Sunday, February 22, 2015

Out Of Darkness

The Dining Nook Transformation - The Wall Situation

episode 1 out of ???


This post is only about the wall situation, not the whole situation, ok? Don't hope I'm revealing everything today.

Aujourd'hui un petit récapitulatif du début de l'histoire du mur de la salle-à-manger pour ceux qui n'auraient pas suivi cet épisode assez lointain.


Most of you have actually already seen some of the transformations in my dining-room and if you have a very busy day ahead of you, I allow you to just go away and not read that post. But the dining-room transformation started nearly four years ago, so some of my readers don't know the whole wall story and I thought a little recap might help them understand why it's taking so long.

Quand j'ai rencontré Cottage par un beau week-end de Pâques il y a quelques années, il y avait trois pièces au rez-de-chaussée: un salon, une cuisine et une petite chambre.

When I met Cottage during Easter weekend some years ago, there were three small rooms downstairs: a living-room, a kitchen and a bedroom.


I knew right away that I wanted to turn this room into a dining-room. But my parents were doubtful this would work since the room was very dark.

J'ai su d'emblée, je ne sais pas pourquoi, que j'allais en faire une salle-à-manger. Mais mes parents faisaient un peu la moue car la pièce était très sombre.


There were many reasons it was dark: the floor, the orange walls and the chocolate walls, the black baseboards and the black shelf under the only small window...

Il y avait de nombreux facteurs qui rendaient cette pièce sombre : le sol en fausse (très fausse) terre cuite, les trois murs couleur orange, le mur chocolat, la fenêtre, petite, excentrée et munie d'une tablette peinte en noir...


Stubborn as I was (and still am), I decided to try it on and I put my table in this room when I began living at Cottage.


Têtue comme je l'étais (et le suis toujours), j'ai décidé de tester et d'y installer ma table dès mon arrivée au Cottage.


Feel free to make fun of how awful low quality pine furniture looks like with orange walls!

Vous avez le droit de bien rire : franchement il n'y a pas pire que des meubles en pin de mauvaise qualité avec en fond des murs de couleur orange!

Mes parents continuaient d'être sceptiques, alors un jour, je les ai invités à déjeuner. Le repas a été suivi d'une super activité dé-tapissage.


My parents kept saying that the room was dark, so one day, I invited them for lunch and a fun activity of un-wallpapering.


It turned out that on this day,  a girl called Kate had chosen to say "yes" to a guy named William and it was live on television, so my mom kept calling me "Magali, come see that dress!" and my dad kept complaining "I'm the only one working here"! It's a very good family memory!

Il se trouve que ce même jour une certaine Kate avait choisi de dire "oui" à un certain William et que ce moment était retransmis à la télévision. Du coup, ma Maman n'arrêtait pas de me crier "Magali, viens voir la robe!" pendant que mon père râlait "Il n'y a que moi qui bosse ici"! C'est un de mes meilleurs souvenirs.


Somehow, I thought the room looked already way better in its raw state, without wallpaper and with patching showing everywhere on the walls...

Les murs nus, sans papier et avec tous les défauts apparents, donnaient déjà beaucoup plus de lumière à la pièce.

Still I had a big idea... but that meant a lot of change for Cottage, so I tried to break the news gently to him.

Cependant, j'avais une idée plus révolutionnaire, qui impliquait un changement plus radical... J'ai essayé d'annoncer la nouvelle à Cottage en douceur.

View of dining-room and kitchen before - two doors and one wall between them.

"Cottage, you know how I love that tiny cosy dining-room I created in the former bedroom. (Always good to begin by telling him how handsome he is.) Well, it's still a bit dark and I don't have the budget to open a new window in your stone walls. Besides that would make you look less authentic, don't you think? (See how again, I'm calling on his sense of good-looks.) So I've had a brilliant idea!"

"Huh? What's that?" (It was the very first transformation we did together, so he didn't trust me at all, then.)

"What about opening the wall between the dining-room and the kitchen?"

"I don't know, isn't it a bit modern for an old Cottage like me?"

"I'll make it tasteful, don't you worry!"

