Monday, July 10, 2017

Girl On Fire

Living-Room Project - It's getting hot


The first week of July has been the hell of a week and so I decided to spend  Sunday doing NOTHING... It was the safest option! I turned the TV on... I had forgotten how inspite of a growing number of channels, there's just nothing interesting for me  in summer on TV... I switched channels a little and finally found one of those shows for which there's a version in every country I guess. A personn, a couple or a family is looking for a house and three different real estate agents must find the one that will please him/her/them.

1.
La première semaine de juillet a été très compliquée, chaque jour un peu plus... J'ai donc décidé de passer le dimanche à ne rien faire, cela semblait l'option la plus prudente. J'ai allumé la télé, mais j'avais oublié combien l'été, malgré le nombre grandissant de chaînes, il n'y a souvent rien qui m'intéresse personnellement. A force de zapper, je suis tombée sur une émission dans laquelle des gens cherchent à acheter une maison... Ah, visiter des maisons, mon point faible...

2.
 It's always fun to visit houses, so I prepared some tea, curled up on my new sofa and watched. 

J'ai donc préparé une théière (euh, oui, chez moi, une tasse de thé, ce n'est pas assez), je me suis recroquevillée dans le canapé et j'ai regardé.
 
3.
I was amazed by the number of criteria people had for their dream houses. Some listed "shower rather than battub" like something very important... Like it's not something you can change! I also saw a couple say "no" to a house because the doors were dark wood... Haven't they heard of paint?

4.
J'ai été étonnée par le nombre démentiel de critères qu'ont les gens  pour trouver leur maison. Certains listent "douche" comme un critère absolu... Mais une baignoire, ça se change, non ? Il y a même un couple qui a refusé une maison sous prétexte que les portes étaient en bois foncé... La peinture, ils ne connaissent pas ?

5.
When I visited houses to find Cottage, I didn't have that many precise criteria.  I had listed that I  wanted a stone house, bedrooms under the roof and a fireplace... And I chose Cottage who had none of its stone showing (though he was built in stones), no fireplace and a suspended ceiling in its main bedroom... But it was the right location for me and I knew I could  work on the rest.

6.
Quand je cherchais mon Cottage,  je n'avais que peu de critères pour l'intérieur de la maison. Je voulais des murs en pierre, des chambres sous les toits et une cheminée. Et j'ai finalement jeté mon dévolu sur Cottage dont les pierres étaient dissimulées, qui avait un faux-plafond dans la chambre et qui n'avait pas de cheminée... Mais il était idéalement situé pour moi et si on peut refaire l'intérieur d'une maison, on ne peut pas la déplacer...

7.
Just like I knew that Cottage needed two dormer windows the day I first saw him, I knew it was beging for a cute fireplace.

Exactement comme je savais que Cottage avait besoin de deux lucarnes dans le toit dès que je l'ai vu, je savais qu'il lui manquait "sa" cheminée.

8.
 On my first visit  to Cottage I had noticed that there were two chimneys. One is used for the boiler... and the other one had been closed with cement or concrete. I had that removed when we redid the floor slab. 

En visitant Cottage, j'avais bien remarqué les deux conduits de l'extérieur. L'un est utilisé  pour la chaudière et l'autre avait été comblé au ciment ou au béton, ce que j'ai fait enlever quand on a refait la dalle de sol.

9.
But then, there were a lot more pressing matters in Cottage than choosing a darling fireplace.

Mais ensuite, il y a eu beaucoup de choses plus urgentes à régler que de choisir un poêle.

10.
I wanted to do everything that was complicated first. Because the fireplace project wasn't going to be complicated. I knew exactly what I wanted: a small vintage looking log burner made of cast iron and preferably white or whitish... Given the number I had seen on Pinterest, it couldn't be difficult, now, could it?

11.

Je voulais d'abord m'occuper des éléments compliqués de la rénovation. Parce que le projet "poêle" n'allait pas être compliqué. Je savais exactement ce que je voulais : un petit poêle au look vintage en fonte, si possible émaillée... Dans la mesure où j'avais vu des tonnes de photos d'inspiration sur Pinterest, cela ne devait pas être difficile à trouver, hein ? 

12.
I'm pretty sure you are already anticipating that there were many problems along the way. The fact that wood stoves are very fashionable right now in France means that designers have created many modern looking ones and that finding an old looking one is a nightmare.

13.
Je suis sûre que vous sentez déjà qu'il y a eu des complications en route.  D'abord pour une raison bizarre. Les poêles sont très à la mode en ce moment en France. Du coup, les designers en créent avec un look très moderne... des poêles vraiment jolis, mais que je ne vois pas du tout dans mon Cottage... 

14.
Also, houses being built lately are a lot bigger than my small cottage so modern stoves are huge and I still want to be able to fit a sofa in my living-room, especially since I just bought a new one!

15.
 Ensuite, les maisons construites de nos jours sont souvent plus grandes que Cottage et les poêles sont créés en conséquence... Or, l'idée de pouvoir encore rentrer un canapé dans le salon malgré la présence du poêle me séduit assez, surtout depuis que j'ai un nouveau canapé !

