Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Tempest

Mid Winter Decoration


Some of you may remember that I explained last year that Brittany is known for its extreme tides and that every now and then, those extreme tides get even more extreme (we have a calendar with their amplitude for each day). This month the extremes tides are coupled with bad weather: a winter tempest here means rain, violent winds, hail and dangerous waves.

La Bretagne est connue pour ses marées de forte amplitude. De temps en temps, les coefficients sont plus importants et quand cela se combine à une bonne dépression atmosphérique, cela donne une grosse tempête comme c'est le cas cette semaine. 

So the best is to stay inside Cottage. Milo chose to snore on the sofa (yes, the very one I need to change, but can't seem to be able to make a decision).


La meilleure option dans ces cas-là est de rester au Cottage. Milo a choisi de ronfler sur le canapé (oui, oui, le canapé que je dois changer, mais sur lequel on ronfle très bien).

 
I decided to take a few pictures of the blue china I displayed in my hutch for mid-winter.

De mon côté, j'ai décidé de prendre quelques photos de ma salle-à-manger dans laquelle j'ai installé pour l'hiver ma vaisselle bleu foncé.

 
Everything in the hutch was bought in empty-your-attic sales over the last years. There are pieces of several sets. For some of them, I have the whole set, but I chose to mix several in the hutch.

Toute cette vaisselle a été achetée dans des vide-greniers au cours de ces dernières années. J'ai mélangé plusieurs services plutôt que d'en choisir un en particulier.


After the last post, I had quite a few questions from my readers. Some were answered privately, but I'm going to explain a few things here.

Après mon dernier article, j'ai eu de nombreuses questions. Je vais donc fournir ici quelques explications.

 
The chairs, which are all painted in the same colour but each with a different intensity, will stay as they are for now. I actually like the straw seats : they are comfortable and fit in the authentic cottage look I'm after. If I ever decide to add cushions on them, I will need them to be washable, because this is not a dining-room used once in a while, this is my only dining area, used every day.


Les chaises sont toutes peintes de la même couleur, mais chacune avec une intensité différente de pigments. J'aime bien les assises en paille : elles sont confortables et leur petit air "campagne" me convient tout à fait. Si jamais je me décide pour des galettes de chaises, il faudra qu'elles aient des housses lavables car ce n'est pas une salle-à-manger de parade... J'y suis tous les jours.

The pine hutch is not to be painted, at least, I don't think about it. I had dreamed of that hutch for so long as a little girl, I'm just so happy to have it there in Cottage now, I want to enjoy it in its natural state. I like having a touch of wood in my rooms anyway.


Le buffet en pin ne va pas être peint, en tout cas pas pour l'instant. J'ai rêvé de ce buffet depuis toute petite, je suis ravie de l'avoir au Cottage et il apporte la touche de bois que j'aime voir dans chacune de mes pièces.

You may remember that in previous pictures of the room, this hutch was flanked with some small pieces of furniture, that disappeared at some point or an other last months when I started remodeling the upstairs: the little round table ("guéridon" in French) is now in my bedroom...


Certains d'entre vous se souviendront qu'il fut un temps où mon buffet en pin était entouré de petits meubles, qui ont disparu au cours des derniers mois, des travaux et des réaménagements perpétuels au Cottage. Le guéridon, par exemple, est actuellement utilisé dans ma chambre.

 
But I do think it looks a little bare, so I'm thinking of "things" to add around the hutch...

Mais je trouve que cela fait un peu vide actuellement et j'ai déjà quelques petites idées pour améliorer ça.

 
Let's talk about the hutch next to the window, that got the most comments on my last post. It looks gorgeous on the pictures... And that's basically the reason it's still there. After I had found Cottage, I was in serious shortage of storage (say that really fast a few times). I bought that hutch second hand for nearly nothing for an antique. But there's a reason for everything. It's in a dreadful state: one of the door is broken, the wood veneer is missing in many, many spots, the sides have so many worm holes, you can nearly see the dishes pilled inside!