"Would that prevent you to yell at your guests from the kitchen when they are sitting at the table?"

"Probably, yes!"

"Let's try, then!"

First try before we ripped everything, just to check how it looks

"Cottage, tu sais combien j'aime ta petite salle-à-manger cosy et intimiste. (Je lui passe un peu de pommade pour commencer.) Elle est tout de même un peu sombre. J'ai bien pensé ouvrir une deuxième fenêtre dans ton mur en pierre, mais j'ai peur que cela ne te défigure (j'espère qu'il tient à son apparence et qu'il ne soupçonne pas qu'un tel projet est hors budget.) Mais j'ai eu une autre idée!"

 "Mfff! Laquelle?" (On ne se connaît pas encore bien à l'époque et il est sur la défensive)

"Que dirais-tu d'ouvrir le mur entre la cuisine qui a une grande fenêtre et la salle-à-manger?"

"Cela me semble un idée bien trop moderne pour un vieux Cottage comme moi."

"Ne t'inquiète pas, je ferai cela avec goût..."

"Cela te permettrait-il de ne pas hurler quand tu parles à tes invités depuis la cuisine ?"

"Certainement." (Ce n'est pas le moment de le décourager.)

"On tente le coup, alors."


So this is how my dark dining-room became a bright dining-nook.


Et voilà comment ma sombre salle-à-manger est devenue un coin repas lumineux. Ne m'en voulez pas trop, mais je continuerai à l'appeler salle-à-manger dans les articles suivants, cela fait plus chic!


Tearing down that wall sealed the relationship between Cottage and I, because while doing that I discovered that Cottage was very sick a huge rescue party began... I'm telling you all the fun in the next post!

Ouvrir ce mur a définitivement noué la relation entre Cottage et moi. En effet, pendant ce qui ne devait être que de petits travaux, j'ai découvert que Cottage était bien malade. Une opération de sauvetage a dû être menée... Je vous raconte tout dans le prochain article!

See you soon,

A bientôt,


PS1: If you want to read more about that little shelf between the kitchen and dining-nook, I explained it all here.

PS1: Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur cette petite étagère que j'ai créée dans le passage entre la cuisine et la salle-à-manger, j'ai tout expliqué ici.

PS2: Many of my new readers are "no-reply comment bloggers", so I reply to you in the comments, if you'd like me to reply to you personally, please give me an email address or add your address to your blogger profile.

PS2: Parmi mes nouveaux lecteurs, beaucoup d'entre vous ne laissent pas leur adresse dans leur profil "blogger", je vous réponds donc dans les commentaires, si vous voulez une réponse pas mail, merci d'ajouter votre adresse dans votre profil ou de me la donner.

PS3: I'm sharing this project with some of my favourite parties.

PS3: Si vous aimez la déco, cliquez sur les petites vignettes ci-dessous, elles vous donneront plein de liens vers d'autres blogs de déco.

That DIY Party @diyshowoff.com               Thoughts from Alice    Dwellings-the Heart of You Home



    

By Stephanie Lynn     The Dedicated House      My Show and Share Party

ARTL FEB 16                 Roses of Inspiration - every Tuesday.                    Ivy and Elephants                           
  repurposed and upcycled        The Dedicated House                       

68 comments:

  1. Hello Magali! I hope you are doing well on this lovely Sunday. I always enjoy your conversations with cottage...:) Isn't it nice to have the gift of being able to see past the ugly part of something and envision how beautiful it could be. Most people can't do that but we bloggers seem to have that gift. Your dining room looks much better without that horrible wallpaper. And even better yet with the opening.I am still loving the shelf that I copied in my own home. That's another great thing about blogs....getting ideas! I can't wait to see the final product. Have a beautiful day!

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  2. Oh how I wish I was still blogging so I could also share with you our transformation....dark to light. It pays to be TÊTUE, n'est-ce pas? What you have done and continue to do, Magali, is a labor of love and it is getting exactly where you want it to go. After all the hard work, just the little details will surely make this room like the fabulous images you shared on your last post.

