drapes readymade, and custom was out of my budget. The apartments are vacation rentals and we don't see the attraction of going on vacation in France in a place that has the same Ikea furniture found around the globe; everything is locally sourced. The building is older than Haussmannian, dating to the 1600s, but it was renovated a century later with lots of high-relief moldings above the marble fireplaces. Doves, flowers, lutes.... I'm seriously ready to start scouring the internet for a deal on a flight to France so I can shack up here. So gorgeous!!!! Here's the link to the Airbnb listing if you're interested in a dreamy France vacay. (Stay tuned tomorrow for the other apartment). 

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Oyster Bay

According to Cole Porter, in his song Let's Do It, "even oysters down in Oyster Bay do it." So let's do it. Let's fall in love ... with this Oyster Bay house by BHDM Design. Lousy pun, lovely home.

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A historic home by Jenny Keenan

I am smitten with this home designed by Charleston, SC based Jenny Keenan. So colourful and bright and playful. Jenny's combination of incredible light fixtures, original artwork, patterned textiles and one of a kind decorative objects makes for a bold and unique space.   

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