Sara Silm lives in a Béarnaise village at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. Inspired by the colours of southwest France, her book How to French Country is a comprehensive guide to surrounding yourself with French country style. Capturing the beauty of the region, stylist, photographer and journalist, Sara distils the unique colours, textures and flavours of this distinctive corner of France.

Here she shares her love of the many shades of French blues and greens:

As a colour enthusiast, I well remember my first months in the Béarn, walking around local villages with my head constantly cranking upwards, then forwards, then up again as I collected photos of shutters and doors in their hundreds. I saw shutters in my sleep; subtle shades of blue so close to one another… yet just different enough to make me revisit those houses again and again. What was it that made them so special, I wondered; there couldn’t have been that many shades available fifty or sixty years ago when they were painted. And then I realised: this was the baked-in patina. I began to notice that the blue-painted shutters and doors on south-facing sides of the buildings were slightly more sun-faded compared with their north-facing cousins; these were more weather-beaten in appearance, after decades of being battered by storms blown inland from the Atlantic. Some paint colours were so old – and flaking away badly – that only a single precious chip remained, clinging to the timber. It was at this stage that I decided to start collecting samples and convert each one into an international paint code that could be authentically reproduced to create an exact version of the original.

Like any collector, I wanted to keep a record, an archive, safely stored away. But I also did it because there’s one question I’m always asked by people who’ve visited France and left with a burning desire to bring a little bit of it back to their home: ‘How do I find the perfect French blue?’ (Followed by: ‘where would I find that beautiful green door colour?’…)

There are certainly plenty of commercial colours that fulfil this brief to perfection, and I’ve arranged a series of colour choices for you. But what you can’t find in a paint catalogue are the paint codes I’ve created myself. I’ve collected these colours in the same way a mad botanist walks the fields and mountains collecting plants and seeds. Some of them will never be seen again, because their years of patina will have disintegrated into tiny fragments by the time you read this…

The colours have been categorised into the towns in which they were found and paired with their National Colour System (NCS) to create a kind of colour by numbers, if you will. So, if you see a colour that would be perfect for you, simply take the code to a paint-supply store with the facilities for mixing international paint colours and, with the shake of a tin, it will be yours.

Just one example of many colour charts in the book.

How to French Country: Colour and design inspiration from south-west France – the ultimate guide to surrounding yourself with French country style, wherever you are. From deep in the countryside of southwest France comes a comprehensive guide to surrounding yourself with French country style wherever you are. Capturing the beauty and tranquility of the region, interior designer and journalist Sara Silm distills the unique colours, textures, and flavours of this distinctive corner of the world. Available from Amazon and all good book stores (Published by Thames & Hudson).

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The French seem to have got it all figured out. Walking down the streets of Paris, you’re likely to be overwhelmed by just how elegant and fashion-savvy everyone seems. A vintage suit jacket here, classy blue jeans there, antique rings everywhere; the average Parisian you meet could probably rock a runway without having to do an outfit change.

But the French exhibit their intrinsically unique sense of style in more than just their clothing. Homes and furnished apartments in Paris have a classy, antique yet contemporary feel that has proven quite difficult for most people to replicate.

We look at 10 Parisian decor ideas that will make your rental apartment feel more like home.

Wood with a Blonde, Light Finish

When looking for a rental space, consider going for apartments that use wooden flooring with a light, varnished finish. If you’re already living in a unit without wooden floors, invest in statement furniture pieces with a light-colored finish. Blonde wood has elegant detail and grain patterns that add character and warmth to a room. Such furniture will, therefore, give your home a chic Parisian air.

Vintage Rugs

Parisian apartments are synonymous with one thing – unique, vintage rugs. Rugs do much more than ensure you’re not stepping on cold linoleum floors when you step out of bed. Vintage rugs instantly elevate a room, giving it a classic, antique vibe. Such rugs also add personality and style to a room, thus are very instrumental in creating a space that feels true to you.

