What was I thinking?
It’s been a punishing workout in more ways than one and we are still not settled. There is something I have learned the hard way and I wondered what your thoughts are on this.
Storage is for dummies and no two properties are alike.
I have been saving “pieces” for years just in case. In case? What possessed me to imagine that 18 years later I would still like the same pieces and they would work in a new home?
Living in a fool’s paradise some would say; the storage companies would say I was their dream client.
Let’s start in France.
I have mentioned we are opening La Maison du Village in the centre of Saint Rémy de Provence in a few weeks (fingers crossed). It’s a beautiful village house with spacious rooms and original features. I am thrilled with how it is looking – light, airy, simple and very comfortable. You can see some of the details in the pic above. The reception areas and bedrooms I have treated like my own with personal touches to make our guests feel like it is their own home.
We bought it with all the charm in the world and all I have done is freshen and revive what is a beautiful home away from home in southern France. Why did I think my past life would fit in and add excitement to the already lovely interiors? Nothing worked – it was either too dark, too large, too I-don’t-know-what. What looked fabulous in a farmhouse does not necessarily translate to life in the village.
Being the fussiest of fusspots, I would rather wait and get it right than place and hang what I know doesn’t suit. It will take longer and it is more work but when you love a home like I do La Maison du Village, it deserves my best attention.
The moral of the story is a home is a unique and very individual place and deserves to be furnished and decorated for its own sake. Some pieces will translate but many won’t. Away everything went.
Forget storage, (slowly learning from my mistakes) the biggest and brightest stars travelled the autoroute and arrived in London.
Am I repeating myself? HELP. What was I thinking?
Nothing works in Notting Hill either. I’m not talking personal effects, memorabilia or those bits close to the heart. I have sofas and chairs from forever ago – not the style I want anymore. If you have been following my Instagram mood you will see a distinct interest in emerald green and soft pink. That’s where I am headed. I want to create a more contemporary interior and work with those colours.
Now my new palette is cluttered with nothing, absolutely nothing I like or want.
My resolve is strong, I started the year brave and I will continue in that vein. I won’t be defeated and I will have patience. The old will go and fortunately, our children are happy to be the recipients of much. Luckily Emily’s cottage in the countryside needs some TLC.
Did I really believe a chandelier, stored for two decades would arrive and be easy to hang? How could I forget electrical standards change and crystals get grubby? The pity was I didn’t think about that before I unpacked the three enormous crates that held it, in our living room. A deep breath is in order, it will work I simply must retain my equilibrium.
What’s the moral of my ramble?
No two properties are alike. What suits one doesn’t necessarily work in another. All the planning and measuring in the world doesn’t account for our changing taste and lifestyle. Houses have distinct personalities – some are more rustic like our farmhouse and some are finer, like the village house. Both are beautiful but completely different. A flat in London is another story and different again.
After a very exhausting few weeks, I have come full circle. Our “old” needs to stay where it was and the “new” deserves a fresh start. It doesn’t mean we don’t love what we had it simply means it is the moment to change course and find what works in our current life.
Who said moving was stressful ;) xv
