Four more days in France

Down to France for a few days decorating.  This trip was supposed to tie in with the IKEA furniture delivery but that didn't happen.  Various excuses made - including the unusual one for France that the delivery van got stuck in snow near Niort.

My main task is the repaint of most of the downstairs away from the splodgy orange and yellow that the walls are painted now, to a single cream colour.  This takes the first two days of the trip, but is a very worthwhile change - very pleased with it in fact.

Before the repaint - just arrived and using the log fire to warm the house up

And after - a rather nice cream paint by Farrow and Ball

This will be the indoor dining area eventually

Another major task was putting together some of the bathroom units ready for installation in a couple of weeks time - better I do this than pay the plumber to do it.  This kit is the white pieces of wood on the photo above.

Then there is one of the longer term projects to consider - the creation of a beautiful terrace outside the kitchen of Petits Chats.  The whole concrete area will have to come out and then a series of nice steps built.  Finally, a terrace probably of stone trimming gravel will be built under the tree and backing onto the wall.  This could well be stunning when it is done - but at the moment, it is planned for later October this year.

And in trips to various brocantes (including three near Saintes) I was able to pick up some nice bits of furniture.

Actually the chest of drawers below is rather woodworm eaten and had to be treated and about 300 holes filed.  It was then painted in Annie Sloan old white and will be finished off on a later trip.  It will go into the blue room that I decorated on my last visit.

The cupboard below is a real fixer-upper.  It only cost E20, needs the shelves re-doing inside and some repairs to the top.  The door doesn't fit properly, and there is no door catch.  But other than that it's fine.  This might go in the kitchen of Petit Chats or the bathroom - not sure yet

Finally, a rather nice cupboard that I found at Emmaus for E15.  I have repainted the sides in duck egg blue and the top in the same cream as the walls downstairs, keeping the flower motive that was already on it.  It may go in the upstairs bathroom where I have been trying out various ideas to tone down the current modern look of the room.

Just one meal out this trip - a rather nice meal at Le Cabanon of fish soup, then veal kidneys flamed in cognac and a chocolate mousse. 

And no trips out anywhere new - too busy working on the house.

Still, it has to be said, one of the nicest weeks I have had for ages (or at least since I was down here in November)