Think Tall Bookshelves

Is it possible to find an apartment in Paris without books? Parisian homes are identified with tall, wide bookshelves, often covering entire walls. If you’re looking to replicate this feel in your home, you could add bookshelves in different rooms of the house. Since they may take up quite a bit of room, it would be a good idea to place them in corners, using up the space that would otherwise remain unused.

Contemporary Art

Art is a common fixture in any Paris home. By going for bizarre and interesting pieces, you will be able to introduce chaos to the room in a classy and artful way. Besides, would it not be fun to (quite pretentiously) tell your friends you “totally see what the artist was going for”? Investing in local art is a good place to start. You’re likely to come across wildly talented artists whose paintings you can afford.

Statement Pieces and Antiques

All the old French homes you’ve seen in the movies have one thing in common: they all have unique furniture and vintage statement pieces. If you’re looking to go “French”, think sophisticated and vintage. Mission-style furniture, wingback armchairs, velvet chaise lounges – go big!

Chandeliers

Maybe we should’ve kicked off the list with this glamorous feature. Chandeliers give a home a chic, refined look. They help provide ambient lighting to a room, giving off a warm glow that will make your living room cozier. Overall, chandeliers don’t have to be expensive, but if you’re looking for something elegant and vintage, you may have to pay a little bit more.

Stark White Walls

While white walls are many tenants’ enemies, they work well if you’re going for a Parisian theme. Loud and elaborate wall paint will draw attention away from all the antique rugs, vases, and furniture you’ve placed in the room.

Also, the colors may clash, which is not what we want. However, if you’re still not sold on the white, you could probably experiment with a light grey.

Dried Plants

Dried plants, placed in graceful statement vases can be found in most Paris apartments and homes. This trend has been around for generations and is a great alternative for people who don’t have much of a green thumb. Dried flowers are especially popular: their colors blend quite well with the tan and brown elements presented in many Parisians’ decor themes.

A Whole Lot of Lighting

While this isn’t necessarily something you can control, tall floor-to-ceiling windows play a huge role in how French homes look. If you’re looking to live in a space with a similar feel, look for a home with wide windows the next time you’re scouting for an apartment. Good lighting makes a room seem wider and more spacious; adding a number of mirrors in the room will help amplify this illusion even further.

Candles and Scents

The way your home smells will factor in a great deal in terms of the amount of time you spend in it. Thanks to the large bouquets of flowers present in almost every room, Paris homes have a beautiful, welcoming smell. But don’t worry – you can replicate it. Spring for candles and sage sticks with lavender, iris, geranium, and other quintessential French scents.

Suddenly, Your Friends Are Always at Your Place!

French decor trends do a lot to make a previously uninspiring apartment feel like home. Now, all your floors are covered with warm rugs, you’ve placed beautiful dried plants in your elegant blue vases, there’s a tall bookcase in every room… It’s a little wonder your friends are suddenly always at your place!

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Everyone who visits the Chateau de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley comes away with a memory of the exquisite gardens, the impossibly romantic white stone castle over a river with its pointy towers and arched bridge – and especially of the flower displays in every room.

We asked the floral team at the castle to share their top tips for creating a French chateau style Christmas bouquet at home…

How to make a bouquet fit for a castle…

What you need:
Flowers and foliage
Ribbon
String to tie the bouquet, wire to hold the Tartan style ribbon or other pretty ribbon

Flowers used by Chenonceau
Ruscus aculeatus – known as Butchers broom. Perfect for its dark green leaves and red berries
Rose hips, for an extra colour zing
Skimmia or other ornamental shrub with small berries
Roses

Select your roses and foliage and lay them out so you can see the colours together. Choose your vase first so you can cut the stems of the finished bouquet to fit.

Make 8 loops with the ribbon to create a loose bow look (corsage style). Make the first loop, pinch and twist, then start another loop, pinch and twist until you have them all, then hold it together with wire in the centre.

