Thursday 15 April 2010

In my mind

I am already back in France again. Probably because I have been looking through the photos I took last week and sorting some out for today's post. I had promised pics of the guestrooms, hadn't I?

I need to explain a little about the cottage first. It is 150 years old, and a typical French country fermette, which means, all the living took place on the ground floor, and the space under the roof was the hay loft. When we bought our cottage, it had already been modernised ( not exactly to our taste, far too modern, but at least all the hard work had been done ). So, the space under the roof had been converted to a petit salon and chambres, a little living room and bedrooms. But that meant that the layout is a little eccentric, lol.

From the living area on the groundfloor, a steep staircase leads up to the top, and the first thing you see it one part of the petit salon . Next to the stairs, sort of behind you now, is the computer area, to the left is our main bedroom and to the right is the door to the guest bedrooms.


Right then, through the door into the bedrooms, and this is where it gets somewhat eccentric -

The pink bedroom is below the blue bedroom, reached by some stairs, so at the moment it is more like one huge bedroom on two different levels, separated by a half wall, lol. Eventually, we will separate them properly and make them into individual bedrooms, but for the time being this is just fine with us.

Pics of the blue bedroom first -

An old blue trunk used as a bedside table

A simple little lavender bag for a good night's sleep

A fabulous vintage tie back hanging from a bed post

A vintage granny square blanket, a perfect colour match with the original lloyd loom chair

A battered old trunk for storing lots of books in case you are not sleepy yet


Just in front of this trunk are the stairs to the right, leading down into the pink bedroom.


This little marble topped dressing table is straight ahead of you then-

I love the little chandelier in the pink bedroom, suits it really well, don't you think?

The 40s bedroom furniture came with the cottage, but it didn't quite look like this. It was dark and dingy, scratched and battered and it looked grotty and horrible. So I sanded it down, and painted it, and picked out the carving in pinks and greens, and it now has a totally new lease of life -


On the bed, amongst other things, are a 19th Century Durham quilt and a 1940s feather eiderdown. Got to have a French ticking bolster and cushions as well -

More vintage tiebacks dangling everywhere and a gorgeous soft green fringed shawl -

Engravings, prints and paintings of roses on the walls. I love this bedroom.


Didn't get round to taking picture of our bedroom, no idea why not, lol. I shall do that next time we go.

Thats all for now. I have to try and get a few things into vintageland.

Toodlepip ( or tiddleypops, as a dear blogger friend said, lol ) xxx

17 comments:

Dorthe said...

Sweet Liz, this is a most darling cottage, Im in instant love with it,-so special and could I say romantic, with your bedrooms-they are so wonderfull, and full of lovely things.What a treat to sleep there ,I`m just smiling to think about it.-Love your little house,dear.
Hugs,Dorthe

Anonymous said...

Simply gorgeous BUT i do think that I had better check that it really is this lovely - when can I come to stay?(I promise to behave myself).xxx

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Oooh can I have the pretty pink bedroom? You have such lovely things in the bedrooms. It's such a cute cottage with the funny levels. It makes it very holiday houseish. Are all the houses in the area like yours?

Serenata said...

Oh those rooms are simply gorgeous - I'm not sure which one I like the best - blue because I just love the colour blue, or pink because it is just so feminine! I would so love to have a cottage like yours!

Elizabethd said...

In Brittany many of the old houses had the animals on the ground floor and the living above.
What an interesting arrangement for the bedrooms! You have made them look so attractive.

Debby said...

Oh you lucky girl! Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures, I love your cottage.
Debby

Kelly said...

Wow! Such a pretty house! I love it Liz!
I reallly like the bedroom lay out it is unusual, yes, but fabulous!!!
You have some gorgeous bits too!

TAPESTRIESOFNATURE said...

LIZ, THOSE BEDROOMS ARE SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL! AND I LOVE ALL OF THE PERSONAL TOUCHES YOU SO LOVEINGLY GAVE THEM. I CAN SEE WHY YOU LOVE IT SO! I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE SHARING THESE PICTURES. THANK YOU,

PIBBLYTOPS, JUDY

JuanitaTortilla said...

Did you do all that decorating? :)
I love what you did with the bed in the pink bedroom! And that chandelier is the sweetest. Can I have it? :D

sadie said...

gorgeously eccentric. Loving all the details. And if that stunning chandelier ever vanishes in the middle of the night, you'll know I've slunk in and swiped it! It is just beautiful. I'm on the lookout for something simliar for the dining room, but I'm prepared to wait for as long as it takes. Find the perfect one. Oh, and to give us time to save up too of course!

xxx

Victoria - Florence and Mary said...

Soooo pretty!

I love all the trunks and that bedroom is gorgeous!

Victoria xx

Twiglet said...

Beautifully put together - what delightfully cosy little rooms!

Titbelsoeur, mixed-media addict said...

wow ! so nice !!! where is your marvelous house located ?
dugrobizou

Croap Queen said...

Very pretty :-)

You gave me a fright though - I thought the title of that post was about what goes on in your mind and I was a tad apprehensive about reading it, having been privy to what goes on in there sometimes. ROFL.

JJ xx

LissyLou said...

so lovely!! i love that split blue and pink room!! x

Yitte said...

Beatiful cottage!!! I love all the lovely details and a you have a great bedroom!!!

Janee said...

So lovely and cozy! I keep telling myself, "someday.... someday..."

:0)
Thank you for sharing your beautiful cottage.

~Janee