Parisian Shabby Chic

‘Behind closed doors’ is the best description for much of Paris because it is the secrets… the surprising finds… that are the most entrancing.

Last week as Jeanne and I walked with Australian author John Baxter through his Parisian neighbourhood I was delighted to find this hidden courtyard. We passed through the most non de-script gates… I would never have noticed them… to find such beauty and loveliness. It made me realise how much we miss… how much can escape us… even when we think we are being our most observant.

A cobbled courtyard, wonky walls, paint that has seen better days…shutters askew and tumble down plants… I adored this shabby chic scene of Paris. I loved that this courtyard had aged, that it was nowhere near perfect… that some might even refer to it as ‘broken down’. It was hard to imagine that we were in the heart of Saint Germain des Prés… that we were in the centre of a busy metropolis… It was as if time had stood still.

Nothing perfect… complete shabby chic… I found this charming… xv