Venons-en au buffet saint-hubert près de la fenêtre sur lequel j'ai eu vraiment beaucoup de questions. Il rend vraiment pas mal en photo... C'est d'ailleurs une des raisons pour laquelle je l'aime. Quand j'ai rencontré Cottage, nous manquions vraiment de rangement (un des problèmes dans les vieilles maisons). J'ai acheté ce saint-hubert pour une bouchée de pain. Mais il ne valait pas plus. Une des portes est cassée, le placage est parti en plein d'endroits, les côtés ont plus de trous de vers que de bois...


So, I need to find a solution for that hutch. I've been looking for a replacement for two years now and couldn't find any. As old as is that hutch, it has lovely carving and the perfect size for a small room, it offers storage  without eating too much space in front of my small window...

Il faut donc que je trouve une solution. Cela fait bientôt deux ans que je cherche un remplaçant et que je n'en trouve pas. Même s'il est en mauvais état, ce saint-hubert a une très jolie forme et de très belles moulures. Il a aussi la parfaite dimension pour ne pas "manger" ma petite fenêtre.



You know how I usually tell you about my decoration problems only once I have actually found the solution? Well, not this time. I haven't found the solution here. Any suggestion is welcomed, even if being the stubborn girl I am, I probably won't listen!

Généralement, je ne vous parle de mes problèmes de décoration que lorsque j'ai en fait trouvé la solution... Eh bien, là, ce n'est pas le cas. Toute suggestion est la bienvenue, même si comme d'habitude, je n'en ferai qu'à ma tête !


Lesson of the day: pictures are like humans, they can be deceitful and make something really shabby look shabby chic! 

Leçon du jour : les photos sont comme les humains, parfois c'est trompeur.

See you soon,

A bientôt,



PS1: The tempest is still going on, but yesterday the sun made a very short appearance, just when I was on the beach... 


PS 1 : La tempête a été rude, mais hier le soleil a fait une brève apparition, juste quand j'étais sur la plage... 


PS2: I recently learn that cats can be very good liars as well.

PS 2: J'ai appris récemment que les chats pouvaient aussi être trompeurs...

PS3: I'm sharing this post with: 

  Thoughts of Home           Elizabeth and Co.                        

57 comments:

  1. Milo looks so cute sleeping on your sofa. Your hutch is so lovely with all the blue and white china.

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  2. The hutch is a gorgeous piece. I'm of the opinion that we need some wood. I don't want everything painted.
    Brenda

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  3. I like your hutch by the window. I have a piece in much the same state, but I love it and won't get rid of it! Looks like Milo knows how to spend an afternoon.

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  4. I love the old hutch! So keep it and one day you'll find another small one under that beautiful rainbow. Milo is my kinda cat:) and do tell why cats are very good liars.
    Maybe put small plant stands on each side of the tall hutch with the pretty blue dishes? Add some nature, even faux.
    Kathleen in Az

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    1. I also love the old hutch, that's why I haven't been able to find a replacement for it for now. But I'd really like something a little less "shabby"...

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  5. I would keep the little hutch by the window. Every room needs something with a story and this piece looks like it has a good one. I'd leave it just as it is.

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  6. I love the pine cabinet as is. I also love the antique. My new toy poodle, Madeline, is a thief. She takes Francis' treats out of his mouth, or she snatches his and then sits on hers. So now I have to hold her, and give him his treat. When he is done she gets her own. xoxo Su

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  7. WOW. Magali, your hard work has paid off. Those chairs are the icing on the cake, you have achieved your goal. LOVELY!

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  8. My bet is tht any number of DIYers who post there work online would love to visit you and consult/work on your hutch by the window!!!!! It sounds like it needs quite a bit of work, but some posters do amazing repairs. OTOH, no doubt you have plenty of French furniture fixers, so no chance for a visit to your lovely cottage from a US DIYer.... ???? LOL
    Your spartan style is so restful and pleasing. If only I could decide what to toss/donate. Too much stuff in my house. Seeing your pictures is so relaxing and I can imagine taking tea with you......

    Please don't let the "paint everything in sight" people change your mind about your other piece in the dining room. Not a thing in the world wrong with wood.....especially in a real french seaside house.......
    If I didn't worry about a cat rubbing against my ankles and maybe making me trip up I'd have a mouser for sure.......country life, you see......Your Milo is adorable. Thanks for sharing your life with us.....