Alternate the flowers and foliage until you’re happy with the arrangement. Try to form a round shape by squeezing the flowers together. Tie them together and insert the wired bows to the arrangement and fluff up the loops.

Create a large bouquet for your Christmas table or several little round bouquet for a long table.

Read about the Chateau of Chenonceau – the castle of flowers…

It might not surprise you to know that mostly – Christmas in France is all about food… so buckle up, or maybe unbuckle your belt, for a fun, festive and foodie podcast: The A to Z of Christmas in France

Want more France?

Discover more fabulous destinations in France with our free magazine The Good Life France

Love France? Have a listen to our podcast – everything you want to know about France and more!

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French style is famous throughout the world. Cultivated over hundreds of years of design and fine arts, it’s a seemingly effortless style that isn’t always that easy to achieve. But there are ways and means to make it easy! You don’t need to live in a Chateau, or in Paris, Provence or a rustic farmhouse to get French style…

Table Linen for French style

French joie de vivre is all about the good life, family and friends time – especially when it comes to food. And a beautiful table plays a big part. Just as with food where French cuisine is all about the freshest and best ingredients – home style is also about natural materials. Linens, lace and fine cottons are all a feature of French style.

We love gentle hues of pebble soft grey, natural off white and dusky pink table cloths. Linen is a natural, light, and robust material, as ideal for dressing summer tables as it is in winter. And lace adds delicacy and sophistication or country style as you wish.

Whether indoors or outdoors, culinary happiness is better with visual pleasure – it’s the French way. Here’s how to host a dinner party in true French style

Keeping it light, fresh and simple means you can dress the table how you want. Subtle, soft colours are perfect to blend with colourful or plain china, bowls of fruit, jars of flowers, wine buckets and bread baskets.

Add a bouquet of fresh flowers, from country style to simple sunflowers or sophisticated orchid arrangements to bring a table to life. Flowery ice cubes in a carafe of water, with slices of lemon or lime and mint leaves say summer fun. Candles – whether in an eye catching silver holder or something simpler bring life to the table. A soupcon of lace adds elegance and style. A hint of blossom and serene shades are a gorgeous backdrop or layering for extra style.

Provide a few blankets for guests for a meal outside to extend the night.

Classic French style curtains

Window dressings in France are often so pretty that people stop in their tracks to take photos. When it comes to curtains French style is to keep it simple, authentic and chic. But simple doesn’t mean plain. The devil is in the detail, scalloped borders, lace, velvet ribbons, beautiful embroidery. Let your curtains pillow and pool onto the floor fora  romantic look. Think washed linen, lace and voile curtains. They’re timeless.

French style bedding

Create your own boudoir style with beautiful luxury bed linen of the highest quality. Go for timeless white. Or an elegant French grey cover that feels velvety soft and adds a romantic look. Or pretty runners and soft throws. Comfort is important – and the feeling of being cossetted and cocooned in your comfy bed!

Secrets of French style

French style is all about adapting the look to suit the mood – from the simplicity and relaxed vibe of rural life to the chic elegance of chateau style. Our colour palette is all about laying the foundation for your stylish interior and tables so that you can add your own personal style and finishing touches. Whether it’s a posy of lavender against natural linen on a table, or a beautiful array of greenery against soft grey and pink. Or perhaps a lace curtain gently drifting in the breeze, or a pretty French-style embroidered curtain to cover the bottom half of the window. A sumptuous bed throw or simple but stunning white bed cover might be just the thing to bring your bedroom to life.

The secret lies in created a muted palette and being fuss free. You want to let key pieces in the room steal the show and allowing accents of colour to shine through.

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Julia Girard-Gervois of TripUSAFrance organises amazing tours of France. Though she now lives in the USA, she loves to bring a taste of French style to her table. We asked Julia for her top tips to create a French flavour at home…

French table style

Always make sure that the dinner table is dressed before guests arrive. Use a beautiful tablecloth, individual napkins, fancy wine glasses, and flowers. Be careful to not overdo it – you want to keep it stylish but simple.

