Monthly Archives: December 2017

Reclaimed materials. Some thoughts

Posted on December 29, 2017 by coteetcampagne

The views expressed in this post may be deemed provocative. I stand by them. To avoid any inference that I am pointing the finger, I will use the original shot of our French house. Well, about 2/3rds of it as … Continue reading →

Posted in Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Trevor’s limited editions 2017

Posted on December 29, 2017 by coteetcampagne

You may remember this rack that Trev made for our small chopping boards. All recycled wood from the French house, apart from the dowels. The finish is my secret recipe for treating new and old wood to blend both together … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, design and inspiration blog, Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Joyeux Noël et bonne année à tous

Posted on December 25, 2017 by coteetcampagne

My daughter is  not sure about this particular Christmas design statement. She is accustomed to seeing the Family Baubles draped o’er a big green traditional tree. This is the tree branch Bronte and I dragged home from the riverbank. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, design and inspiration blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Super veg- some as big as yer ‘ead

Posted on December 16, 2017 by coteetcampagne

Checking out vegetables at the supermarket. These cabbages are even bigger than the one I bought from the market a while back. Trev was reluctant to pose any closer, but trust me, they were as big as ‘is ‘ead. Apologies … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and wine | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Restoration Meditation – is a totally cohesive style critical to success?

Posted on December 12, 2017 by coteetcampagne

So, the question is, do you have to run the same style or colour palette from room to room to make a house restoration work?  Rustic or Refined? I’m with Frederic Mechiche again here Mechiche Hyeres He mixes both in … Continue reading →

Posted in Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The cracks are beginning to show…………and I am very happy about this

Posted on December 10, 2017 by coteetcampagne

Lived in and heated full time for the FIRST time in fifteen years, the French house is settling into itself. The old bones and the careful new additions are getting to know each other. It’s a kind of rustic romance … Continue reading →

Posted in Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Stark trees on the road to Limoux

Posted on December 7, 2017 by coteetcampagne

These crisp winter landscapes are amazing. I just wish I could capture our heron, but he flies off if I get too close. Working on it.  Stay warm guys 

Posted in Art, design and inspiration blog | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Lots of small things that make a big difference

Posted on December 5, 2017 by coteetcampagne

I know I haven’t posted much re progress on the village house for a while, but Trev has certainly been working hard on a whole host of small but critical projects. This storage cupboard, left , was created from part … Continue reading →

Posted in Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Twenty four hours in Occitanie

Posted on December 2, 2017 by coteetcampagne

Here is yesterday’s sunset over the Pyrenees. Cold but dry. Today we drove back from Argeles-sur-Mer along the D117 to Campagne and saw the wintry colours of the vines, set out in their rows against a darkening sky. Still  no … Continue reading →

Posted in Renovation and restoration diary- France | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments