French & Country Newsletters - Set

FRENCH & COUNTRY

www.frenchandcountry.com.au

Summer Newsletter

Summer Living

Glassware

Candles

Decorative

Decorate your life this summer!

Suzie Anderson

DanishChristmas

Decorationsin store now!

Joyeux Noël!

We have the most wonderful array of

Christmas decorations available for this festive season.

From the prestigious Danish company

Frette Grolich, each piece is delicately

designed and a work of art.

From other new suppli-ers this season we have

sourced beautiful silk and bead necklaces from Sweden, hand-made pure beeswax

candles by local artisan, Queen Bee, ceramics

by Bison, ACT, glassware by Bribe of Melbourne and excelptional linen

from Libeco of Belgium.

Come in store to see our full range or visit us

at www.frenchand-country.com.au

I would like to thank you for your continued support over the past year and to take this time to wish you and

your family a wonderful, relaxing and peaceful holiday.

I’m also pleased to advise I’ll be going to France again at the end of

January, visiting Provence and onto Paris for the trade fairs. If there’s anything you’ve been looking for

that I can source for you on this trip, please don’t hesitate to call or send

me an email with the details prior to the end of December.

To ensure you are on our database and to receive updates regarding new stock that arrives in store, email me at [email protected] and I’ll

send you our newsletter.

With very best festive wishes to you and your family from all of us at

French and Country.

We have an excellent range of

French inspired linen cushions

which are perfect to give the garden

or dining room an instant lift. With

co-ordinating placements, teatowels

and tablecloths, you’ll bring a taste

of France to your table this season.

Nothing says summer more than

a collection of weathered rattan

baskets. French style trays, baskets,

storage boxes, coat racks also evoke

a relaxed casual feel.

French inspiration for your

home and garden this summer.

Summer ideas for your home...

»

What’s instore ...»

Stock is ever changing, but here are a few pieces currently in store. See www.frenchandcountry.com.au for our full current range.

I’m busy planning my upcoming trip to France in January to Provence and Paris for a trade fair and then onto Belgium.

If you would like me to search out any special pieces or decorative items just let me know. I will be on the hunt for cafe tables, old books, bread boards, small chairs, side tables, sconces, kitchenalia, dining accoutrements, vintage French linen, candlesticks etc and look forward to offering them all in store in March/April.

I will also be sourcing more enamelled house numbers, so if you have a special requirement now is a good time to order.

Pictured during my last buying trip to France - clockwise from above: Michele and her amazingly tiny stand at the St Oeun Flea Market in Paris. Her petite corner stall is a treasure

trove piled high with beautiful and irresistible pieces.

Top right: A collection of hat stands at an antique fair in Avignon. Right: A favourite piece at Marche Paul Bert, Paris. Bottom right: A Gustavian Mora clock - always beautiful but not so easy to find. Below: Dinner with friends in Lourmarin, Provence.

BUYING TRIP TO FRANCE

French and Country, 88 William Street,Paddington, NSW 2021T: 02 9361 0013 F: 02 9387 1521 E: [email protected]


ORDER NOW for new FrenchShipments inAutumn ‘07.

»

Autumn NewsletterFRENCH & COUNTRY


Suzie Anderson

Dear French & Country friends and customers… when I started writing this it was to tell you a little news about my recent buying trip to Europe ... but some very exciting news now eclipses all my travel tales!

Michael and I have been yearning to find a place in the country from which to base our business, and soon after my return from France we found the perfect property in Bowral. “Hopewood Estate” sits elegantly in 11 acres of sweeping gardens and will provide us with the space we need to do justice to many of the larger furniture and archi-tectural pieces we love to stock. A charming summer house will be the perfect place for smaller items for the garden and verandah and the house itself will offer accommodation and a gracious setting for all our European imports. Stay tuned to our website for more news about Hopewood, and as I will be heading back to Europe in June to top up my container, please call or email and let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to source for you. In the meantime read on for news of the latest trends I gathered from my recent trip.

Happy Autumn!

Bonjour!Hopewood Estate:Hopewood was built in 1884 by Ben Marshall Osborne as his family home. His wife Lucy Osborne (nee Throsby) was a keen gardener and created the long driveway and circu-lar carriageway where she installed a formal garden in the form of a large parterre. These formal garden beds have been retained and are still an integral feature to the entrance of the historic home.

Part of the charm of the gardens are the large trees, which predate the house. Old photographs show that much of the formal areas of the garden were laid out by the second owner Lebbeus Hordern who purchased the property in 1912.

It’s not only a privilege to buy this very special property, it is wildly exciting and as a family we just can’t wait to begin our Southern High-lands life!

Parlonsle français

A little chat with Suzie about her shopping trip to France and Belgium ....

Q: Where did your buying trip take you this summer?

A: I flew Malaysian Airlines (great satay!) to Paris and onto Marseille. I was collected by Gaetan, a friend and fellow antique dealer. Gaetan has the most exceptional sense of style and this is seen in his booth at Village des Antiquaires just out of Aix en Pro-vence. I had been traveling for over 24 hours but there was no rest yet… we jumped straight into the little van Gaetan had hired for the few days to house the many purchases we would find along the way, and headed down through Cannes, to a beautiful home-wares shop in Valbonne. It is set up like a house, in an 18th century stone building. Owned and run by a gor-geous Italian couple, each room is impeccably decorated using a colour palate of muted greys/greens/stone, weathered timbers, subtle light-ing, fragrant candles, aged linens all against the atmospheric centuries old backdrop. It was well worth the two hour drive. It was in this village, with muddled travel wits, that I selected a scrumptious looking nectarine from a fruit stand, only to find out it, like me, had just flown in all the way from Australia! I paid $10 for it – a fact I didn’t realize until it was too late! This gave Gaetan hours of amuse-

ment!

Parlonsle français

Parlons le français (cont’d)

On previous trips I’d had the pleas-ure of staying at Villa Gallici in Aix en Provence and Hotel Villa St Louis in Lourmarin. Both were inspiring decoratively and historically, how-ever this time the budget was focused on the antiques rather than on the ac-commodation, so I settled for a few days at the centrally located Hotel Cardinal in Aix. I had a comfortable,

spacious room, decorated with period pieces and it was a bargain at 68 euros a night. Another bonus was that the Sunday market was held at the end of the street, which made the early morning rise relatively painless!

After a few days of market rummages and scouring dealer’s wares in Lour-marin, Avignon, Aix en Provence and Isle sur la Sorgue, I enjoyed my final night in Provence at Nathalie and Bertrands’ (dealers from Lourmarin) bed and breakfast apartment in Apt (www.la-madone.net).

Nathalie has created three themed apartments in the building adjoining her house. I stayed in the Baroque apartment and I found it hard to stop at just the one nights stay. Nathalie’s decorating style is quintessentially provincial, using soft chalky colours, antique monogrammed linens, crys-tal chandeliers, antique beds, painted timbers and unique decorative pieces. Her shop in Lourmarin (La Boutique de l’antiquairs) is a great source for similar items. I look forward to a summer visit where breakfast could be taken in the conservatory after an early morning dip in the pool. I had a plane to catch, so it was a quick breakfast delivered to the apartment, an hours drive back to the airport and

then on to Paris. My home away from home in Paris is the Hotel Crystal on rue St Benoit, Saint Germain. Its location is what wins me over, situated just a few doors down from Café de Flore and all the beautiful fabric houses, interiors and

antique shops and a myriad of cafes that are synonymous with the Saint Germain area. The rooms aren’t huge but they are clean, welcoming and the staff are obliging and always inter-ested in what discoveries I’ve made throughout the day ... and just what

they may need to store for me until my shipper comes to collect!

The next morning I caught the TGV to Antwerp where I stayed at the highly regarded showroom of deco-rator and floral designer Pieter Por-ter. The showroom is set in a Belgian mansion and in addition to the foyer, family, kitchen, dining and garden rooms, there is a grand tearoom, a bou-tique and three themed guest suites. Whilst it may seem overwhelming, it was the most intimate, serene accom-modation I have ever had the pleas-ure of staying in. I spent a night in the English Suite, and given it was winter, I was happy to find my suite had two fires which would ignite at the flick of a switch. The music, the lights, the curtains were all remote control-led. I was in heaven with every sense catered for…music (he produces his own compilation cds), candles, décor, service, proximity to the antique strip and dozens of restaurants.Pieter is reknowned for decorating hotels and grand homes, predomi-nantly in Europe, but he also has a large client base in America. The ideas, inspiration and beauty found throughout his ‘house’ has left a last-ing impression.

Reluctantly, I had to leave Antwerp after just a few days of discovering, but I know that it is a place that will be fixed on future itineraries. Brussels and Bruge are also next on the list. The Belgians speak English well as it

is compulsory from age 11 at school. The cuisine is creative and varied and they are very welcoming, helpful peo-ple.

The last few days of the January trip were spent at the Maison d’Objet Trade Fair and further antiquing at the markets in and around Paris.

Q: What were your most exciting finds this trip?A: The most exciting finds on this trip were a mix of old and new. In Pro-vence I came across the most beauti-ful collection of old paperback books in the palest of pale pinks. I could never tire of looking at them…simple, timeworn and feminine. A pair of old decorative European horses, in a very worn, original state, again, simple beauty. In Isle sur la Sorgue, I pur-chased a pair of arched, glazed doors of massive proportions, with the tim-ber frames in a wonderful, grey green patina. I hope the original glass panes survive the trip back to Sydney.

At the trade fair I was excited to find some suppliers I hadn’t encountered before. Interestingly, most of the goods I purchased were from Belgian designers. Simple in design, weath-ered wood and iron tables, zinc lamp bases, weathered timber plinth.

Another creative find was an artisan from Avignon, who weaves her magic with vintage fabric remnants, wire and zinc. She creates pieces of art that are characteristic of Provence. Doll’s house size circus tents, mini-ature replicas of chateaux even with a courting couple within, illuminated by a simple zinc pendant light cast-

ing an atmospheric light. I have pur-chased five or six of these and can’t wait to exhibit her work to my cus-tomers when they arrive. She takes 3 to 4 months to complete the order as her work is quite intricate. It will be very hard to let them go!Another favourite find was a restau-rant I have walked past many times but never tried. It is Le Relais de l’entrecote, just a few doors down from my hotel in rue st Benoit. Their unique formu-la is that they have only one thing on the menu! They serve a small salad, followed by delicious sliced beef with a secret Parisian sauce and the best frites I’ve ever tried! They contin-ue to top up your plate until you are done. Delicious. It is always packed to the rafters with local Parisians en-joying family dinners, romantic dates, girls nights out, executive dinners and then the random tourist thrown into the mix. The waitresses in their traditional black and white maids uni-forms are kept busy topping up diners plates until you can barely fit in the crème brulee! A gem of a place.

