To create a proper French, English, or European Farmhouse feeling, one must let go of the American obsession with perfection and embrace imperfection. The French and their British counterparts are not typically interested in ‘bigger, better, faster,’ which is evident in their surroundings. Homes are old and LIVED in. I call the style ‘Old World’, and it can be enjoyed in various ways, from an east coast colonial to an attic apartment in the city’s heart.
A home designed with this Old World mindset will hold worn surfaces, well-read books, and tattered furniture that appears to have been enjoyed for generations. Its kitchen will smell of herbs and the next savory meal. Its bedrooms are adorned with textiles that have been handed down from generation to generation. This home is lived in, art is cultured there, food is created there, and a mystery should unfold in every room. Family is celebrated in this space with heirlooms displayed for enjoyment and big harvest tables or cozy breakfast nooks where meals are celebrated multiple times a day.
We stateside Francophiles and Anglophiles CAN recreate this look, but it will not happen in the aisles of Homegoods. It will happen when we “trouvé“… our style will be gathered, treasured, and perfectly… imperfect. These posts will reflect how my own Old World style has evolved over the years and how I am creating this signature look here at our home; ”Sur le Rocher‘ Rocher’ here in Door County.
Well, well, well. So what do we have here? A brand new year and a brand new website. A girl needs a pick-me-up now and again. I know you know the feeling - looking at the same thing over and over again until you about go crazy. Well, it's not only my old blog that was...
BEFORE: AFTER: The conservatory is FINISHED. Well, as you will hear and see in the video, it's about 97% finished. I knew this house was special (though I scoffed at it for many years!). Who in the world find's a home that's designed with TWO stories of greenhouse...
Well, the "pretty room" as we've always called it is JUST about finished and I couldn't wait 'til it was, to share it with you. Life is going by SO fast with all these projects and I've been so neglectful in posting here. I figured with a new space, I should celebrate...