16.
Finally, France is the country of regulations of all kinds and there are so many about stoves that I could fill a whole year of posts with them (don't unsuscribe, I won't)... I'm not one to follow regulations usually, but when the equation is old Cottage + wood beams + fire, I decide to abide by the rules.

17.
Enfin, la France est le pays des réglementations à tout va. Pour les poêles, il y en a tellement que je pourrai écrire un an d'articles sur le sujet (ne nous inquiétez pas, je ne vais pas le faire).  Je n'aime pas suivre les règles d'habitude, mais quand dans l'équation rentre une vieille maison, des poutres en bois et du feu, j'obéis.

So it means that I have to say goodbye to my darling mantel... I let you cry a little at that news before I show you the idea I had to keep the fireplace charming despite French regulations...

Cela veut dire que  je dois dire au revoir à mon charmant manteau de cheminée... Je vais vous laisser pleurer à l'annonce de cette nouvelle avant de vous montrer quelle idée j'ai eu pour conserver quand même un peu de charme au coin cheminée tout en obéissant aux règles.

See you next time,

A la prochaine fois,

Hasta la proxima,

PS1: All sources for the inspiration pictures can be found on my Pinterest board "Stoves".

PS 1 : Les sources de toutes les photos d'inspiration sont sur mon dossier Pinterest "Stoves".

PS2: Many of you were kind enough to inquire after Shadow's health in their comments. He was doing a lot better and finally got clearance to go outside without me watching over him and without his T-shirt... It didn't take him more than a week to come back home with an injured eye... So it was back to the vet and I was back playing cat-nurse! I'm thinking about changing his name to Daredevil...

Don't get fooled by his innocent look on the garden chaise...
PS 2 : Beaucoup d'entre vous se sont inquiétés de la santé de Shadow dans les commentaires. Il allait de mieux en mieux et a donc eu enfin l'autorisation de sortir sans moi comme chaperon et sans son petit T-shirt... Il ne lui a pas fallu une semaine pour revenir à la maison avec un œil blessé. Retour chez le véto et reprise de mon rôle d'infirmière féline... Je pense sérieusement à le rebaptiser Casse-cou ou Risque-tout...


31 comments:

  1. poor kitty just likes to get in trouble!! we are constantly redoing our house and so I understand what all you are going through in getting your cottage to how you want it and paying for it as you go instead of having a high loan to pay off. Yes we have the shows where someone is trying to find the perfect house for their family of 4 and the size house they want is amazing to me who has a small home - they always want a house with 3,000 square feet - 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, huge kitchen and dining rooms - I wonder how they pay for it when they tell what the price is and what it will cost to make it look like how they want it

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  2. I love your inspiration photos and I think your living room is darling already! Is there a new cat in the neighbourhood that is beating up on poor Shadow? xox

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  3. Tom cat is Shadow, walking on the wildside, that it goes Nurse Magali with an outdoor kitty:). Regulations is good for a fireplace, can't wait to see your magic with the mantle. It drives me crazy watching House Hunters, but mostly the prices of homes ( even fixer uppers and where I grew up, not in the best area in town too, but I think it's the location now ) in certain areas in the United States.
    Take care, Kathleen in Az

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  4. I like all the rooms in the photos but love the wood stove in #13. I start out watching those "home-search" shows but usually turn them off as the people become so critical and snarky and demanding. Shadow doesn't seem to learn--maybe his name should be Bad Luck. I'm looking forward to pictures of what you come up with for your fireplace.

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    1. #13 was definitely the kind of stove I wanted, but the French stockist for this brand didn't meet my expectations...

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  5. Malheureusement aujourd'hui il n'y a plus grand chose de bon à la télé...une chance qu'on a internet!
    Glad to hear Shadow is doing fine!
    Have a lovely evening in your part of France!

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    1. Je suis bien malheureuse avec Internet car tous les sites de streaming que j'utilisais ont fermé...

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  6. I sure understand the worrying over the pets issue! I love that little stove. I watched those TV shows a short time and got so aggravated with the pickiness of people I can't abide it.
    Brenda

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  7. Love the little stoves and one would look really good in your Cottage and I am sure Cottage would like it also.

    So sorry about kitty, he must have been fighting. Hope he is better by now. Have a wonderful summer week.

    Mary

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  8. So many darling little stoves and cozy living rooms! Yes, there are many regulations to having a wood-stove and hard work to keep the wood split and carried inside. Perhaps a gas stove or electric might be nice. I have two wood-stoves, but my husband does the hard work of splitting and carrying the wood. The television shows are so aggravating! xx

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    1. Wood stoves are very fashionable right now in France, so it's not too difficult to find wood already split... You have to pay for it, of course.

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  9. Oh Magali, so many issues arise when we want to fulfill our dreams! Have you considered using your mantel space for candles, or as we use here, the battery candles? I have a gorgeous marble fireplace surround but there is not place to build a fire. I just use that space for twinkle lights in the winter!

    There has to be a solution for you to maintain your gorgeous, cottage look.