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    1. I already asked a professional and the price he was asking to restore the buffet was more than wha tI had paid for it at first... So I might end up restoring it by myself... And it might mean painting it... But the other hutch will remain wood.

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  9. Whaaaaaaat....cats lie???? All I can say is you have created a masterpiece!!! That room looks fantastic and I wouldn't change a thing. Way to go Magali.

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  10. I know sweet Milo wouldn't lie, just look at that innocent face! Could the furniture piece be restored Magali? It is the perfect size and it looks picture perfect there next to the window. I love the look of a stained piece with paint, as your piece in the kitchen. I had just the opposite problem, everything in my kitchen was stained! Now my antique table pops in the white kitchen along with the floors. I'm sure cottage will give you his opinion and the two of you will find the perfect solution.
    Hope those rogue waves and bad weather clears out for the weekend.

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  11. PS……I love your collection of blue and white, so pretty.

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  12. Milo is adorable! and I love that hutch by the window. I wouldn't change it at all.

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  13. Hi...beautiful pics..i'm with milo..just sleep through it..about the hutch..i've seen on some DIY shows you can get veneer an it irons on..maybe that would help fill the spots missing..i don't know how big they may come but maybe even big sheets to hide the holes..i am a sucker for painted pieces like that..the carvings always look so pretty to me..when painted an antiqued..i'm sure whatever you do will be lovely..hope you're making out ok with your weather..mine has turned into the attic circle..saying 8* saturday at night..i am NOT looking forward to that.!! not to mention my hydrangeas that are still trying to get over the freeze from the last 2 winters..
    Hope you're week has been a good one.?.!

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  14. Demat !
    Bon la tempête s'est calmée ici en Presqu'île de Guérande. Le soleil brille et ça donne un avant goût de printemps.
    Moi, je l'aime beaucoup ton St Hubert, donc si un jour tu veux t'en débarrasser, fais-moi signe !
    J'ai aussi de belles porcelaines Bretonne, Anglaise, Chinoise et Japonaise.ais les placards étant pleins, je ne peux pas faire de roulement comme toi pour l'exposer.
    Comme je recherche une maison à restaurer, je sais d'avance qu'il me faudra prévoir des meubles pour ramasser tout ça...
    En tout cas, merci pour les idées déco.
    Kenavo !

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    1. Je crée le roulement dans mon buffet en entreposant la vaisselle non utilisée dans le garage. Je relave donc tout à chaque changement de décor!!! Ce saint-hubert est mon désespoir... Je l'adore, mais son état est vraiment déplorable... Un peu de pâte à bois pourrait me venir en aide, mais après, c'est moche, à moins de peindre... encore! Bon courage pour dénicher la maison de vos rêves!

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  15. I love both hatches! I love all the blue and white dinnerware! I love the beach!Any sea glass when the tide is low?AriadnefromGreece!

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  16. Tu sais, j'aime beaucoup les porcelaines anciennes, je leur trouve un charme fou une fois mises en valeur, comme ça l'est chez toi
    Belle fin de semaine

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    1. Merci. La porcelaine est ma passion depuis toute petite et je me lâche un peu depuis que j'ai le Cottage!

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  17. I love your blue and white collection Magali, cold weather or not! Stay safe, and cozy with MIlo!

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  18. I live on the Oregon Coast in the U.S. and we regularly have storms like you have. Your cat really knows what to do on days like that! I love your chairs and hope you leave them that way. The hutch by the window is beautiful and, if it's showing its age (so am I), it's all to the better. Your cottage is lovely!

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    1. The cats like staying inside when the storm is raging, but the two of them hate each others, so it's not always easy to get them to cooperate!

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  19. I love old pieces like that hutch, worm holes and all! Can you fill them with wood putty and perhaps re-stain or paint the piece? Perhaps cut the center of the doors out with a jigsaw around the molding and then add fabric to get rid of the broken piece? those were my two initial thoughts but of course without seeing it in person, it's hard to help. Love your house and your kitty looks so cozy and cute!

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  20. The tempest makes Cottage sound very cozy and a good place to be. I love your blue and white dishes, along with both your hutches. I, too, would leave the cupboard one alone. Now, the one by the window is a beauty too. Imperfections don't bother me at all. But..... if you had to do some repair to make it more useful, you could just paint parts of it and leave the top and the shelves in their wooden beauty. I can't wait to see what you do to "dress up" the room.