Q: One thing you would most like to keep rather than sell?A: One of the abovementioned wire chateaux and a large hanging cande-labra bought at Marche Paul Bert in Paris, oh and those pink books…ac-tually I think I’ll keep them!

Q: What ideas do you see in Europe for enhancing the home?A: As people are living such hectic lives, there was a definite trend to bring the outdoors inside, to encap-sulate a sense of nature and calm. This is achieved by using aged, worn timbers, natural materials including linens, stone, muted colours, glass,

Parlons le français (cont’d)

“For a Parisian feel, the décor could be more formal, refined...”

on which to place lamps, globes or other curiosities. There were also zinc obelisks converted to lamp bases, pieces of nature and things of beauty preserved under glass domes.

Q: Name the most exciting market/shops you saw and why?A: I enjoy Porte de Vanves market in Paris early Sat/Sun mornings. It’s a wonderful place to find unique deco-rative pieces and there’s great cama-raderie amongst the dealers. The Saturday flea market in Avignon, where you start the day with a strong expresso from the Tom Conti looka-like who runs the coffee cart. I don’t know if it’s his singing or the expresso that wakes me up!I also enjoyed the antique shops in Antwerp, where I saw slight differ-ences in stock, and a refreshing open-ness with the dealers.Other favourites in homewares are: Flamant, Blanc D’ivoire, Mis en De-meure and the little Marais area Vil-lage St Paul. In Antwerp there was a unique store called Hot & Cold, New & Old, which specialized in every-thing for the bathroom, be it antique or the latest designs. Great concept!

Q: What are your tips for people wanting to introduce a French atmos-phere to their home …where do they start?A: It depends if they want to encap-sulate the Provincial feel, a Parisian style or that of coastal France.

For a provincial feel, incorporate lighter colours, taupes, off whites, ochre yellows, muted greens and greys, both in wall colours and fur-nishings. The furniture is mostly painted, French oak, fruitwood or pine. Simple pieces of furniture, linen curtains, accessories that are typically provincial such as anduze and confit pots, timber bread and cheese boards, enamel ware, old birdcages and de-coy ducks, still life works of art on unframed canvas. Select natural linen or ticking fabrics in the upholstery or try slip covering the furniture. Iron or timber bedheads and iron curtain and stair rails, often in a rusted colour. For flooring, weathered or painted timber, tiled or flagstoned floors. Use table lamps with linen or wax shades and timber/iron candelabras to pro-vide subtle lighting.For a Parisian feel, the décor could

candles and music to create a total haven at home. Items normally re-served for the garden or glasshouse now grace the sideboard, kitchen or adorn the wall as a piece of art. There is a trend for few pieces, less clutter, but carefully chosen things of archi-tectural or natural beauty e.g. stone or zinc spheres, busts, limed tim-ber fragments, plants, leatherbound books piled high acting as pedestals

be more formal, refined. Think of incorporating pieces in the syle of Louis XV and XV1, more curvaceous and detailed in the carving, perhaps painted or gilt timber, walnut or fruitwood tables and chairs. Chairs could also be upholstered in silks or fine linens. The use of plaster mouldings and decorative em-bellishments on walls and over doors along with high skirting boards, interesting cornices, crystal chandeliers, wall sconces, rich fabrics and wallpapers. Aubusson rugs, needlepoint cush-ions, velvets, brocade with trimmings finish the look.Gilt mirrors that are embellished with carvings and accessories such as table candelabras, crystal glassware, fine decanters, sil-verware, leatherbound books, oil portraits, globes, busts, floral arrangements in cast iron urns, marble fireplaces and parquetry flooring work together to achieve that Parisian interior.

To achieve the coastal French interior, apply a more weathered style using paints in matt, chalky greys, whites, charcoal, reds and blues. Furniture tends to be simple, with wicker baskets and furniture, shells, blankets, ropes, driftwood, zinc, pale aged glass bottles often used as lampbases or casual pale timber lamp bases with simple cotton or linen shades. For fabrics, washed linens, tickings and white cotton slipcovered chairs and lounges to create a relaxed feel. Flooring tends to be timber covered with natural floor coverings such as sisal/seagrass matting or flagstones.

CAFES + RESTAURANTSParisCafé de Flore 172 Bvd Saint Germain 75006Barrio Latino 46 rue du Faubourg St AntoineBarlotti Place du March Saint Honore www.buddha-bar.comSud 12 rue de Castellane, Paris 75008Pub St Germain, Paris 75006Le Grand Colbert (brasserie in movie Something’s Gotta Give ) 2 rue Vivienne, ParisLe Fumoir6 rue de l’amiral coligny 75001Wonderful cocktails and the best hot chocolate in town. Sit outside and gaze at the Louvre and Paris’ beauti-ful young things arrive graciously on their mopeds.

Antwerp

Sir Anthony Van Dijck RestaurantVlaeykensgang Oude Koornmarkt 16, 2000 Antwerp Ph: 03/231 61 70Chez Fred Kloosterstraat 83 2000 AntwerpUm Sushi & Noodle BarGroenplaats 18, Antwerp

Village St Paul: www.parislemarais.com

AntwerpHouse of Porterswww.houseofporters.be

French and Country, 88 William Street,Paddington, NSW 2021T: 02 9361 0013 F: 02 9387 1521 E: [email protected]


ACCOMMODATIONProvenceHotel Cardinal, 24 rue Cardinale Aix www.hotel-cardinal-aix.comVilla Galliciwww.villagallici.comLa Madonewww.la-madone.net

ParisHotel D’Angleterrewww.hotel-dangleterre.comHotel Crystalwww.hotelcrystalsaintgermainparis.comHotel du Danubewww.hoteldanube.fr

AntwerpHouse of Porterswww.houseofporters.be

BOOKSHOPS

Taschen2 rue de Buci, Paris 75006The Red Wheelbarrow 22 rue St Paul, Paris

INTERIORS + HOMEWARESProvenceLa Boutique de l’antiquairs 9 rue du Grand Pre, Lourmarin

Village des Antiquaires 6110 Route d’Avignon 135640 Puyricard

ParisFlamant: 8 Place Furstenberg, 75006Mis en Demeure 27 rue du Church mid 75006Blanc d’Ivoire: 104 rue du Bac, 75007

Each time I travel away I like to search out interesting places to stay and dine. I’m often asked for recommendations on my favourite places so here are some from my most recent trip in February this year.

Travel Tips!

MARKETSParisPorte de ClignancourtPorte de Vanves

French and Country, Hopewood Country Estate, Centennial Road NSW 2756,www.frenchandcountry.com.au

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Summer 2007

Summer NewsletterFRENCH & COUNTRY

Hello from French & Country. Where has the year gone?! Apologies for the absence of the winter/spring edition of the French & Country newsletter, but the past few months have been wonderfully frantic both personally and professionally. Closing the Paddington Store in order to relocate to Hopewood as well as the sale of our house and the relocation of our family has been a great period of change for us. We have all

taken to the Southern Highlands so quickly and easily we feel we are very much

in the right place.

As with all old houses, it has been a real case of getting to know each other. Every creak and every leak are slowly revealing themselves, and we have embarked on a

process of making this wonderful property our home. Six weeks with a fantastic crew of gardeners working their way through the 11 acres of gardens, and a team of tradespeople

who are working their way through Hopewood House to make it a welcoming,

functioning home to our family and friends.

We are presenting some unique ideas to council which incorporate Open Garden Scheme days, special antique events and

market days, functions in The Pavilion, self catered accommodation in our 1880’s guest

cottage and the Hopewood Store, a little cottage to be home to French & Country

homewares. The website will communicate the progress of these ideas and future events so if you would like to stay informed please

register to receive future newsletters.

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Best regards,

Suzie Anderson

Page 2 French & Country

contentsDECEMBER

3 Summer Entertaining - add polish to your summer parties with accessories and ideas

from French & Country

4 Discussing latest sum-mer trends with Suzie Anderson. Refresh your favourite rooms

with gorgeous pieces from the French & Country summer catalogue.

6How to create elegant summer atmosphere in the French Style with ideas from abroad.

At Home atHopewood. Exciting plans are afoot for a series

of exceptional events in 2008 at Hopewood - the new home of French and Country.

16

French & Country Page 3

Be inspired for summer entertaining with these stunning new accessories for the dining room and your alfresco setting.

SUMMER ENTERTAIN ING

French & Country

QWhat tricks and trends did you see on your European travels that inspired new summer entertaining ideas?

AI saw a great use of glass-ware used on the dining ta-ble and side tables incorpo-rating candles and greenery. Same shaped hurricanes or

vases in clusters en mass would be used to create living art. This added greenery indoor.

Colour usage that appealed was whites, off-whites, faded greys and greens grounded with black. Tables were casually set with weathered rattan placemats rather than more formal tablecloths and contrasted with crisp

white plates, white urns, white jugs, decanters, wicker jugs which added a freshness. Life was also added to the table with a lot of silverware. Dig out the silverware usually reserved for more formal occasions and use it liberally … alternatively pewter, which requires a lot less maintenance. Use old trophies or silver punch bowls as ice buckets, small-er tankards as vases with fresh cut white roses or hydran-geas. Let the light and freshness of summer come through the glow of silver and the crispness of white crockery. I also love the use of clean white charger plates topped with smaller delicate vintage/antique dinner plates, particularly Spode in duo tones e.g. blue/white, taupe/white, black/white.


“L et t he ligh t and freshness of summer come t hrough t he glow of silver and t he crispness of whit e crockery.”

French & Country

QWhat item/items can most change the look of your home to give it instant summer atmosphere?

ATo add an instant summery feel consider refreshing your linen. A fresh col-oured, lighter weight quilt and linen sheets replacing

the heavier doonas and blankets of winter. White or stone coloured fluffy towels, fragrant spring/summer flowers of gardenias, freesias or magnolias in the bathroom. Over-sized silver hurricane lamps burning white, cream, taupe or grey naturally fragrant or natural beeswax pillar candles. Try room sprays in crisp summer fragrances of Gardenia, Lime, Orange Blossom and Jasmine. Accessorise with col-lections of coral/shells/driftwood and other natural, prefer-ably vintage (not mass manufactured) maritime pieces on side or hall tables or along a fireplace mantle. I also think a huge spring clean, de-cluttering of those blankets, piles of books and other cocooning items you enjoy over winter and organise them in a series of washed wicker baskets.