    We too took off some ugly wallpaper from what is now my studio. It was a bedroom adjacent to our old living room. My husband opened up the dividing wall, installed French doors, and we painted this room all white. THE LIGHT that comes in now! It is remarkable what you can do with a lot of hard work and imagination.

    BON DIMANCHE! Anita

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  3. Dear Magali, you are such a great story teller. I love the relationship that you have with Cottage you are both so good for each other. I can't wait to here the rest of the story! Jo

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  4. It was truly a transformation from the dark orange bedroom! Always love the conversations between Cottage and you.

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  5. Chaque pièce a une bien jolie histoire.
    Le chat lui est toujours là même si le reste a beaucoup changé.
    Je suis dans la salle d'attente de la clinique & je me dis que les aventures de "Cottage" vont bien me divertirent pour les 4 semaines à venir.
    Caresses aux chatons. Bises. Babette

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  6. Oh how I loved Kate's dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok so I got totally distracted by that... I actually like your furniture. Just getting rid of the wallpaper is a huge improvement! When's the reveal?!

    I'm so impatient.

    Happy Sunday!

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  7. Oh, the wallpaper....every time I've torn down wallpaper, it's been WORK. I vowed to never again put up wallpaper or be in a position where I had to help tear it down. :) You have wonderful vision!!

    -andi

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  8. Hi....first off...I'd be sitting with you an your mom..I Love Kate & William too..the birthday dinner was Great..your dining room looks fabulous with the opening..an that pine furniture you mentioned..I was admiring those Beautiful flowers running down the table to even pay an attention to the furniture..an the shelf you added at the top between rooms was genius..in the end those new walls do take the orange out if it..I always notice that in most European homes you have a door in between all the rooms why is that..over here we have them only on the rooms that are private areas..bath rooms & bedrooms..I just seen a commercial for a show on HGTV called..Fixer Upper..you would LOVE that one if you can get it.....Hope you're Sunday is going well..snowy..icy mess here..*sigh*..will spring E.V.E.R get here.?.!!

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    1. The newly built house tend to have no door between the living rooms and only have some for the bedrooms and bathrooms. But Cottage is old and had a door for each rooms downstairs. The previous owners removed the one between the entryway and the living-room and I removed the kitchen one. I kept the one between the living-room and the kitchen/dining area as an hommage to Cottage's past.

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    2. Oh OK...that's a nice idea..leaving the door..what yr was cottage built..it's such a charming home..have the former owners seen what he's been transformed into..what a handsome cottage he has become.?

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    3. I don't know exactly when Cottage was built because there's no date on it, but houses around it have a date like 1900 or 1910, so I guess all the houses of the hamlet are the same age, though I'm not sure.

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    4. I love that you live in a hamlet.! sounds so much nicer then..town..I have a friend that likes to say we live in a village..which I like..I would say most of your before photos..look like not much had changed since cottage was built..I always feel like old houses feel so much better when they've been restored..refurbished..an tastefully remodeled..there's one near me that I'm sure I seen jump for joy when it was taken back to it's farm house roots..it was un-tastefully made into something it was NEVER meant to be..it's so very nice to see it happy now..hope you're having a nice start to the week...

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    5. I must confess that the old hamlet is now surrounded by new houses... Cottage is now located in a small town (I needed to be close to the main road for my job), but among the new houses, you can still see the old hamlet with its stone cottages and the narrower street!

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  9. The can of worms I opened was just a tiny can compared to the one you opened, Magali! Bravo to you for having a vision for your cottage and going for it! What a difference removing that wall has made in the flow of your main floor!

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  10. thank you for the background!!!!

    you and Cottage worked very well together. what a marvelous solution.

    mmmmmm, why do you have to reply-to-comments? I like your blog, and so I read/comment here. if you like my blog, you read/comment there. what more is needed?????????? I don't understand any more, being needed.

    OK, I ask you a specific question. so I then leave my email addy, with my question, in my comment. and thus, you can answer my question, when it is convenient. or say that my email addy is on my profile page...

    why any other form of "reply" needed?

    just sayin'. just me. :-)

    Tessa~

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  11. Brilliant solution to the lack of light problem. Once, again, I cannot wait to see the finished room. I love the way you tease us, but your completed rooms are like Christmas - it is hard to wait for them. Lol!!!