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    1. Restore the window hutch and then paint it is one of my ideas to save it. As much as I love the look of wood, sometimes it's just impossible. I haven't committed to anything yet, though.

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  21. I love both of your hutches! And your beautiful blue and white china. Your and Milo stay safe and warm.

    Jocelyn @ http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

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  22. Your hutch is a masterpiece-every detail is exquisitely lovely.
    Thank you so much for joining us today, we so appreciate you, your talent and for including us in this post.
    Jemma

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  23. You should perhaps contact a furniture restorer/refinisher. You may be surprised to learn that they can fix the problems your hutch has. The hutch is handsome with interesting lines and grace and provides you with storage (we are lacking that too in our old house). It may be worthwhile to save as you did not pay much for it. The wood tone is nice with the painted pieces you now have. I agree with you that the rush seats fit in well with Cottage's decor. Wishing you a warm cozy weekend inside! xo Patty

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  24. Magali, I wish I could speak French to tell you that your cottage is lovely. I love the light you have. The white walls against your furniture looks great. I am a big fan of transferware but I have red and white.

    Thank you so much for joining Thoughts of Home on Thursday. We are thrilled to have you. :)

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  25. One of my friends who fixes furniture and paints it uses wood filler for holes and such and sands it before painting.

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  26. I had two cats who hated each other, they couldn't be in the same room together. One would sit at the top of the stairs and pounce on the other one coming up. Crazy hate going on. I love the older hutch, and never, ever would I let go of it. Ruff spots and age are all part of its character and history and charm. Just like humans after a while we show our age, and it's OK>

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  27. I love, love, love your painted chairs! Simply gorgeous colors! And that old hutch is my favorite thing in your house! Those old holes and broken door? Just patina, that's all! I have many antiques in my house, and none of them are perfect, but I love them none the less! Please keep the hutch! And if not in your dining room, perhaps there is another spot just as suitable for it! I found some darling rooster fabric for cushions for my kitchen chairs. Yes, they are starting to acquire some spots, but that's just part of life! I enjoy the color and pattern that those cushions add. You might find just the right fabric some day for cushions, which will also help preserve your rush seats. Hope you get some rest and relaxation this weekend!

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    1. Nothing is perfect in my house either... even the floor, which clearly isn't level upstairs... But having wood dust in my china every time I need it is a little problem in that hutch... I read somewhere that wood worms don't like chalk, I thought maybe I could paint the inside?

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  28. Tu sais que j'adore ton Saint-Hubert... c'est le buffet qu'avait Mamette à Saint-Cassien... mon parfum d'enfance. Et j'adore aussi tes assiettes, tasses, pichets anglais à motifs bleus... cela me donne envie d'en chiner d'autres... mais les placards sont déjà bien plein. Profites bien de tes vacances. Bises

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  29. Love both the hutches......but the one by the window is a treasure!! It has history and with its imperfections adds so much character to the room. If you paint it, at least leave the upper portion stained, its beautiful.....

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    1. I haven't taken any decision about the hutch, but you have a good idea!

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  30. Everything looks cozy - perfect for waiting out the tempest! Love your pretty wood pieces; even the shabby one. :-)

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  31. Ta salle à manger est bien jolie comme ça. Chez nous on trouve encore des Saint Hubert à des prix très raisonnables.
    Aurais-tu des déboires avec un minou?
    Passe un bon weekend. Bises. Babette

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  32. The chairs are so lovely !Your whole post 's beautiful too

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  33. I enjoy reading your PS' and PSS". :) Anyway, if the shabby little hutch were mine, I would keep it and embrace the shabbiness and not think about it anymore. It looks so nice where you have it. But that's me. Hugs, Cindy

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  34. Everything looks beautiful and cozy inside while the storms brew outside! The old hutch has lots of character which is hard to find. Your dishes are lovely. xx Karen

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  35. Oh Magali you made me laugh! Your hutch truly is so lovely but perhaps in a Monet painting sort of way. It looks lovely from a distance but up close...OH MY! :)


    Thank you so very much for joining Thoughts of Home on Thursday. Your presence really helped to make it very special. I hope you will return again and again.

    Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!