Clear out fireplaces and fill a wicker basket with bunches of hydrangeas. New covers on outdoor cushions is a quick and easy way to inspire more outside entertaining. There are more and more beautiful outdoor, weather re-

sistant fabrics on the market. Warwick Fabrics have a won-derful new range of sophisticated plains, stripes and florals designed for the outdoors. Sunbrella also has an extensive range of plain outdoor canvas fabrics in a wide range of colours and stripes that are water and UV resistant. Add some contrast piping to the edge of the cushions or sunbed covers and you will achieve a unique, custom tailored look. If you wish your cushions to remain outdoors over summer it may be worth replacing the cushion inserts with reticu-lated foam. This foam can be ordered through The Foam Booth in Surry Hills or Willoughby in NSW. It allows water to filtrate through the foam core rather than soaking it up and in turn disintegrating the cushions inner.

Even the family pet will be happy with a summer makeover. Baskets and bird feeders are detailed on our site along with these featured items.

French & Country

QWhat influences do you find you adapt to your Australian home when you return from your travels in France?

AI enjoy the detail and beauty that the French typically incorporate into their daily lives. I am always impressed

after time spent there with friends, that they live with the feeling that today is the best day of your life so take time to enjoy every minute. This is evident in the way they dress, entertain and dine. This influence encourages me to use beautiful things every day rather than saving for those ‘special occasions’. Spending a few minutes extra on setting the table for dinner makes such a difference to the enjoy-ment of a meal. Whether it be some freshly cut flowers, a lit candle, some linen napkins, fine crockery or drinking wine from crystal glasses, beautiful music and ambient lighting. I am also trying to eradicate my bower bird habits and just have pieces in the house that we find either beautiful to look at, have a meaning or purpose rather than just having them taking up shelf space and collecting dust even though we have no attachment to them. The recent house move was helpful in that respect, but I do find the French Style encourages this sense of simplicity and beauty. The pieces don’t have to be expensive or highly precious just pleasing when you see them each day. Also, it’s fun to put to use some of those treasures you keep stored away but never see. It could be a beautiful pair of vintage leather binocu-lars that are rarely used but find a new purpose as a paper weight on your desk or useful to hold down a pile of paper napkins on the outside table! Why not!?!

French & Country Page �

“I enjoy t he det ail and beauty t hat t he French typically incorporat e into t heir

daily lives.”

French & Country


QWhat are the components required to get a truly elegant French look that is not con-trived or over the top?

AOver the past couple of years my decorating style has had a greater influence from other parts of Europe such as Belgium and Hol-

land as I enjoy the pared down, restrained style of decorat-ing found there. I like to combine some decorative original antique French pieces with other more streamlined, almost contemporary pieces that have simpler construction. These form a complementary base that can carry an ornate gilt mirror, a pair of brass and crystal table chandeliers or a collection of time worn books and due to their minimal-ist style, don’t compete with the more decorative, detailed antique piece. Combining both contemporary pieces and original French antiques creates a less contrived look which I think suits the more casual, Australian lifestyle. I would also prefer to have one original piece of French furniture, with original patina, than a room of lesser quality highly contrived, over worked copies of ornate French style. As they say, less is more! Beautiful soft furnishings such as a Fortuny cushion on a sofa or chair, or a generous linen cur-tain in a muted tone also add a richness and elegance to your interior.

French & Country

Q Which websites do you recommend customers visit to get ideas for French decorating?

A Some of my favourite websites are not neces-sarily French websites but they imbue a style and colour palate that

is restrained and elegant and I look at them time and time again for pleasure. Here are a few of them:www.cotebastide.comwww.rlhome.comwww.catherinememmi.comwww.the-hempel.co.ukwww.victoriahagan.com

QDescribe the colourways that appeal to you this coming summer season.

AWhite, Clay, Grey, Taupe, Celadon Freen, Umber, Pewter, Sil-ver, Mauve, Licorice, Black, Muted Gold.

QWhat stock do you have to decorate for Christmas this year?

AI’m just unpacking some lovely glassware for t-light candles, sweet white doves, miniature chandeliers,

eucalyptus and hydrangea wreaths, silver, red and copper berry garlands, and some beautiful Christmas tree orna-ments from Jette Frolich of Norway. Another highlight for Christmas, New Year and summer entertaining are the oversized cathedral candles in chalk or chocolate. They make such a statement on a side table, inside the fireplace or on the mantlepiece.


QDo you have a checklist of items for sum-mer entertaining?

AYes, so often we spend a lot of time thinking about what food and drinks we are go-ing to serve over Christmas and New Year but we spend

little time on the table settings and plate ware.Here’s a brief check list of plate ware and serving ware that could be useful this season:Table cloth, table runner and or placematsNapkinsCutleryCharger plates, dinner plates, sideplates, dessert bowls, salad bowls, platters, olive, dip and condiment bowlsTiered cake platesGlass food domesButter dishesBread basketsFood coversOlive Oil dipping platesVinaigrette decantersIcebucketsWater/Wine/Beer/Champagne/Cocktail/Liqueur glassesWine decantersCoastersNapkin ringsNapkin holdersSalt & Pepper dishes/shakersWater jugsCandle holdersCandlesCandle snuffersPlacecardsPlacecard holdersBottle openersBottle stoppersCarving knifeCarving ForkSalad ServersServing SpoonsNut crackersChristmas CrackersCocktail shakers

Built in 1884 by Ben Marshall Os-borne as his family home, Hopewood remains a landmark building. His wife Lucy Osborne (nee Throsby) was an accomplished gardener and installed a formal garden in the form of a large parterre and created the long driveway and circular carriage-way. These spectacular features

have endured and give the house its stately grace to this day. The gar-dens are enhanced by the large trees, which were in place before the house was built. Many of the formal gardens were installed by the second owner Leb-beus Hordern who purchased the property in 1�12.

Following our move into Hopewood in September, we are in the process of extensive renovations and restoration of the gardens in readiness for our re-opening of the gardens and grounds in 2008. Next year Hopewood will play host to a series of special

events that will bring new life to the property and provide a stunning setting for our French and Country furniture and giftware.We will contact you when we are ready to announce full details and in the meantime we hope you will continue to follow our progress on the website. In the meantime, if you would like me to source any special homeware items for you, please call me.


French & Country, Hopewood, Centennial Road, Bowral NSW 2756 Phone: 0411 448 817

Ho p e w oo d


AUTUMN WINTER NEWSLETTER 2008

French & Country

Welcome to the Autumn/Winter edition of French & Country. How can it be winter already...it seems only months ago we moved into Hopewood and commenced renovation of the main house, the gardens and most recently The Cottage, which is now open for B&B bookings and receiving some wonderful comments from our guests. We love sharing Hopewood with them.

I have just returned from travels to Europe with Michael and the children as well as a quick return trip to France to do some buying and searching for new suppliers for French & Country.

You will find our new products on line at www.frenchandcountry.com.au and soon we will be launching our new website for Hopewood Country House so you will be able to view our new accommodation facilities on line also.

Feel free to call me if you would like further information on stock items or accommodation at the cottage.Best wishes

SuzieSuzie AndersonFrench & Country, now at Hopewood Country House, Bowral

French and Country, Hopewood Country House, Centennial Road, Bowral, NSW 2756 Mobile: 0411 448 817 Email: [email protected]


Bonjour! contentsJUNE/JULY

3 Hopewood Country House comes alive with colour and romance in full autumn glory

5What’s new at French and Country ... now located at Hopewood Country House

8discover le cafe Marly and other favourite glamour locations in Paris

12 Tuscany’s Poggio al Sorbo, in the Chianti

de Castellini region, perfectly located between Siena and Florence


It has been a busy six months working our way through renovating the main house, the guest accommodation and now the showroom and function centre - ‘The Pavilion’ part of the property. The good news is French &

Country will be taking over a much larger part of the Pavilion, with a rambling floorplan, rooms and alcoves, warm fires. It will be the perfect place to showcase a

new range of furniture, homewares and unique pieces as well as a space to have coffee before taking a walk around the 11 acres of gardens. However with this ex-tra space means a lot more renovation work and so our opening date has been moved to later in the year, hope-fully in late Spring to coincide with the beautiful spring gardens. Read on for news of our latest products and some tips from our recent travels in France and Italy.

“The leaves have fallen, the fires are roaring, the electric blankets are on full and we are enjoying our first autumn in the Southern Highlands”

French & Country

On the plane on the way home from our family holiday to France and Italy, Michael and I discussed the importance of keeping that sense of calm, inspiration and joy that you get when you are enjoying a wonderful holiday, in our every day lives … why should we only feel that ‘holiday feel-ing’ 4 weeks in the year?!

Some of the new products at French & Country hope to imbue this: small affordable luxuries that can make a difference to the way you live each day.

As you can see, I have been taken by Nobility with their gorgeous range of crown embossed plateware (right) - for more detail on the em-bossing go to our website.

New in store are Flaxfield sheets and range of bath towels made of cotton and bamboo which are heav-enly to sleep and bathe with.I’m also excited to be stocking a new French range of bags, throws, picnic rugs and mens’ linen coat shirts

FRENCH & COUNTRYSome one off pieces collected on the recent buy include the ever popular bread boards, terracotta seed pots, iron and timber beds and vintage linen hopsacks.

from the brand Hidden Cabin. I have a few samples now but will have a comprehensive range in the new showroom.

UK Textiles Designer Andrew

Martin has a stunning new range of fabrics available that would be the perfect way to bring new life to a tired sofa or chair (below). Order now and reupholster in time for spring.

Clockwise from top: Cafe chairs and decorative zinc items; irresistible antique child’s chair; linen from Flaxfield, handtowels and accessories due Spring 2008 ; breadboards; iron cot bed; upholstered double bed; Hidden Cabin shirt; garden pots; taupe and red striped ticking table runners by French and Country; European tea towels.


Website updateThankyou for your incredible pa-tience in waiting for the French & Country website update. There has been a lot of new stock in, however due to the renovations most of the stock is stored away in the various outbuildings on the property and not easily photographed.We have upated our pages with a few of the new pieces, but look forward to keeping you up to date more easily once the showroom is up and running.