Aperitifs are soooo French

Don’t sit at the dinner table as soon as guests arrive, start the evening in true French style with an aperitif – maybe in the garden or the living room. Have some amuses-bouches for the guests. Olive tapenade served with pieces of fresh bread or slices of saucisson are easy but delicious. Serve with  Champagne, Muscat Pastis or one of the most popular French aperitifs – Kir: white wine and a splash of fruity liquor such as Crème de Cassis. Turn it into a Kir Royal by substituting the white wine for Champagne. The apéritif can easily last over an hour if the ambiance is good. French people never rush this moment.

Match wine to dishes

First off, if you really want to have French style – serve a minimum of 4 courses. Appetizer, main course, salad and cheese plus dessert. This sounds like a lot of food! The key is to serve smaller portions for each course instead of one big meal.

Make sure to serve some French wine during the meal. Try to pair it according to the food that you prepared. Oysters for the appetizer offer some crisp white wine such as a Picpoul-de-Pinet, earthy meat Boeuf Bourguignon for the main course go for some bold red wine. (SomMailer French wine club deliver the best boutique wines from France, throughout the USA).

Salad and Cheese courses France

The third course should be salad and cheese. French people take this step very seriously. Beforehand prepare a beautiful cheese board with at least four different cheese options. Try to mix them up, some creamy Camembert, some hard cheese like Comté, some blue cheese like Roquefort and maybe some mild goat cheese. The board will be shared between the guests. The salad is very simple. Take a bowl of sliced fresh lettuce and add a simple dressing. Maybe just plain olive oil with a touch of Balsamique. Walnut oil with some fresh walnuts is also really good.

Bread with your meal – it’s the law in France – almost!

A French table never runs out of bread! You should have bread on the table at all time. Make sure to put aside some bread for the cheese platter. If you want to keep it 100% French, you shouldn’t have any butter on the table. Only at breakfast time in France do butter and bread meet.

Digestifs

Offer a “digestif” at the end of the meal. Usually a shot of strong liquor. A typical drink would be Cognac, Armagnac, Chartreuse or Calvados. As the name of this drink implies, it’s supposed to help you digest your dinner!

Finally coffee

After the digestif it’s time for some coffee. French people LOVE to drink coffee after dinner. Make sure to have some decaf coffee as your guests may not want to drink a shot of expresso before going to bed. You could at this time serve some fruit and nuts or dry fruits and even some chocolate.

If you want to enjoy the very best of authentic French gastronomy, join Julia on one of her brilliant tours of southern France or Normandy: TripUSAFrance

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I’ve been renovating my neglected old farmhouse in rural northern France for some years now. It’s been transformed from a hovel with dirt floors and gaping holes in the roof, bare concrete walls and corrugated iron doors that flapped in the wind into a comfy home. But it needed a bit of a style makeover when the DIY was done.

I love art and when I discovered IXXI I knew I’d found my inspiration.

Incredible collection of art

This young, innovative company makes art personal. They take the greatest paintings in the world – whether by Van Gogh or Monet, and have partnered with several major global Museums. Or they take your own much loved photos of family, mementoes of places you’ve been. Or a Pixel or collage. And they turn it into art for you to hang on your wall.

There’s a huge choice – classic to modern paintings or take your own photos and upload them. From here IXXI make them into art to the size you want. I wanted to go big!

Fill your walls with joie de vivre

I wanted to wake up every morning looking at the Eiffel Tower, even though I live a long way from it. So when I browsed the thousands of photos on IXXI’s site, the dreamy work of French artist Nathalie Lété stood out. Pinks and blues, perfect for when you open your eyes first thing – dreamlike and pretty.

For the spare bedroom I chose Van Gogh’s Noon – Rest from Work from his copies series (copy after Jean-Francois Millet). The blue sky and yellow wheat fields with a couple resting in the heat of a summer afternoon are the stuff of day dreams.

