The Cottage Journal French Home 2016

Bienvenue! Welcome to The Cottage Journal’s special ssue of French Home featuring a collection of charming homes filled with ideas and color schemes seen in French design. In this issue we explore the idea, “Ma maison est mon château,” meaning, “My home is my castle.” The featured dwellings are packed with personal style that gracefully reflects the homeowners. Many of these French-inspired interiors have a simple color palette and minimal decorating, which leads to a classic, relaxed design. In France, there is a love and appreciation for natural wood, stone, linens, chandeliers, pottery, and generally clean lines. Throughout this special issue, you’ll find homes and gardens that exude this timeless style. An interesting feature on decorating with architectural remnants on page 17 is the perfect place to start your journey…

Planning a trip to Europe is always a daunting task. How could you possibly pick only one place to visit when there is so much history, culture, and beauty to experience? Perusing French television and radio host Stéphane Bern’s book, The Best Loved Villages of France, may be the answer. Traveling to 44 of the country’s most beautiful and well-kept secrets, The Best Loved Villages of France makes a great case for visiting rural France—and not just the cities designed for tourists’ entertainment. Stéphane explores the towns through visits with people who tell about how each village embraces its history and tradition. Tour the fortress of Lavardin with its mayor, or discover treasures like the only surviving organ in Lorraine with a local Saint-Quirin organist named Christophe. While every town…

Architect Michael Graves once said, “Architecture is not all about the design of the building and nothing else, it is also about the cultural setting and the ambience, the whole affair.” And that may be one reason today’s designers are so interested in collecting remnants of the buildings from earlier times. Small pieces of moldings, an old mantel, a balustrade—they introduce a little bit of history and character to our homes. The shop, Maison de France Antiques, specializes in old, architectural remnants from France. Ginny Smith, co-owner says, “It’s like Christmas every time we open a container. I love that every item is original.” And for shoppers, it’s a treasure hunt for a bit of history…

Unlike any other floral perfume in the plant kingdom, only gardeners know the true aroma of fragrant violets. Gather a nosegay of sweet violets, hold it to your nose, and breathe in. Even for gardeners, that unique signature scent came perilously close to being lost. If you have never sampled the essence of Viola odorata, you owe it to your nostrils to find those elusive flowers. Take one whiff, and you’ll understand the reason for the French love affair with these modest blooms. Violets undoubtedly won the hearts of the French long before Napoleon Bonaparte came on the scene. Some say that violets were the first flower to be grown commercially—documented as an item in Greek marketplaces in 400 B.C. Mentioned in ancient herbals, used medicinally, and for their sweet…

When asked to describe the style of her home, the owner responds, “Country French.” And when asked her personal style, she shares, “It’s casual and comfortable.” The intermingling of these two styles has resulted in an inviting home with French influences. As you enter through the arched door you step into a light-filled hallway. The glass chandelier overhead is an antique thought to be originally from France. The grandfather clock and chest were both purchased years ago in New Orleans, long a source for French antiques. Just off the hall sits the living room. The homeowner explained the room’s color palette was influenced by the colors in the rug. The choice was either to go with dark colors or light, and she chose light. “I’m afraid of color,” she laughs.…

Once a week for a year, Kerry Vaughan took a detour down a road that led absolutely nowhere in search of a “For Sale” sign. The fact that the road had no real destination was key, because she was seeking solitude. The moment she spotted a realtor’s sign she pounced, even though the home had a considerably larger footprint than the downsized cottage of her dreams. Although the previous architect/owner had bulked up the cozy dimensions of what was originally a clam shack, as an interior designer and shopkeeper, Kerry knew exactly how to warm it up. Kerry, a self-proclaimed Francophile, has taken numerous trips to Paris and surrounding villages trawling for everything from textiles to toiletries that speak of the craftsmanship and simplicity she associates with Europe. “I love…