Favourite new websites and inspiring places to stay

www.hotelparticulier.comwww.relaischateaux.com/leprieurewww.the-connaught.co.ukwww.thehousedirectory.comwww.villafeltrenelli.comwww.restaurant-1728.comwww.daylesfordorganic.comwww.appleyhoare.comwww.josephineryanantiques.co.ukwww.stephenshubeldesign.comwww.warwick-castle.comwww.flamant.comwww.poggioalsorbo.itwww.caravane.frwww.sbrparis.comwww.andrewmartin.co.uk

French & Country


THE COTTAGE AT HOPEWOOD

Over the Easter weekend our guest accommodation, known simply as The Cottage, opened its doors. We are proud to have created a luxuriously appointed, provincially inspired two bedroom two bath-room adult retreat on our property

in Bowral. Bowral is an hour and a half south of Sydney in the beauti-ful Southern Highlands. Although we are perfectly located less than a kilometre to The Centennial Winery and Restaurant, as well as a number of stunning golf courses,

our guests seem to enjoy a walk in the garden followed by hours relax-ing in front of the fire.

If you would like further information on the accommodation and facilities please email me at [email protected].

A few comments from our guests so far…

“Hopewood itself is magnificent, the gardens are sublime, the peacefulness and tranquillity”

“The cottage is amazing…a great size, great décor and the small atten-tion to details such as candles and fresh flowers make it truly romantic…”

“From the first moment we arrived every aspect has been absolutely delightful…all the attention to detail has combined to feed our souls…”

French & Country

In May I travelled to Europe with my family, the first time the children have been with us and we loved it. It left little time for antiquing, but a lot of inspiration was taken from the ancient castles, frescos, ruins, cathedrals, gardens and hotels we visited. Revisiting Italy, France and England with the children made us rediscover the joy of seeing these beautiful countries for the first time. Each child took a sketch book and pens, so we we’d stop for lunch or the daily hot chocolate, they’d sketch the things they’d seen, build-ings, people, animals etc. which is a great record for them. In Paris, Café Marly at The Louvre was a great place to take our first lunch, sitting

on the terrace in the sunshine, after a walk in the Tuilleries. Le Bon Marche on the left bank, and the Marais district on the right bank was a hit with my teenage daughter, with all the beautiful jewellery stores, fashion shops and street entertainment. In Paris I did drag the family to my favourite haunts, Flamant, Blanc D’Ivoire, Mis en Demeure, Cote Bastide as well as discovering some new stores including Loulou les Ames Arts, Caravane Emporium, Aux Salles Bains Retro. As far as eating out in France, Angelina’s on Rue de Rivoli was a first stop for their famous, ultra rich Hot Chocolate, a sure fire way to beat jetlag! “

Another wonderful discovery was 1728 Restaurant and Tea Room located at 8 rue d’Anjou in the 8th. (facing page) This 18th century restored mansion located in the Em-bassy district, was once the home of La Fayette. Think parquet floor-ing, crystal chandeliers, gilt framed oil portraits. Lunch, Dinner and exquisite afternoon teas are served in one of a series of luxuriously ap-pointed rooms. The closest metro is Concorde or Madelaine. For reser-vations (although not necessary for afternoon tea) (01)401 704 77.

In Paris, Café Marly at The Louvre was a great place to take our first lunch, sitting on the terrace in the sunshine, after a walk in the Tuilleries.

F R A N C E


1728 Restaurant and Tea Room

French & Country

“L’hotel Particulier is a hidden oasis in the bustling Roman city of Arles”


Hotel Particulier in Arles

On my quick return to France in June one of my inspiring moments was a long awaited stay at L’Hotel Particulier in the Roman city of Arles. So often I tear sheet hotels that appeal from a decorating per-spective and this one didn’t disap-point. Tucked away behind its mon-umental gate, this historic building built in 1824 is a hidden oasis. A number of luxe suites and standard rooms are beautifully appointed with quality furniture, luxurious linens and wi fi access. I stayed in a suite on the ground floor which opened on to the pool terrace. My spacious room was a dream ... soar-ing ceilings, white walls covered in decorative panelling, gilt mirrors, black king four poster bed with crisp white sheets, black velvet sofa and armchairs and ambient light-ing. The only thing missing was being able to share it with Michael. There is a hammam/spa which is in the pale stoneclad basement of the hotel, which offers steam room, massage and water therapy. The restaurant offers breakfast (pricey) and dinner either on the terrace or by the open fire. My request for a vegetarian meal was readily catered for with the chef creating a deli-cious eggplant meal and a gourmet salad. The overtones of the whole hotel are French/Morrocan with many candlelit hurricanes, turkish rugs adorning the lounge areas, the l’orangerie and the poolside terrace. For those brave enough to drive there is car parking available. In Arles there are numerous places of interest to discover and wind-ing streets to roam, however from a decorating/antiques perspective there was little to satisfy. There are a few antique dealers located around rue Grille and a brocante market the first Wednesday of each month. Arles is located within an hour or two of Avignon, Aix en Provence and many interesting villages and towns with train and bus services running regularly, so it’s a great base for your stay in Provence.

French & Country

We hired a delightful self contained villa in Tuscany, Poggio al Sorbo, in the Chianti de Castellini region, perfectly located between Siena and

Florence. The villa was fairly basic in it’s facilities, however this was made up for ten fold with it’s spectacular views, hospitality of the hosts and the proximity to all the highlights of the region.The villa had some wonderful trattorias within minutes drive. Antica trattoria La Toppa and Osteria Alla Piazza. My sons’ obsession with all things medieval were more than catered for in San Gimignano, (1�km away) with catapults, slingshots, swords, Knights, armory and the Museum of Torture! My husband Michael’s obsession of icecream was also well catered for with the award winning Gelato outlet Campioni del Mondo! It was in this hilltop town that I fell in love with ancient frescos, religious icons and decorative ironwork.

I T A LY

It was in this hilltop town that I fell in love with ancient frescos, religious icons and decorative ironwork.


Florence was equally inspiring architecturally as we scaled the heights of the Duomo and lost ourselves in the gardens and the vast rooms of the Pitti Palace. Having visited Florence many times previously, we’d never behind the great walls of the palace. We explored the vast manicured gardens and l’orangeries, and wandered the great halls and rooms of the Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments within the palace. The collections of the Cardinal Leopoldo and Grand Prince Ferdinando de medici are great examples of a private court assembly of pictures. Each day in Europe comprised of a lot of walking, hot chocolate, a lot more walking, lunch, a lot more walking, so once a week the whole

Above, Emma, Suzie, Will, Michael and Jamie at Tavolino. Left: Gardens at the Pitti Palace. Below: The magnificent Duomo in Florence.

family would take 30 minutes and hit the internet café to touch base with friends, family and Michael and I would touch base with work emails. This was especially nice for my daughter, who whilst loving the European travels, missed her daily contact with her buddies, so this would make her feel connected to home. Postcards seemed like a foreign concept to her!! By the end of a week in Italy we couldn’t face the thought of another pizza or pasta meal, however we always had room for one of the best hot chocolates in Italy and it can be had at Cantinetta Dei Verrazzano, located centrally at Via Dei Tavolini, 18/20.

French & Country

As always, London was crowded and busy, however not without it’s charm and rich history. While I was travelling I was reading The Other Boleyn Girl, and I could hardly put it down. It seemed particularly important to then visit The Tower of London which was quite a moving experience for me, and a chance for the boys to get another fix on knights in armour and weapons. The London Eye was the perfect first place to visit, being able to point out places of interest and get a bird’s eye view of the city.

An entertaining boat trip on the Thames was also a way to get a little bit of London’s history and an easy way to get to the Tower Bridge. Wagamama, the Noodle Bar chain is located next to the Tower of London and was a delicious and affordable place to feed the family, and at 3pm we could get a great late lunch/early dinner. London has no shortage of stun-ningly appointed and decorated hotels which if even if they are not in the budget to stay at, have fabu-lous bars where you can indulge in

a glass of wine or two. A few must visits are the The Coburg Bar at The Connaught Hotel, Mafair. The interiors have been designed by Pa-risian based designer India Mahavi, and the service is exceptional. The Milestone Hotel in the Kensington/Chelsea borough is richly appointed hotel, where no room or suite are the same, and there are a choice of bars and lounges that you never want to leave.

We did manage to get to see some favourite antiques shops and interi-

E N G L A N D


Clockwise from top: period luxe at War-wick Castle in Warwickshire; Daylesford Organics Store, Pimlico; modern day luxe at Milestone Hotel, London www.milestonehotel.com.

ors stores including Appley Hoare, Marston & Langinger, and the wonderful Daylesford Organics Store and Dalyesford Garden store. Ralph Lauren Home emporium is also in the same area in Chelsea and I could have moved right in. One new must see is Priscilla Carluccio’s new homewares emporium, Few and Far, 242 Brompton Rd, London. www.fewandfar.net. I walked out with some handmade Italian station-ery to die for and could have bought a stack more if there was room in the suitcase! The store is a mix

of new and old, linens, tableware, jewellery, furniture, merchandised over two floors. Her personal touch includes chocolate cake served in store on Fridays!Another place of interior decorating inspiration was Warwick Castle, in Warwickshire. I think the recent wave of period films, Atonement, The Other Boleyn Girl, Marie Antoinette, have exposed the rich lifestyle of this period in history. The use of exquisite fabrics in the soft furnishings, the opulence of intricately carved and gilded

picture frames adorning centuries old portraits, libraries lined floor to ceiling with leatherbound books, cut crystal candelabras and chandeliers, beds swathed in silk and damask and gardens that are clipped and meticulously groomed. It was certainly a period of excess however you cannot help but but wish to be transported to that time for a day or two!


SUMMER NEWSLETTER 08-09

French & Country

Hello again,

Since moving to the Southern High-

lands we have truly had the joy of

experiencing the four seasons.

Autumn and winter meant lots of open

fires, coats, scarves and a lot of indoor

entertaining!

Spring has been an inspiration for the

senses – the colours, fragrance and the

efforts of our tireless garden team have

come to fruition. I couldn’t dream of

a greener lawn or a pinker camellia.

Everyday there is a new explosion of

colour in the garden and our newly

planted vegie garden is going to pro-

vide salad for the rest of the summer.

We are loving country life!!

SuzieSuzie AndersonFrench & Country,now at Hopewood Country House, Bowral



Bonjour!contents

DECEMBER/JANUARY

4 News from The Potting Shed - new stock now in for our summer cata-

logue.

5A new look for The Pavilion. Now brimming with gorgeous garden-ware and treasures all available online.

7News and inspiring decorating ideas from our recent trip to Eu-rope. Also where to stay, shop and dine out.