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  12. Ah, the little cottage can breathe again. Not all shut up with ugly colours and cinfining doors, but light, bright and airy. Getting to the transformation is wonderful, isn't it? xo Patty/NS

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  13. Like a breath of fresh sea air. Cottage should definitely trust your decisions by now.

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  14. Wonderful transformation. You did an awesome job with this room.

    Judy

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  15. It definitely was a good thing for Cottage that you came along !! You litteraly saved its life !! Marcy

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    1. Maybe we saved each others' life... Cottage changed so many things in mine!

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  16. Your dining room looked twice as large once you'd taken down the orange wallpaper, what a difference. I'm amazed at the vision you had for Cottage because I love the opening and you've filled in a door as well (I think) and thank you for the whole story. I am a bit obsessed with floor plans and always try and work out how people's rooms are laid out and now I see (I couldn't quite see before how your living room connected to the other rooms). I'm looking forward to reading the next part in the saga.

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  17. Cottage is very handsome.....and I admire your "Guard Cat" in the picture too. I always enjoy your blog and pictures. You have created a beautiful home!

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  18. I adored reading that memory about your parents. Unwallpapering is such a terrible job! lol So nice that they came to help you!

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  19. Magali, love what you are doing to your little cottage. It is lovely.My father helped with with my little home and now he is gone and i love the memories.

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    1. Thanks a lot Marlene! I do believe our love for our houses is linked to the memories we have there.

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  20. Brilliant! I love what you are doing in your little cottage. I had a little cottage once, and wanted to take the all down between the kitchen and the dining room. But it never happened. So our kitchen stayed small, and our dining room stayed small. But yet we were forever cozy and happy in our little cottage. Thanks for the inspiring post.

    Jocelyn @ http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  21. I just discovered why you and cottage sometimes have issues. I always thought she was a female and now I find out he's a male. No wonder you two argue, but also no wonder you win out in the end!

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  22. Magali, you and Cottage had just the right amount of understanding together. Your partnering was a match made in heaven! I'm glad Cottage was diagnosed before his illness went too far and it looks, now, like happy ever after..Happy Sunday..Judy

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  23. Opening that wall brought the needed light into the dining room and created a lovely flow from the kitchen. It's made Cottage look more cottage-y. I love that scrubbed pine door! xxx ~ Nancy

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  24. Wow! Opening that wall was the best thing you could have done! Your dining room is bright and airy and can be seen from your kitchen! Perfect!

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  25. I admire you for seeing the potential in your charming cottage and does he. Carry on Magali! Kathleen in Az

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    1. Thanks, Kathleen! I'm back to work today, but my next break will be during the spring, so hopefully, some painting will get done!

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  26. Best decision ever to open up the wall. You had a great vision in using the bedroom as a dining room.

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  27. I so enjoy seeing you vision for your cottage. Think it was a great idea to "open" the dining room without threatening the cottage at all with the changes. Now it's so bright, and even men like sunlight, makes us all feel so much better. A dining room beats a bedroom any old day, as long as there's another bedroom!

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  28. I love that you started at the beginning of the transformation for us new comers. It fits in so well that I had no idea it was not the original floor plan. Great job.

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  29. I am so glad that Cottage gave his permission to take the wall out. It looks so much better and the light is great in there. You have really done some wonderful projects to Cottage and I am sure he is very pleased with what you have accomplished.
    Mary

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  30. I could feel the burden of darkness lifting as I approached the end of the post and viewed white walls and everything so much lighter and happier!

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  31. Awwwwwww you left me on the edge of my seat...now wondering what is next. Enjoying the story.

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  32. It's beautiful in that first photo, Magali. xoox

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  33. How wonderful to have a vision and then see it become a reality! Your idea made such a difference. I'm sure now cottage doesn't question your ideas at all.

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  34. With a lot of work and fun things do get done. It looks lovely and bright. I love the light floors. You sure are an inspiration!