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  10. Hi....no mantel..*sigh*..does that mean people had to remove theirs.? i'm sure your idea will be even better then a mantel..it will get millions of pins an people around the world will be using that idea for generations =^)
    and i never thought about the hard time you would have looking for just the perfect wood stove..i do love the look of it being in the firebox..i bought a gas burning stove that looks like a wood burning..an it's just a tad too big to fit inside mine..i was really disappointed too.!!
    my ridiculous county passed a regulation that all new built homes must have a sprinkler fire system..i am NO longer thinking about building my tiny house..the last thing i want to see when i look at my ceilings are those ugly sprinklers hanging down..
    i hope your summer break is off to a good start..an shadow heals up..again..poor guy..sounds like trouble finds him.

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  11. Your inspiration photos are wonderful. I can't wait to see what you've come up with for a fireplace. We thought about a wood burner, but having a wood fireplace in our apartment, where we lived when we were first married, there was an endless mess to clean up with the wood, ashes, etc. In the first home we owned together there was already a little red gas heater with realistic flames and we loved it, so when we built our cottage we chose a gas heater from the same manufacturer. It's not quite the ambience of a real wood burner, but it does a smashing job of keeping our cottage warm, it's easy to maintain, no mess, and we have instant ambience when we want it. Also, Dennis has allergies and with a gas burner we don't have to worry about the smokey air. I do love a real wood fireplace, though, and I know your new fireplace will be fantastic. You never do anything that isn't so. xo

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  12. Pour avoir les deux, je peux dire en effet qu'une cheminée peut'être dangereuse et qu'au bout du compte un poêle est plutôt joli et sécurisant.
    J'espère que tu trouveras ton bonheur.
    Caresses aux griffus et à Shadow en particulier. Bises. Babette

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  13. coucou Magali
    Heureuse de te savoir de retour et en pleine forme semble t'il
    j'espère que cette courte semaine ailleurs t'a fait le plus grand bien
    J'étais certaine qu'il s'agissait du poêle, j'ai gaaaagné (rires)
    Je suis justement en train de vendre la mienne et les sollicitations parfois cocasses des visiteurs me laisse perplexe... je dis toujours haut et fort que le Pla za & co n'est pas forcément une référence mais malheureusement ces émissions sont à l'image de la société moderne, consommatrice de superficialité, je suis consternée devant le gigantesque néant intellectuel de nombreux humains. Bref vouloir redonner un peu d'or au blason français m'épuise tant dans son immense diversité elle est d'une vacuité monstrueuse...
    Heureusement, il reste quelques sujets intéressants et attachés au réel comme toi, ça fait plaisir de le voir
    Bon la dessus je vais retourner ranger un peu, j'ai une visite dans 30 mn
    belle et douce fin de journée

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  14. Hi Magila, I know that whatever you chose for your fireplace will look amazing. I do love mantles though. In my new cottage I do not have a fireplace so I made a shelf look like a fireplace and I am able to decorate it just like a real one. So many things that we can come up with. Have a great week and I just love your cat!
    xoxo Jo

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  15. Magali, you are already half way there since you have a very clear idea of what you want. Most people don't and sometimes when they are bombarded by too much inspiration, they get even more confused and this causes further delays. I know that you will be enjoying cozy and comfy moments in front of your soon to be fireplace when the time is right.

    Poppy

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  16. Yay! I can finally comment again! Every once in a while my iPad acts up and denies me, but I have been following along. I'm so glad to hear that Shadow is doing better. I was worried about him. It's sad that you're going to lose your mantle, but I'm certain you'll make it look good anyway.

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  17. The inspirational photos are gorgeous. Glad shadow is doing better...I like you style/choices so far so I am confident you'll pick the perfect one. Having small homes like us can be challenging. Its hard to get the perfect layout but I go for smaller furniture since I love changing things up. My hubs says furniture doesn't stay in the same spot for more than 3 months.

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  18. So much inspiration. A warm fire on a cold night is heaven. Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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  19. I am glad my vacation came to an end and now I can visit all my favorite blogs like yours! So happy to see the change you made in your fireplace. All these inspirational photos shows ideas that are great. I love the lighter colors the best. You have an eye for beauty!!

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  20. I'm so excited to see your new fireplace!! I took out the antique beast of a woodstove that was in my fireplace when I bought my house and had a Jotul insert installed - it's amazing and I use it as my primary source of heat all winter, saving a TON of money on oil!!

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  21. By the way we don't need it, too hot here... LOL. Oh... the kitty...

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    1. That's right ;) Each part of the world has its own specificities!

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  22. I've grown a love for those little stoves fitted into the old fireplace. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with in design and color.

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    1. Thanks! I'm trying to post whenever I have a few minutes of free time.

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  23. Nice pics, I don't know if you have seen it but jotul f3 is similar to your pics, available in off white and highest eco marking. Good luck!

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  24. Fantastic eye candy. I hope you find the stove of your dreams, though in this heat I cannot think that we will ever need one again...
    Amalia
    xo

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  25. I think the mantel is lovely. It is going to be so charming when the stove goes in.

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