At Hopewood Country House we have had a few new additions to Hopewood over the past few months. A pair of gorgeous kittens - Max and Tiffany (that’s Tiffany posing in the garden, below); a pair of ducks and their newly hatched ducklings; a picturesque and

productive new vegie garden and a new outdoor dining area in the Sunken Garden. This addition means we can happily continue the tradition of sharing a nice bot-tle of something local with our friends and guests over dinner under the stars.

A pair of gorgeous kittens - Max and Tiffany; a pair of ducks and their newly hatched ducklings; the vegie garden and an outdoor fireplace in the Sunken Garden.

French & Country

THE POTTING SHED

Clockwise from top: Vintage tools; handcrafted hearts; handcrafted wooden decorative pieces for Christmas; new French inspired stationery range; the Guest Cottage at Hopewood; Hidden Cabin coats and bags; Libeco linen cushions.

The gardens have inspired the renovation and stocking of The Potting Shed which is now open to our Cottage Guests and to customers by appointment. Should you be in Bowral and want to pop in and wander the gardens and The Potting Shed, please call me on 0411 448817. We’d love to see you. It is brimming with gorgeous gardenware both imported and locally supplied, from muted grey bird feeders, Libeco aprons, Tampico bags, secateurs, zinc seedling markers, balls of twine, gardening books, as well as unique pieces that will enhance your courtyards and gardens this summer.All items are available online at www.frenchandcountry.com.au


The Pavilion Showroom is being painted and decorated and stock is being moved around as I theme the rooms as we did in Paddington. See a glimpse of a bedroom below. It is a wonderful, but time consuming process and it is almost ready to be stocked for our summer catalogue shoot. In the meantime, should you be searching for anything in par-ticular, I am happy to send images now most items are out of storage and much easier to photograph! Let me know if you would like me to mail you a copy of our new Summer Catalogue.

It is brimming with gorgeous gardenware both imported and locally supplied, from muted grey bird feeders, Libeco aprons, Tampico bags, seca-teurs, zinc seedling markers, balls of twine, gar-dening books, as well as one off pieces that will enhance your courtyards and gardens this summer.

THE PAVILION

Consignment ItemsA number of my customers have relocated over the past few months and with the extra space now in my showroom I am taking pieces of furniture on consignment. New additions include a custom designed set of French Provincial, rush seated dining chairs, an antique pair of French Louis XV style upholstered fauteuils, a European painted kitch-en cabinet of grand proportions and counter, complete with sink and dishwasher (previously from my kitchen in our Bronte house) Price on application.

French & Country


Europe 2008 - Michael and I travelled to France in September to visit the Maison Objet Decoration and Design trade fair, antique fairs and to scour the flea markets. I particularly love the new bed linen range by Secret Maison (right) … muted, pre-washed linen sheets, doona covers and coverlets, in inky blues, natural flax as well as chalk colours. Also, soft furnishings by the French brand Coquecigrues, whose stunning curtains with in-tricate antique style lace detail add the finishing touch to bedroom and living spaces, to divide rooms or to soften doorways and entrances.

Stunning large framed antique botanical pressings are also part of the collection due to be shipped pre Christmas.

We are looking forward to intro-ducing fashion to the French & Country catalogue for the new year with a new season colour range of tennis shoes from Bensimon, (now in stock) easy to wear linen pieces from Nell Design, American Vin-tage cotton tee-shirts, tank tops and gorgeous basics due in February, as well as Libeco linen nightwear. For unique clothing for les enfants, we will be importing the handcrafted range of vintage inspired children’s clothing from L’esprit e Luna (mid-dle row, right). All available at www.frenchandcountry.com.au

www.libeco.comwww.nelldesign.net www.am-vintage.comwww.bensimon.com

I particularly love the new bed linen range by Secret Maison… muted, pre-washed linen sheets, doona covers and coverlets, in inky blues, natural flax as well as chalk colours.

EUROPE 2008

French & Country

For those who respect quality, history and tradition, you will be satiated at Cire Trudon. The oldest candlemaking company in France, with manufacture dating back to 1643.


As always France brought further discoveries in design, and decora-tion, hotels and dining. Here are just a few treasures:

FashionVanessa Bruno25, rue Saint Sulspice 75006 Pariswww.vanessabruno.frSensual, light, comfortable collec-tions set in an elegant, spacious showroom on the Left Bank.

BereniceYouthful collection of cashmere, silk, super soft cotton t-shirts and tanks designed to be layered, come in muted colours.52 Rue des Frances-BourgeoisMarais (4th arrondissement) Nearest metro: Rambuteau

Decoration and Design

Cire TrudonFor those who respect quality, history and tradition, you will be satiated at Cire Trudon. The oldest candlemaking company in France, with manufacture dating back to 164�. Named the Royal wax manufacturer in 171�, Cire Trudon supplied Louis XIV, Napoleon and they still hold the keys to the great cathedrals and churches in France where their church candles still burn today. In their stores at 78 rue de seine, Paris 75006 and 12 rue du Temple Paris 75004 you can sample the 12 fragrances created by fash-ion designer Ramdane Touahmi in 2007, by inhaling the scent captured in the beautifully crafted bell jars

which cover each candle. Each fra-grance is designed to evoke memo-ries of a moment in France’s history, with names such as Revolution, Empire, and La Marquise.The quality is reflected in the use of 100% vegetable wax, woven cotton wicks, and the absence of chemicals is proven with no sooty deposits on the glass holders (top right).Michael and I just fell in love with this whole candle range,

Les Mille FeuillesGorgeous bric a brac and flower shop in the Marais2 rue Rambuteau7500� Paris

Mise en Teinte15 Bvd Saint Germain 75005 ParisMetro: Maubert-Mutualite ou Jus-sieuDecorative effects, paints, stencils to inspire.

Calligrane6 rue du Pont Louis Phillipe75004 ParisMetro: Pont MarieFor anyone who adores paper of all styles. Paper for writing, binding, crafting. Stunning!

Society/Adele Shaw�� rue Jacob,75006 ParisMetro: Saint GermainA luxurious range of Italian bed, bath and table linen in muted col-ours.

Cote Bastide New store in Aix en Provence Rue Pierre Simon LapaceAix en Provencewww.cotebastide.comI already love visiting the Paris store of Cote Bastide, (4 rue de Poissy, Paris 75005) however this is a wonderful addition to Aix. Set in a vast, stone building with exposed timber beams, polished concrete floors, chalky limed walls, the store is the ideal backdrop to the timeless products Cote Bastide offers. Cool linens, creamy ceramics, heavenly bath and body products. Leave room in the suitcase after a visit here to take home a little piece of Provence.

NEW & INSPIRING

French & Country

HotelsLeft BankHotel Le Clos Medicis56 rue Monsieur-Le-Prince75006 Pariswww.closmedicis.com

Hotel de l’Abbaye10 Rue Cassette,Paris 75006www.hotel-abbaye.com

Hotel Le St. Gregoire4� rue de l’abbaye-Gregoire,Paris 75006www.hotelsaintgregoire.com

Hotel Verneuil8 Rue de VerneuilParis 75007www.hotelverneuil.com

Right BankHotel du Bourg Tibourg1� Rue du Bourg-Tibourg75004 Pariswww.hoteldubourgtibourg.com

Hotel BrightonBasic but central and spacious room! Ask for one with view over the Tuileries Gardens. 218 Rue Rivoli75001 Pariswww.pari-hotel-brighton.com

Pavillon de la reine28 Place des VosagesSave this one for honeymoon/anni-versary/won lotto~!contact@pavillon-de-la-reine.comwww.hotelpavillondelareine.com

LyonHotel Belle Cour� rue du Colonel Chambonne6�002 Lyonwww.bellecoursurcour.comBoutique accommodation, centrally located, amazing history, Napoleon Bonaparte once was a guest here. It has a charming wood panelled din-ing room dating back to 1786 where you can take a continental break-fast. Mme De Sauzea is a charming host. Very affordable, around 80 euros incl. breakfast.

AvignonHotel D’Europe1A rue Limas84000 Avignonwww.heurope.comStunning hotel, opposite a beauti-ful square filled with restaurants, courtyard perfect for afternoon tea or pre dinner champagne. Save up for one night here!

Eating OutParisLa Musee de la view Romantique16 rue Chaptal7500�Open 10-5.40pmAfter you have wandered the mu-seum, take tea and pastries in the delightful garden attached. Au Pere LouisLatin Quarter, Paris�8 rue Monsieur le Prince 75006 ParisRestaurant/wine cellar in the heart of the Latin quarter. Buzzy atmos-phere, provincial dishes and wines from the South West. Meat and bean casseroles, and duck confit are a speciality. Delicious!

AvignonCompagnie des Comptoirs17 Place des Corps Saints, AvignonGreat for breakfast/brunch, lunch, drinks. Outdoor terrace with tables set around a large reflection pond. Stunning interiors, white leather and glass, amazing lighting. Cock-tail bar stays open late. Word of caution …beware of the tomato tart … another story, but just don’t order it whilst wearing white!

Tangier58 Rue Joseph-Vernet, AvignonMorrocan Restaurant. Beauti-ful garden setting, under a tented canopy, intimate lighting. Moderately priced meals.

HOTELS & EATING OUT


After you have wandered the museum, take tea and pastries in the delightful garden attached.

Hotel Belle Cour

Restaurant Tangier

French & Country

Paint – a can of paint can work wonders on walls, furniture and even fabric

Re-upholster – new ranges of fab-rics are out seasonally. Libeco have a stunning new range of pre-washed linens in an inspriring colour palate. I have sample cards to view. Unique Fabrics range of tickings and stripes are affordable, washable and create that ageless casual look to sofas, cushions and occasional chairs. Consider slipcovering a chair, stool or pillows out of vintage fabric and sheets.

RECESSION DECORATING

If you can’t afford to purchase large scale items but feel like an update,

get pleasure out of adding small decora-tive details such as new scatter cush-ions, a quality candle, fresh table linen,

and an interesting vase to hold fresh cut hydrangeas and summer gardenias.

Shop online and save! You’ll use less petrol, resist impulse buying, and you can search for unique pieces that will enhance your decor from the comfort of home.

Have old wicker furniture re-vamped by painting and re-string-ing. Contact Rueben Nool: www.caneandwoodemporium.com (02)�7�2 44�7 or 0418 866727

Making your own gift tags can be inexpensive if you D.I.Y. We have a range of beautiful stamp sets that can personalise plain card. Hole punched and tied with brown string, they are charming.

Decorate and fill bookshelves with second-hand books - affordable, colourful and easily available from charity stores, fetes and garage sales.