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  36. We had kitchen chairs with rush seating in our previous home, but the set didn't fit in our current kitchen, so it had to go. The chairs were very comfortable, and I still love the look of the natural fiber against painted wood like your chairs. And I'd never paint your hutch either! Your old dark wood piece looks gorgeous in photos, but only you know how it looks and functions in the room. Some day you'll come across the right piece for the room.

    You've got some gorgeous transferware dishes in your cabinet. I love the large platter!

    Stay safe and have a good weekend, Magali!

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  37. I don't have a solution, but I think you must save that hutch. It is GORGEOUS. So many bloggers are experts are restoring furniture, I bet someone can help you with what to do. And I guess the saying is something like let sleeping cats (dogs) lie!?!

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  38. Everything looks so nice, Magali, and I like the hutch. But what did you do to that poor cat? He looks exhausted.
    Amalia
    xo

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  39. Your dining room is looking so pretty. I love the blue and white china mix. I don't think I have any brilliant suggestions on your antique piece. Maybe painting the base, so you wouldn't notice the veneer issues, but leaving the top wood? I know you'll come up with something. Hope your weather warms up. Happy Valentines Day!

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  40. Your rooms are so very cozy, Magali! I'd definitely keep that holey hutch; it is adorable!! If you were to toss it to the curb, I'd snatch it up in a sec - supposing I lived there!

    Poppy

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  41. la petite salle-à-manger de Cottage est toute proprette et il ne semble pas y avoir d'urgence à s'attaquer au buffet St Hubert !! observer, réfléchir, concevoir... ce n'est pas du temps perdu
    toutefois, le dessus du buffet St Hubert pourrait être en partie recouvert d'une jolie toile de chanvre (il doit y avoir de tels trésors dans les brocantes ou les vide-greniers de Bretagne) ou d'un patchwork blanc bleuté qui éclairerait le meuble en le protégeant des fonds des coupes et soupière (un clin d’œil au patchwork anglais...)
    il est vrai que la partie supérieure du buffet St Hubert semble plus sombre que le bas - si ce n'est pas du placage, il est possible de le poncer puis de le cirer afin que son aspect se rapproche du superbe buffet en pin (ce serait un crime de peindre ce dernier... et puis comment faire ressortir la porcelaine blanche sur un fond quasi blanc ???)
    bonne fin de vacances !
    monique59

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  42. hi! Love the colors you have chosen. Just a small suggestion...paint the ceiling beams the same color as the walls or chair color. Trim the light fixture a little in which ever color you put on the beams. This keeps the room interesting and not predictable. Can change lighting shade color as well-small band edging to tie in with beam color. Window would look good framed out and wooden shutters in full or half length added...remove curtain. Love the kitchen...and especially the kitties! Have a great week!

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    1. I'm sorry if I failed at keeping the room interesting and unpredictable.

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  43. Hola Magali tu gatito Milo es precioso, igual que tu creo que no tienes que pintar tu vitrina se ve muy bien en contraste con la claridad del ambiente en tu comedor ojala que puedas encontrar la solucion respecto a tu otro mueble junto a la ventana la verdad es que me gusta mucho y en las fotos no se ve los defectos,tus sillas me gustan mucho asi como estan. cuidate y hasta la proxima nelly

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    1. Gracias Nelly . Milo está durmiendo a mi lado en el sofá , otra vez.

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  44. I was thinking that you might want to add art (and other doo-dads) to the walls. Perhaps you are working toward this already. I know it takes time to find the right pieces (and at the right price! — inexpensive!). I've enjoyed watching cottage grow into his handsome self! Best wishes.

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  45. Dear Magali,
    your diningroom is adorable as is this mixture of blue china. I would perhaps think about painting the hutch skyblue. But would keep thinking for a long time and not jump into action. Just adding flowers perhaps might suffice?
    Have a nice day!
    Yours
    Sarah

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  46. Well, you know how I feel about your antique hutch by the window, Magali. And I agree with Pondside that it tells a story, even if it's a "shabby" one. LOL Seriously, I love that piece. And the pine hutch as well. I think we have similar taste, as everything you've done so far is exactly how I would do it given the same situation. xo ~ Nancy

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  47. The plates look nice, but Milo is the best decoration.

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