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  35. How fun to read how you transformed Cottage. It looks so open and bright. So happy you went with your vision and convinced Mr. Cottage to go along. It looks so good with that wall opened up.
    Kris

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  36. You have taken your time and studied every nook and cranny and have worked hard in writing Cottage's own Cinderella story!

    That first photo of your dining room is SO pretty!!!

    Poppy

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  37. Pink Floyd said it best. "Tear down the wall!" That was the best decision. I'm sure Cottage is pleased.

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  38. Les photos avant/après sont géniales ! Cottage doit apprécier le changement ! Et quel audace d'avoir vu le potentiel de Cottage (et de l'avoir acheté !) malgré la déco des anciens propriétaires ! Bravo ! À bientôt, Flopsy

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  39. My oh my what big things you have done to Cottage....and I can tell that Cottage is quite pleased!! Looking forward to your next post Magali! Cheers.

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  40. You are really making a 'cottage' out of this neglected house. What a state it was in when you bought it! You have done wonders. Truly. Like a magic wand you have made it beautiful. B E A U T I F U L. This is what I love about you...you care and you are making this world more beautiful.

    I hope it is nothing too serious...cottage being sick. I am guessing rodents or bugs, hopefully not asbestos. Alas, we have to wait!

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  41. You are definitely turning this cottage into a home. I love what you've shown us so far.

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  42. Beautiful! I'm glad you had a talk with Cottage and the two of you decided on this venture together. It works wonderfully. I can't wait to see more!

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  43. I love that you had a good talk with your cottage and then made the change-it looks good!

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  44. Wow, you should write a book. Really! I love all the changes you've made and Cottage is definitely a happier place too. How lucky you were to have help removing all that wallpaper. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party.

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  45. So pretty Magali - I kind of liked it " raw " too - with the patches showing !
    Your conversations with your cottage sound an awful lot like mine with John LMHO !!!
    Have a great day
    xoxo

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  46. Great transformation. I'm glad Cottage allowed you to make it. ;o)
    Definitely brighter. The new dining room should be happy too

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  47. So gorgeous and the pine table looks great, too. As soon as I saw your first photo I thought this blond wood looks warm and welcoming, dark wood would be too . . . dark. Great job. Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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  48. My dear Magali, you have such a wonderful way with words and I feel as if I am caught up in the moment of your pretty storytelling :) I have to smile at your relationship with cottage. Thank you for sharing your charm with us at Roses of Inspiration. Happy weekend! Hugs!

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  49. thanks for the pictures and a nice evening angie wishes from Germany

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  50. Oh taking down walls and opening things up is soooo good for any home. Looking forward to seeing more.

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  51. Removing wallpaper is no fun, it already looks so much better!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  52. I used to speak to my old cottage the way you do. I felt as though I was hurting it when things had to be ripped out and I kept apologising. But seven years later and seeing it in its full glory was the best reward (shame we didn't stay a bit longer!). I love following your progress with your lovely cottage x

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  53. hello Magali,
    cela faisait un moment que je n'étais pas venu me promener chez toi....ça fait du bien !
    Quelle belle idée cette salle à manger ouverte sur la cuisine, la lumière doit rentrer à flot .Que du bonheur .
    Ainsi , tu as de longues conversation avec 'Cottage ' , et visiblement la communication passe bien.
    Dans tous les cas tu m'as bien fais rire en racontant le 'wedding day ' de Kate et William, j'adore!!
    bon dimanche à toi dans ta jolie salle à manger que j'espère inondée de soleil ce matin.
    Amitiés,
    Marry Poppins

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  54. So much fun to see the before and after pictures! You've done so much, and Cottage looks terrific! Come and link up some of your great decorating posts at Best of the Weekend (Fridays at 8pm) - I'm co-hosting!

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  55. Wow, never knew that room looked that way before?! Glad you had that clever idea of opening up that wall, it totally lit up the Dining room!

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  56. mais une fenêtre excentrée c'est vraiment original ! et puis c'est un atout : la table (et les convives) ne sont pas éblouis ! monique59

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    1. Quelle merveilleuse façon de voir le verre à moitié plein ;)

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