When times are tough, we are forced to use ingenuity in our decorating, and this can really get the creative juices flowing. Even if your budget is feeling the pinch, there are lots of things you can do to bring beauty into your home, and cheer up even the gloomiest forecasts!

French & Country Page 1�

We would like to wish you and your families a very peaceful and special Christmas and we look forward to sharing exciting news from Hopewood Country House and French & Country, in the New Year.

French and Country’s distribution division will be closed over Christmas and New Year, but if you’re

looking for a last minute gift, or need birthday or special occasion gifts for the New Year, you can still order online and we will resume deliveries after the Christmas break.

Best festive wishes,Suzie, Michael and Family xx

We would like to wish you and your families a very peaceful and special Christmas and we look forward to sharing exciting news from Hopewood Country House and French & Country, in the New Year.

BEST FESTIVE WISHES


AUTUMN WINTER NEWSLETTER 2010

French & Country

Welcome to the Autumn/Winter edition of French & Country. There has been so much going on since the last newsletter that this is more like a book than a newsletter! We have had several French & Country Open Days at Hopewood and we really enjoyed having the cafe and showroom open in the weeks before Christmas. I’m happy to report that our renovations to the Pavilion building are now finished and ready for functions and our current project is preparing for our June Stocktake Sale - to be held in the Pavilion on the weekends of June 11-13 and 18-20, from 10am-5pm.

I’ve made some wonderful new purchases over the past few months that we will have in store for late Spring and Autumn 2011 including some stunning lamps, beautiful European fashion for both men and women, delicate ceramics from France and bedlinen from Sweden, along with one-off furntiture pieces and decorative accessories.

If you are not on our database for updates, please register online at www.frenchandcountry.com.au so we can keep you in touch with our Open Days and trading hours. Have a happy Autumn!

SuzieSuzie AndersonFrench & Country,now at Hopewood Country House, Bowral



Bonjour!

diary noteSTOCKTAKE SALE

To make way for our new spring stock, we will be holding a huge stocktake sale on the weekends of June 11,12,13 and June 18,19,20 in The Pavilion at Hopewood. The cafe will be open Friday through

Sunday, each weekend so put it in your diary and bring some friends for a fun outing and a great opportunity to pick up some bargains. All welcome.

June 11,12,13 and June 18,19,20


France January 2010 - As I left Australia for my latest buying trip to France, the midsummer heat was searing the Sydney beaches and even the Southern Highlands sweltered as the northern half of Europe was experi-encing one of its coldest winters since 1981. Luckily for me, the worst of it seemed to be over so I avoided the frustrating travel delays and flight cancellations that affected so many.

I flew with Singapore Airlines to ensure a direct flight to Paris, which avoids the frenzy of transferring at Ter-minal 5 at London, Heathrow. When I arrived in Paris it was just 3 degrees but really not as cold as I’d expected after the recent snowstorms.My taxi driver was a delight and surprisingly, with his extremely limited English, and my fairly limited French, we managed to have a great conversation. He

I L o v e P a r i s

French & Country

was keen to teach me any words that were missing in my vocab (which were a lot) but we were able to talk about his trips to Venezuela, our mutual love of an-tiques, his favourite part of Paris, how long he’s been driving taxis in France and so on. The trip flew be-cause of this and before I knew it we arrived at Hotel Saint Vincent,5 rue de Pre aux clercs, Paris 75007. www.hotel-st-vincent.com/anglais.I’d always wanted to stay in this hotel but it is so often booked out due to the fairs when I come in Septem-

ber and March. I got in early this time, and as it is in the area where I normally like to stay, the Left Bank, around rue Jacob, I was happy to have secured a room. The hotel is located within walking distance to Musee d’Orsay, The Louvre, The Luxembourg Gardens and the other fabulous left bank landmarks. The decoration is Napoleon III style. The foyer and lounge lived up to the web images, decorated in my favourite colours, putty, grey, white with black accents. The upholstered furniture was in the same colour palate but in velvets

Hotel Saint Vincent Hotel Saint Vincent

and silks, beautiful table lamp lighting and a little open fire added ambience and side tables were stacked with books and magazines. My room was on floor one and a half…oddly it reminded me of that John Malchovitch movie with floor 7 and a half! The room was a little larger than I normally get at Hotel Des Marionners or Crystal hotel, however where was the loo? A second door near my bed led to a little staircase. Was this a public access staircase? How odd that it leads straight into my room? I ventured down the staircase and it led me to my bathroom. It was a great size compared to the bathrooms I normally have where you can shower, brush your teeth and use the toilet without taking a step, however I felt there were too many steps to be tak-en to get to this! Anyway, it’s amazing how quickly you get used to things. After freshening up I met my good friend Luke at Café de Flore for our usual chocolat au chaud. I am the biggest coffee fan but going to Paris is my detox time. Not because of a planned desire to get healthy, it’s just I can’t stand the taste of French coffee. The chocolat chauds on the other hand, taken at Ladu-ree, Paul or Café de flore are to die for. Rich, thick and indulgent. Your spoon can almost stand up in it!We chatted for a long while and then it was time for me to visit my usual haunts…Flamant, Mis en Demeure and the depot ventes (charity shops) near Montparnasse. I also visited Marmie Gateaux tea rooms and a lovely lit-tle collection of brocantes on rue Cherche Midi that sell vintage French kitchenalia and vintage children’s toys,

books and accessories. The tea room serves a range of tartes and sweet treats as well as a good range of teas, coffees and soft drinks.Jet lag started to take hold at around four o’clock so I headed back to my hotel armed with a stash of new French home deco mags…Cote Sud, Maison Cam-pagne etc and my new black Moleskin for this trips note taking. I had a glass of Sancerre in the hotel while browsing the magazines and then headed to shower and get ready for dinner with Luke before I succumbed to a sleep. I was feeling like closing my eyes, but I knew that this would be a mistake and we’d be meet-ing for breakfast rather than dinner if I did that. It was nearly six when we met and we went to L’Entrecote for their famous steak and frites but they didn’t open until 7….could I stay awake? “Let’s have a drink” suggested Luke, so off we went to the wine bar Da Rosa where a bowl of olives a glass of red and my second wind all ar-rived at once! Da Rosa Wine Bar, 62 rue de Seine, Paris 75006 www.restaurant-da-rosa.comL’Entrecote was full as usual but we managed a table and a fantastic night of conversation and laughter, deli-cious food and I felt well settled into my second home away from home. I awoke at 4.30 am after a good 6 hours, packed my small bag for my few days south and met a friend for yet another choc au chaud and baguette at Paul. Not a good month to give up carbs! Next it was a cab to Gare de Lyon to catch the TGV to Avignon.

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Passage du Grand Cerf, Paris 2 Arr.


A v i g n o nSnow covered the farm lands from Paris to Avignon – a scene so dif-ferent from that of the late summer months and early Autumn when I normally see fields of green, laven-der and olives. Before long I was in Avignon Central and I headed through town with my wheelie bag making an inelegant racket on the cobblestoned paths leading past the Palace de Papes. I soon found La Mirande (www.la-mirande.fr) thanks to the Google maps on my i-phone…what a brilliant tool! The hotel was divine. Lavishly decorated, lofty ceilings, grand staircase, rooms where you want to spend days dining, reading, sipping tea and late night cocktails. But sadly I had just one night to take it all in. My room was decorated with muted green timber panelling below a chair rail and vivid floral wallpaper throughout. The bathroom was lined with Carrara marble, a deep cast iron bath, vintage tap ware, rich towels and toiletries to die for

and divine Dr Haushcka bath oils, hand, body creams and soaps. The reception was welcoming and informative. As the restaurant is closed at this time of the year (which I soon learnt was the down-side to late January travel in Pro-vence), I was invited to join 11 other hotel guests at the table d’hote, to be held in the hotel’s ancient kitchen. Whilst it sounded divine, I had the quiet fear I would be a lone diner amongst romantic couples … but on being shown the extraordinar-ily beautiful kitchen with its central island dining table, it was hard to resist. As I got dressed I continued to tell myself it is good for the soul to do things out of your comfort zone and my French skills could really do with some practice. I was also after inspiration for my kitchen at Hopewood so that was another magnet. The chef prepared delicious seasonal local cuisine with local wines to match. The Hotel, I later learned, runs a cooking school and specialised pastry making classes

throughout the year.I am so glad I went. What a fantas-tic night. The owner of the Hotel, Martin, and his lovely German girlfriend Julie, an art restorer, were there and had invited some friends to join them. Jean David a biologist, Armand, a vigneron and his lawyer wife Cecile, and a wonderful larger than life photogra-pher Benoit, who had spent a year photographing for a book of the Hotel. I had the pleasure of sitting next to him for the dinner, which was lucky as his English was the best out of the group. On my other side was a delightful couple from Brazil - he a congressman from Sao Paulo and she a well known actress. Two other couples were at the table, however they were quite happy to keep quietly to themselves as they were celebrating their own special occasion. The kitchen and cellar are in the basement of the hotel. On arrival it was all candlelit, the table was set simply but beautifully with fine

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linen, polished silverware and the kitchen cabinets sur-rounding us were stocked with antique copper pans, confit and mustard pots and other visually pleasing kitchen accoutrements. I was poured a glass of sancerre and we were then all escorted on a tour of the cellar. We had a wonderful night full of laughter, stories and were fully entertained by Jean Claud the Hotel’s Chef who possessed the wonderful skill of creating a delectable feast from simple, local produce whilst entertaining us with his quips, jokes and his love of life.After about 7 courses, including celeriac salad, sea bass, lamb, champagne, wine and flavoured vodkas, Julia announced it was Russian New Year and we must go out and dance! So that is what we did…this group of unlikely strangers.We rugged up as it was a frosty night, and headed to a club called LeDelirium (1 rue Mignard, 84000 Avignon). The gypsy style music made dancing irresistible so we were soon all on the dance floor. Unlike Australian clubs it catered for 20 through to 60 year olds…it was filled with lounge chairs, books, dimly lit chandeliers, a large, ancient timber bar and a jam-packed dance floor. Several hours of dancing later, friendships were formed and we vowed to meet for coffee in the morning.

