decorating teenage bedrooms and watchings kids create

There are few things I find as mesmerising as watching someone paint or draw, and when that person is a child, then I think I love it even more.

This week, one of the tasks on the agenda was renovating my teenage son's bedroom.  That delicate moment , at 15 years old, when he is ready to leave behind his child's room and assume a style that says ME!

What to put on the walls came under discussion, and I mentioned how much I liked his charcoal portraits he had done at school last term.  We found a couple of black frames, liked the way they looked, and from there he decided to draw  a few more.

I left him in peace, and by the end of an afternoon, we found ourselves with a little portrait gallery.  I love it!

This would work very well with any children's (or adult's!) drawings.  What brings it together is the uniform style, and the simple frames.

Its like most of the stuff I show here.  No bling bling, just a simple idea, put together  with care.

Tomorrow I bring you the second giveaway of the month, so don't forget to stop by and try your luck!

inspiration found in a Provence château

While in the South, I was lucky enough to meet rather an extraordinary French lady, living in an 18th century château, ... with an art gallery in her garden.

Sabine Puget is passionate about art and the importance of art in everyday life.  When she and her husband bought their château some years back, she was brave enough to create a gallery and open its doors to the public.

She quickly ran out of space, but boldly created extra display areas around the gallery, stark modern shapes, that fit into her breathtaking property effortlessly, and whose brick red colour echoes the beautiful patina on the château walls.

The gallery is open from May to September, and she creates two exhibitions each season.    I was fascinated to visit the current show, which combines and juxtaposes the work of two artists:  a photographer who likes to shoot pictures of old catalogues of plant collections, and a sculptor  who is passionate about granite, marble and stone.

All through the show, sculptures, large and small, echo the beautiful black and white photos on the walls.

 To add interest to the already breathtaking sculptures, they are created to move and to turn upon themselves.

The garden around the gallery and the house is carefully planted to emphasise the presence of the gallery.  Walking around the grounds, this visitor sometimes gasped at the beauty of an unexpected artwork, whose silver grey wood or subtle stone, reflects the soft Provençal light.

In a corner of the garden is a tiny chapel, long since abandoned when Sabine and her husband bought the property.  It is now restored with evocative paintings on the wall and unique stained glass windows, and has become the subject of a small book.

This stunning property is perfectly maintained and designed but never overwhelming.  At every corner there is a reminder that this is first and foremost a home, owned by a couple who have understood the importance of life's simple pleasures.  Be it a striking work of art; sitting in a simple deck chair in the shade of an old chestnut tree, or hearing grand children play pétanque outside the house.

So if you find yourself in the south of France this summer, and you would like to visit Sabine's gallery, simply contact her or turn up on a sunny summer afternoon and refresh your body and mind as you breathe in the utter beauty of her property and the art she cares to show.

martha's shutters

Yesterday I shared with you some of my favourite shutter shots, and today as promised I want to tell you about a talented lady, a friend of mine, who repurposes old shutters for use inside the home, as well as creating other beautiful screens and bedheads.

Martha Alberti works from her Linen Flower Studios in Marietta, and uses her expertise in paint finishes to create and restore.   This beautiful fire screen is a new item to her store, don't you love the personalised monogram?

She also applies monograms to the bedheads she makes, and can supply the letters required by each client.

Martha is married to the French artist Fabrice Alberti, and although they lived near us  in France for many years, they are now based in Marietta, US.  Their home is witness to their incredible talent and sure eye.

Martha lives by the motto,  "Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can".  She loves to rescue old and unremarkable furntiure and transform it into something special.  In her own home she has painted her kitchen cabinets, tables, shelves as well as larger items such as armoires.

Clients bring her pieces of furniture that are too good to throw out, and that can be transformed by Martha into beautiful 'antiques' with real age and character.   She spends a lot of time, using a combination of paint and waxes to give real depth and patina to each piece she produces.

If you have an old pair of shutters at home that you would like to use as a bedhead, Martha will transform them for you, painting and distressing until they are perfectly shabby chic.

Hope you feel inspired, if you would like to contact Martha about her work, just check her out at Linen Flower Studio.

(PS  Don't forget about the Parisienne Farmgirl giveaway if you haven't entered yet, last day tomorrow!)

women in paris with their dogs and high heels

Today I bring you a little bit of whimsy to set you off for the weekend in the right frame of mind!

These delicious illustrations are by the talented French designer Izak Zenou, who has created his signature style,  specialising in fashion illustration.

I love the very Parisian feel to his drawings.   His women are tall, long legged and happy.  They float around in today's busy world looking happy and carefree, content to be beautiful.  And who has never wanted to do that?!

His pictures make me think of my girls, striding out confidently, having fun with their friends...., preferably in high heels and with a small dog in tow!  :)

But IZAK doesn't only illustrate, he has also designed a line of bags, scarves  and accessories for names such as Celine, Guerlain and La Samaritaine.  Today his products and artwork are available at the New York store Henri Bendel.

And the really cool thing is that you can get customised stationery using his artwork!  Party invitations, greeting cards, Izak's drawings carrying your message - wonderful!

Wishing you all a whimsical weekend, be it in Paris, New York, Budapest or 

Sydney; let us walk as tall  as the girls drawn by Izak.

all photos thanks to the Izak Zenou website