Part Trois: Fixer-upper in The French Countryside – How I designed My Loft Conversion With No Prior Interior Design Experience

Part Trois: Fixer-upper in The French Countryside – How I designed My Loft Conversion With No Prior Interior Design Experience

I thought that finding architects to convert our 25sqm loft to a master bedroom would be easy. But I was (very) wrong. I tried everything to find professional help but had no luck...

10 Inspiring French Château-style Interiors That Are a Feast For The Eyes

10 Inspiring French Château-style Interiors That Are a Feast For The Eyes

Discover the unique beauty of France (and Spain) with me by exploring my top ten properties that have captivated me with their French château-style interior design. From magnificent museums and luxurious hotels to private homes, each of these properties will leave a lasting impression...

Part Deux: Fixer-Upper in the French Countryside – 9 Lessons I’ve Learned After 5 Years of Renovating

Part Deux: Fixer-Upper in the French Countryside – 9 Lessons I’ve Learned After 5 Years of Renovating

Over the past five years, I have gathered a great deal of knowledge about the process. If you are about to embark on your own renovation journey in the French countryside, this article may provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the terrain...

Marie-Antoinette’s Petit Trianon:  A Crown Jewel Or A Terrible Curse?

Marie-Antoinette’s Petit Trianon:  A Crown Jewel Or A Terrible Curse?

“You love flowers, Madame, so I have a bouquet for you. It is Le Petit Trianon” said King Louis XVI, to his wife, 19 years old. This lady was Marie-Antoinette, the last Queen of France. In the hands of the young monarch, Le Petit Trianon became a double-edged sword: a jewel and a curse. Her most iconic legacy, which made her a household name, also hastened her descent into an eventual deathly demise...

Discover My Ottoman Inspired Kitchen Concept For A Taste Of Magical Istanbul

Discover My Ottoman Inspired Kitchen Concept For A Taste Of Magical Istanbul

Nothing inspires me more than a majestic home and a good story. My last post, titled “Topkapi Palace: How Women Exercised Power In An Age Of Absolute Male Dominance”, falls perfectly within these lines. Topkapi harem, with its unique architecture, has inspired today’s post: a modern kitchen concept with Ottoman influences...

Topkapi Palace: Where Women Exercised Power In An Age Of Absolute Male Dominance

Topkapi Palace: Where Women Exercised Power In An Age Of Absolute Male Dominance

Over a period of more than 16 centuries, Istanbul was the epicenter of many powerful civilizations. The Ottoman Empire was the last one to leave an indelible mark on its history, before the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. A striking testimony to the Ottoman Islamic style in...

Scandinavian Design Is The Perfect Base For Style Blends That Work Effortlessly

Scandinavian Design Is The Perfect Base For Style Blends That Work Effortlessly

Two years ago, just after buying her first apartment, my sister said "I want to decorate my new place, but I have no idea where to start". Buying an apartment was a major milestone for her and she wanted to get it right. All she knew at this point, is that she wanted to create a beautiful interior she would be proud of...

Parisian Interior Design Style Holds No Secrets With My Eight-Step Guideline!

Parisian Interior Design Style Holds No Secrets With My Eight-Step Guideline!

How many of us would wish to achieve the unique Parisian style in urban interiors? We might long for that deliberate imperfection and artistic flair so specific to Parisian homes. The style is often eclectic, seems effortless and creative expression is at the heart of it. It is both nostalgic and contemporary and is unshakable when challenged by changing, fleeting trends...

My 5 easy-to-do tips to make working from home a sustainable and pleasant experience!

My 5 easy-to-do tips to make working from home a sustainable and pleasant experience!

It took me a few days to write this post as I have been trying to adjust to the sudden enforced confinement we were asked to adhere to here in France. This new "situation" has been frustrating and at times scary, but I accept that it is important to stick to the new rules, so we collectively try to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus. In the meantime, life must go on. ..

Part Two: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Of The Woman Behind The Most Sumptuous “Hôtel Particulier” On The Champs-Elysées

Part Two: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Of The Woman Behind The Most Sumptuous “Hôtel Particulier” On The Champs-Elysées

While La Païva was often described as an overly ambitious upstart, excessive in her need for material goods and uncouth in her way of showing her fortune and possessions, I’d rather explore the reasons that might have led her to adopt certain behavior and what really fueled that determined ambition and drove her to build her extravagant Hôtel Particulier. She was, after all, a courtesan...

Part One: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Behind The Most Sumptuous Mansion on The Champs-Elysées

Part One: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Behind The Most Sumptuous Mansion on The Champs-Elysées

While I was flipping through a book about historic palaces in Paris, especially those rarely accessible to the public, a particular and quite unusual story caught my eye and sparked my interest. The fascinating story I am about to describe narrates the life of the mastermind behind one of the most emblematic monuments on the Champs-Elysées (Hôtel Particulier in French): Hôtel de La Païva, the only example left of the magnificent palaces that once lined the iconic avenue...

How New Boho Turns Modern Homes into Personal Havens

How New Boho Turns Modern Homes into Personal Havens

Traditional Bohemian styles in interior design might not be for everyone, myself included. I have never related to the unpredictable and heavy combination of colors, textures and patterns that is linked to Boho decor. I found it too rustic, “messy” and “unorganized” for my taste (I am on the verge of being OCD so the whole style never really worked for me)...

Does “Art Nouveau” Have a Place in Contemporary Interiors?

Does “Art Nouveau” Have a Place in Contemporary Interiors?

I recently (almost by chance) came across some beautiful Art Nouveau ad posters, real masterpieces produced between 1890 and 1910. I worked in advertising for many years so you can understand my enthusiasm after seeing these posters. Talented artists like Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - to name but a few - created a new art style that is forward looking, aesthetically beautiful and detailed, including soft contours, rich embellishments and vivid colors with nature as the main source of inspiration...