I thought how easily that night may have been differ-ent…I could have dined alone, read my book and had lights out at 10, but taking a leap of faith, I had one of the most memorable nights I’ve ever had in one of my favourite French cities.I awoke to the sound of my mobile, and that “where am I today” feeling. It was Michael calling as our son Jamie was heading off to a surf camp for the week and wanted to have a chat. It is a whole other life for me back home, where school commitments, sporting agen-das, Hopewood brides and guests fill my days. Here my only thought that morning was “what will I have for breakfast?”Breakfast at La Mirande was a feast for the senses. I was one of the first to arrive and I was in for treat. The breakfast room was bathed in winter light and decorat-ed in soft pastel colours, floral curtains, gilt highlights, and Louis XV furniture. A central table of grand proportions had a mouth-watering display of cereals, breads, homemade conserves, fruit and chacuterie, all served in antique crystal bowls and glazed confit pots. Even the coffee here was good, though I did opt for a chocolat au chaud for the second cup and wasn’t disap-pointed.

Above: The kitchen table d’hote at La Mirande, breakfast at La Mirande, Palais de Papes, Vox Populi, Hydropolis


... the cocktail bar at La Mirande in Avignon is like no other I have been to ... a visual feast.

Hotel La Mirande in Avignon

Throughout the hotel there are plac-es to relax and enjoy afternoon tea, pre dinner drinks and in season, the restaurant with it’s spectacular ceiling, to dine. Martin and his family took over the derelict build-ing several years ago and began the process of restoration, purchasing antique doors, windows, tapestries, curiosities and furniture to ensure the integrity of the magnificent building remained in tact.

The hotel is ideally located next to the Palais de Papes, one of the most important medieval Gothic historical palaces in Europe - once the residence of the Popes in 1309 - a fascinating place to spend a few hours. They provide an audio tour that enhances the whole experience and gives you an interesting and succinct history.It is a very easy city to explore on foot, just minutes walk to the Pont, the markets, restaurants and the TGV.

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Hotel La Mirande in Avignon


Hotel La Mirande in Avignon Hotel La Mirande in Avignon

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N i m e s

Above and top: Jardins de la Fontaine, Nimes

NIMES - I love the transport network in France. In the many years of coming to France I haven’t ever at-tempted to drive. I’ve either paid a translator/antique guide or travelled from town to town by train/bus or on foot. Next trip I challenge myself to hire a van, a GPS and I’ll drive to all the off the beaten track places that I know are waiting to be discovered. For this trip

though, I stuck firmly with the TGV. I headed from Avignon to Nimes, the city of my next inspiring hotel, “Hotel Jardins Secrets”. The taxi ride from the TGV to the hotel was so close the driver barely got out of first gear, so I really could have walked, however once in the garden courtyard I felt like I was a million miles from anywhere.

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Above: My chambre and above right another of the guest rooms at Hotel Jardins Secrets - Nimes

It is hard to put into words the beauty of this hotel. As I was the only guest, due to it being a Sunday in the middle of winter, I enjoyed the fantasy that this piece of para-dise was my own. From the moment I arrived to the ancient stone walled surrounds of the courtyard I knew I was in for a treat. The hotel sits in a quiet street, surrounded by build-ings equally as beautiful. Pale stone, faded pale blue shutters, olive trees, iron lanterns.I was met by a charming Polish staff member, Magda, who led me past the pool, daybeds, lanterns (note to

self…must return in Summer) and led me through a grand front door, into the oldest part of the building, to my chambre.Ah, my room! It was a dream. A marvellous monotone “Psyche” roman wall panel from my favour-ite wall paper supplier, Zuber & Cie, hung above the king size bed dominating the room. All around me was a superbly elegant assem-blage of antique furniture, marble fireplace, writing desk, collection of latest magazines, and then the piece de resistance, the bathroom! The antique bath cloaked in a heavy vel-

vet canopy, a pair of antique sinks, Cote Bastide toiletries, luxurious towels piled on timeworn chairs, glass containers of all sizes housing cotton balls, dried herbs and other decorative items…I was in heaven. Would I ever tear myself away? The sweeping staircase that lead to my room was dimly lit by a crystal chandelier of gigantic proportions and the walls were clad with antique portraits in gilt frames. Magda was generous with her time and led me through the various lounge areas, the stunning hotel kitchen, panelled hallways with an antler collection


like no other, the grand dining room, the newly built Hammam/Spa room and even some of the other guest rooms. Each room is styled uniquely however with the com-mon thread of antique furniture, exquisite fabrics and wallpapers and trademark indulgent bathrooms.

The owners, one a decorator, and one a photographer, are welcom-ing and encourage you to relax in any of the rooms as if they were your own. The two resident cats are certainly doing so, curled up on

antique chairs, one by the fire, one in another room by the grand piano. Beautiful tiny birds are housed in antique birdcages throughout the house and provide a lovely sound-track in the background, chirping and tweeting. I’d be happy to be one of the cats or birds if it meant I could live here!

Having never been to Nimes I thought I should drag myself away from the hotel and explore this interesting Roman town. Nimes is the capital of the Gard depar-

ment and has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire. The key places to visit when in Nimes are the beautiful Jardins de la Fon-taine, with spectacular views over the gardens and Nimes below; the Roman Ampitheatre which is the best preserved Roman ampitheatre in France and was once filled with medieval housing, now used for concerts and bull fighting; the Mai-son Caree, a small Roman temple built circa 19BC. And of course you can just wander the streets sur-

Bathe in opulence at Hotel Jardins Secrets

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“ the roman style spa and hammam is for your exclusive use when you indulge in one of the many unique,luxurious treatments on offer at Hotel Jardins Secrets ...”

The Spa at Hotel Jardins Secrets


rounding the quai de la Fontaine. A flea market is held each Monday in the carpark near Jardins de la Fontaine, which was fairly quiet in January but increases in size as the warmer months approach. I pur-chased some beautiful antique linen here and could have purchased some beautiful art and decorative items had I not been travelling by TGV!

Armand, the vigneron I met at La Mirande has a cousin, Jean Louis, who owns a homewares store in Nimes, “Cabinet de Curiosite”, 3 Place du Marche, Nimes. He is usually closed on Mondays but opened up for me and he was an absolute delight. I purchased some beautiful antique frames, sconces and curtain tiebacks, shades and other decorative items. His store is a mix of old and new, but unique,

one off lampshades are a special-ity. It is packed from the floor to the ceiling with decorative pieces, so luckily I was the only one in the store as I don’t know how another person could have squeezed in! Also luckily for me, Jean Louis was heading to the Paris Maison et Objet fair so he would deliver my pur-chases to my hotel in Paris. Perhaps a ploy for me to buy more … which of course I then did. The next day I headed to another favourite town, Uzes, which is an easy 20 minute taxi ride away taking us over the Pont du Gard, a well preserved aqueduct built by Agrippa that once carried water across the small Gar-don river valley. Sadly in January most of the dealers and retailers close as the tourist trade slows.

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{ P a r i s R e - v i s i t e d }From Nimes I caught the TGV to Lyon 470km from Paris in the Rhone-Alpes region. Often re-ferred to as a mini Paris, due to its numerous bridges and beautiful architecture, it is a major centre for business and is well known for it’s gastronomy. It is the second largest metropolitan area outside Paris and was once known as the silk capital. Here I was scheduled to visit an antique fair at Euroexpo and stayed once again with Madam De Souza at Hotel Belle Cour, an affordable room within a townhouse on the famous Belle Cour sur Cour. I like this B&B as it is so centrally lo-cated, clean, friendly and rather like having my own studio apartment. The fair was interesting but on a day that will probably rank as one of the coldest days I had ever had in all my years of visiting France, it was hard to remain focused. The fair is expansive, both interior and exterior, with professional antique dealers spreading their wares

throughout the exhibition centre. Vendors of more rustic goods had to brave the elements and display their wares in the carpark, and the finer furniture pieces, art and decora-tive items were displayed inside. Luckily there are two cafes doing a roaring trade with hot drinks and hot chips…anything hot to stop the dealers and buyers from freezing!I bought a few pieces there before heading back to Paris and Hotel Saint Vincent, where I was booked back into floor one and a half. A curious thing.

I’ve decided I love being in Paris with a purpose. It makes you interact with the city in a different way than being a tourist. By having a purpose, you discover out of the way places and have chance meet-ings that can lead you on to new experiences and suppliers.

It was like that when I was buying clothes for my daughter Em in a little boutique in the Saint Germain area. I liked the labels, beautiful

cashmere and accessories so I en-quired after the brands. Were they French as I’d like to stock some in my French & Country store? The helpful sales staff suggested that I head to the Paris Fashion fair, which happened to be on at the time. I was planning a third day at Maison et Objet, however as it was the last day of the Fashion fair, I caught a cab to the outskirts of Paris and found myself transported into another world! After register-ing, I had several hours to explore over 100 aisles of clothing, footware, jewellery and accessories. It was almost overwhelming, however as with the Homewares fairs, I soon had my eye in and could quickly eliminate those suppliers that didn’t fit my look. I did find some beauti-ful new labels, soft organic cotton tee shirts, cashmere knits and the unique and beautiful jewellery and scarves by Sophie Dugard. I look forward to bringing these beauti-ful pieces to French & Country

Above: Saint Germaine en Laye.

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Top: Paris Fashion Fair; Middle row: Paris Musee Carnav-alet; unique items from Serendipity - the lamp and shade is in our new French & Country stock arriving late-Spring 2010;Bottom Row: - Hidden Hotel, Paris.


Above Apicius; right Restaurant Ante Prima

showroom for late Spring and Autumn 2011. Maison et Objet presented me with some new suppliers that I look forward to showcasing late 2010: some new designs in the Vox Populi lighting range, gorgeous hand made ceramics, stunning Swedish bed linen and home linens by Himla, and great decorator pieces and lighting from Belgium. I am also bringing in wallpapers by Zuber & Cie whose magnificent French and Roman panoramic scenes grace the walls of my favourite hotels, Hotel Par-ticular in Arles and the Hotel Jardins Secret in Nimes, to name a few and soon the bathrooms at Hopewood. I also have a few rugs coming in that are more Morroc-can in style, in the earthy decorator colours that team so well with the Provincial style that I love.One of my suppliers of men’s clothing and linen home-wares, ‘Hidden Cabin’, have recently undertaken the decoration of a boutique hotel in the 17th arr. called Hidden Hotel (www.hiddenhotel.com) It is rustic, decorated with weathered oaks and linen and envi-ronmentally conscious. I had a few nights there and whilst it was interesting and visually beautiful, I do love the familiarity of my beloved Saint Germain and really missed the streets around Rue Jacob and my other favourite local haunts. Having said that, it once again forced me to explore new areas, and I had some chance discoveries when walking the area. After fail-ing to find good local eateries that were not touristy, I was enchanted by a Grand Hotel Particuliar and it’s lovely trattoria style Italian restaurant “Ante Prima” at 137 Rue du Faubourg, Saint-Honore, Paris 75008 (Tel 0145634343). I admired the building, the inner court-

yard with it’s stone fountain, and on closer look, saw that there was a little restaurant in the courtyard of this magnificent building, with just a few tables so you could dine amongst this grandeur. I went to the Restaurant’s main entrance and instantly booked a table for an hours time. I needed to refresh as I’d been walking the streets for ten hours, and although my feet could barely get me back to the hotel, I was determined to experience a little piece of this architectural gem. The restaurant was Italian with a small, seasonal menu … I could have selected any of the offerings and been more than happy. I was spoiled by the service and attention of the staff, particularly the manager, a lovely Italian man in his mid twenties, passionate about food, learning English and the desire to visit Australia one day soon. I en-quired as to what the magnificent building whose grand courtyard I was privileged enough to be dining in, was used for. He explained that it was privately owned but leased to a film company and a fine dining restaurant, Apicius, (www.restaurant-apicius.com) with revered chef, Jean-Pierre Vigato at the helm. The restaurant was in the front of the Hotel Particuliar, 20 Rue d’Artois, 75008 Tel 33(0)1 43801966 and he said I MUST see it to see how beautiful the gardens were leading up to the restaurant’s entrance … amazing in the heart of Paris, a stone’s throw from Champs Elysee. After my delicious dinner, I dragged my weary body around to see the front of the property as instructed and was surprised to find a glorious garden, a magnificent building boast-ing a Michelin star restaurant, which, I’m guessing will have a price tag to match.

