A very French country house

LA MAISON DE CAMPAGNE

this bucolic vignette of an old metal table on the back terrace

 of the house does not owe it's infinite charm to staging

or photostyling. It really represents the house itself;

inviting, refined, unpretentious, comfortable, eclectic;

each object, each piece of furniture, carefully plucked

from an inherited treasure trove, a Paris shop or an antique fair.

the large living room was originally 2 seperate "salons"

and boasts two fireplaces. A dividing wall was taken down

 and a back window transformed into tall French doors

 which open out to a stone-paved terrace and a delightful garden; 

now, light floods in from both the front and the garden side of the house.

the mysterious mood of the dining room

with it's late 18th century furniture

and medieval looking lighting fixture

from the Paris Clignancourt flea market.

as is the tradition in French country houses,

each bedroom was given a name.

the "chambre gustavienne" 

(so named for it's ivory walls and gray trim and accessories),

is punctuated by the touches of warm red 

in the low antique chairs

and precisely picked leather-bound books.

 

in the "Thé au lait" bedroom, antique rugs,

a "boutis", (quilted bed cover) from Provence,

a pale gray wood chandelier from Blanc d'Ivoire in Paris,

and books, some of them purely decorative,

others a sign of the love of reading of the owner.  

the small guest room called "la chambre au balcon"

looks out onto the village "place"

with its 12th century church,

stately stone 16th century "maisons de ville"

and saturday farmer's market.

 a few of the house's many mantels, 

each one a quirky, charming receptacle

for family heirlooms and amusing

out of the ordinary decorative objects.

black and white, French country style

at the back of the house,
a peaceful well-ordered garden,
the backdrop to a large stone terrace
where many generous servings
of various specialties of the region
have been savored outdoors.

all photos

Jeanne-Aelia Desparmet-Hart

au revoir.