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During my stay in Paris, I had a spare day and was keen to venture out of the centre of Paris. Versailles was a thought, but given the cool weather I thought I ‘d save that for warmer months. My friend Sharon, who has a stunning French busi-ness, Blanc Leger (www.blancleger.com), used to live near St Germain en Laye just 19 km out of Paris. I remember her driving me there for lunch and shopping a few years ago and I was taken by it’s beauty. It is an easy RER train ride (Line A), about 30 minutes from Paris, and well worth the trip. It has elegant tree lined streets, and is the wealthi-est suburb of Paris, combining high end residential and sporting facili-ties. The architecture is beautiful, founded in 1020. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Chateau de St Germain was the residence of numerous French monarchs. Saint Germain en Laye is famous for its 2.4 km long stone terrace built by Andre de Lotre in 1673 and this ter-race provides a stunning view over the valley of the Seine and in the distance, Paris. There are high qual-ity shops, restaurants and cafes. If I were ever to live in Paris, this would be an area high on my wish list.

DAY TRIP NOTES

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Rugs on floorboards or neutral sisal carpet can be changed seasonally…muted, earthy tones for autumn/winter, fresher striped styles for spring/summer in black/white, taupe or grey/white or for beach house style, blue/white.

Dried fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs and olive and rosemary leaves assem-bled in glazed earthenware pots and oversized lidded glass jars to embellish kitchen benches and side-boards, adding life and energy to often hard, clinical surfaces.

Flea market finds such as old bread/pastry boards, salt/sel and allumettes (matches) holders can be hung and used to add a touch of Provence to your kitchen.

Fill a glass fronted cabinet or open bookshelves with collections of cookbooks, beautiful ceramic plates, pewter/glass storage jars, jam pots filled with seasonal jams to use and give as gifts.

Use bespoke lamps on tables throughout the house, with carefully selected and unique shades made from parchment, wax, feather and decorative paper.

Use occasional chairs with side tables in entrance rooms, hallways, bath and bedrooms, and incorporate candleabra, photoframes and lamps to create vignettes in spaces that are often overlooked.

Collect interesting, decorative books and pile throughout the house on mantelpieces, by the fireplace, on side tables.

Beautiful birds in birdcages indoors add such energy to the room, and provide a beautiful soundtrack to the day … be prepared to clean every other day though as they can be messy!

Mirrors and art of all shapes and sizes on walls, wrap the chain if exposed in muted velvet or linen to soften and decorate.

DECORATING IDEAS

Inspiring decorating ideas from this trip...

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In bathrooms, think outside the square and treat it like other ‘liv-ing’ rooms of the house by placing a beautiful, unique chair or footstool piled with fresh white towels. If room permits decorate a side table placed next to the bath or a small glass fronted armoire and fill withcollections of vintage perfume glass bottles and glass vases with cotton buds, oils etc, old books, vintage bathroom accessories such as old hand mirrors, tortoise shell handled shaving brushes etc.

Use wallpaper as art – Zuber & Cie panoramic panels and Brunschwig & Fils papers are ideal to frame and use as art in all rooms of the house, and can be mounted on to boards, framed and then you can always take them with you should you move!

Paint finishes – experiment with paint finishes on doors, frames and walls, drag and age to have unique impact.

Decorate useful pieces such as coat/hat stands with books, walking sticks, hats, fresh flowers, coats. Bring rooms to life through every-day, useful objects that tell a story and show that people actually live in the house!

If you have expanses of plain walls, consider adding timber panels and mouldings to add interest. You can paint the walls and mouldings the same colour so that just the shape adds interest, or the panelling below the chair rail can be one colour and then wall paper above to create a more intimate, cosier space. Mirrors and wall sconces can then be added on top of the wallpaper to imbue a richness.

Below: One of the rugs I am bringing in for Spring ... they are quite Morroccan in style, in the earthy decorator colours that team so well with the Provincial tones that I love.

French & Country

PARISAs’ArtAfrican Art and decorative pieces3 Passage due Grand Cerf75002

RickshawAsian decorative pieces7 Passage du Grand Cerf75002

Au Petit Bonheur la ChanceUnique kitchenalia and stationery13 rue Saint Paul 75004

Art UpArt sold according to size of canvas, 100s of pieces available to buy on the spot and they can ship world-wide.39 Ave Daumesnil, 75012

Espace BuffonMix of old and new decorator pieces, clothing and garden wares27 rue Buffon75005

Aux Trois Singes23 rue St Paul75012

SHOPPING Joe BlackMens and Boyswear to die for30 rue du Bac75007www.joeblack.fr

ChercheminippesDepot Vente chain, charity shops for clothing, homewares and chil-dren’s wear. 6 spaces across Paris102 rue du Cherche Midi75006www.chercheminippes.com

L’oeil du Pelican13 rue jean Jacques Rousseau75001

Collectables and curiositiesMerciStunning Concept store with the pick of fashion, homewares, station-ery and bookshop/café111 Bvd Beaumarchais75004www.merci-merci.com

Sarah Lavoine architectureInterior/Exterior Showroom49 Ave Roch75001www.sarahlavoine.com

La Cabane de l’OursVillage Saint Paul Le Marais23 rue Saint Paul75004 www.lacabanedelours.comGorgeous rustic cabin interiors store with bespoke pieces made from iron and recycled timbers

AVIGNON

Cour Interieure54 rue Joseph Verneil8400006 73 34 94 56

Au Jardin de ProvenceBoutique Decoration2 rue Petite Fusterie84000

Vox Populi20 rue petite fusterie84000 AvignonDecorative pieces made from wire & vintage fabric

NIMESCabinet de Curiosite3 Place du MarcheNimesJam packed store of decorative pieces and stunning lamp shades


PARIS

Hotel Saint Vincent5 Rue du Pre aux Clercs75007+33 (0)1 42 61 05 51 www.hotel-st-vincent.com/anglais

Hotel Particulier MontmartrePavillon D,23 Avenue Junot, 75018+33 (0)1 53 41 81 40www.hotelparticulier-montmartre.com - 5 room chic hotel that was once a Grand mansion in the bohemian Montmartre district

Hotel du Moulin Petit29/31 rue de Poitou, 75003www.hoteldupetitmoulin.com

MijeHostel in the heart of Paris, located in aristocratic townhouses in theMarais district.www.mije.com

UZESLa Miason de la Bourgade31 rue Peite Bourgade30700 Uzeswww.lamaisondelabourgade.com

NIMESHotel Jardins Secret3 rue Gaston Maruejols3000033(0)4 66 84 82 64www.jardinssecrets.net

AVIGNONLa Mirande4 Place de la Mirande+33(0)490 142 020www.la-mirande.fr

PLACES TO STAY

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PARISLe Palais de The’s Teashop64 rue vielle du Temple, 75003

T’Cha La Maison de The6 rue du Pont de Lodi

La Tete dans les OlivesTastings of olive oils, olives, herbswww.latetedans les olives.com2 rue Saint le Marthe, 75010

Le 1Place Vendome1 place Vendome+33(0)1 55 04 55 60Stylish (though expensive!) bistro hideaway

Market15 Avenue MatignonChristian Liagre designed market fresh fusion cuisine,Great location33 (0)1 5643 4090

La Societie4 Place Saint Germain, 75006Another Christian Liagre designed, Saint Germain restaurant in the Costes brothers stable. Interesting, sophisticated crowd. Divine!

Baan LekCuisine du Siam7 rue de Jarente, 75004www.baanlek.comWhen you’ve had enough of jambon & fromage!

PLACES TO DINE

Mai ThaiCuisine du Siam24 bis, rue Saint-Gilles75003www.maithai.frDelicious thai food, great lunch specials and atmosphere+33(0)1 42 72 18 77

Au 3535 Rue Jacob75006+33(0)1 42 60 23 24Delicious local French/ItalianOpen 7 days

UZESChez Francoise22 bd Gambetta30700 Uzes04 66 01 00 07

TEXTILES & WALLPAPERS

Zuber & Ciewww.zuber.comBrunschwig & Filswww.brunschwig.com/wallcover

Giardini Wallcoveringswww.giardiniwallcoverings.it

Himlawww.himla.se

MUSEUMSMusee CarnavaletAn absolutely heavenly and inspiring place to get lost for hours. It occupies two neighbouring mansions right in the heart of the Marais. Over 2600 paintings, 800 pieces of furniture, miniature mod-els of Paris, stunning murals and architectural details. 23 rue de Sevigne 75003+33(0)1 44 59 58 58www.carnavalet.paris.fr

Favourites from the music playlist I compiled for my TGV travels!

Dance with Me - Mano de DiosVolveras - Mano de DiosDance Me to the End ofLove - Madeleine PeyrouxTango - Chris MurphyWarm Air - Vanessa MaeComptine D’un Autre Ete - Yann TiersenUntouched - Bart ArmandDown on my Knees - AyoConcerto for two Violins in D minor - Australian Chamber OrchestraOde to Simplicity - Secret GardenNocturna - MeecoLike a Star - Corinne Bailey RaeFall at your Feet - Clare BowditchVision - Hildegard Von Bingen

PLAYLIST

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