I’m looking forward to fill my other rooms with art I love. Be warned, the more you look in IXXI’s site – the more you look, the more possibilities you see and the more inspired you are.

IXXI Your World

But these aren’t just copies of paintings or copies of your photos set onto paper or canvas. They’re made into laminated cards. Water and UV resistant, non tear, long lasting and oh so clever. You can choose from several different sizes. And you clip them together with a truly innovative plastic popper system (which come in different colours). And there are no nails to bang into the wall. The designers created a way to hand the art by using an ingenious sticker system which works brilliantly.

The concept was devised by Three Dutch designers who wanted to offer “endless possibilities in image, shape and size” that’s affordable. They were inspired by an award-winning project they created in Holland clipping together 17000 postcards. They transferred their ground breaking concept to art for homes, museums, leading brands, photographers and designers, around the world joined in, from Disney to the Louvre – making their art accessible to all.

My art arrived in a tile sized box with everything needed to put it together which is easy (actually, popping the plastic clippers is good fun), and to hang it up.

And it really does bring joy to art in the home.

IXXI mail to anywhere in the world, find details here: www.ixxiyourworld.com

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The south of France is defined by its colour. Azure blue skies, the deep purple of lavender fields, olive orchards, bright yellow sunflowers and lemons. Ruby red poppy fields, the turquoise Mediterranean and wine dark grapes in the vineyards.

Everywhere you go, the colours of Provence and southern France are captured in a keepsake – the famous gaily coloured, sun-drenched tablecloths. They decorate cafés and homes everywhere in France. You’ll find them piled high at markets, luring you into specialist shops in the south of France. They make for a fabulous souvenir, bringing a bit of that famous sunshine and je ne sais quoi into your home.

Now you don’t have to go all the way to the south of France to get your fix. French Shopping’s online shop has a fabulous selection of traditional, authentic Provencal tablecloths. You can have them delivered at home – wherever you are.

People have loved French tablecloths for centuries

In the 17^th century the port of Marseille was a hub for all sorts of exotic imports – including vivid textiles from India. A huge fashion hit, everyone wanted the brightly coloured cloth. Especially the aristocracy. At the court of Louis XIV, “Les Indiennes” as the material was known, was all the rage. In fact it was so popular that for a while it was banned in France as traditional cloth manufacturers complained bitterly. But the French appetite for the bright textiles never left. And, when the ban was lifted in 1793 it became a hit all over again. Although many people used the material to create clothes, in Provence the cloth was popular for tablecloths too as it was easy to wash and maintain. And it’s been that way ever since.

Provence tablecloths for your home

A brightly coloured French tablecloth brings a little bit of Provence into the room, wherever you are. They’re just as practical as they were when people fell in love with the cloth in the 1600s. Now, as then, it’s easy to clean, hard wearing and downright gorgeous.

At family run online business French Shopping you’ll discover their great range of Provencal tablecloths. It includes the ever popular Lavender Collection, reminiscent of the wonderful fields of scented purple flowers and the Cicadas Collection in uplifting blues and yellows. There’s also the Provence, Rose Garland, Olives, Lemon and Alpine Collection (perfect for Christmas tables). They come in a range of sizes and styles, round, oblong and square, plus napkins to match.

Everything is 100% made in France and the online shop ships globally. What would you choose?

These lovely French tablecloths also make great gifts for friends and family – especially at Christmas!

Spread a ray of southern France sunshine over your table and enjoy a little art de vivre!

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Genuine Marseille soap is made by artisans with the provenance, passion and long-standing tradition in their blood to lay claim to makers of genuine Marseilles soap. A bar that contains 72% olive oil – and once tried, you will always be loyal to its soapy concoction.

History of Marseille Soap

In 1688 Louis IV passed the Edict Of Colbert allowing the use of Savon de Marseille label for olive oil soaps. By 1924 there were 132 soap makers, but by 1950 there was an explosion of petrol-based soaps and the olive oil soaps went out of fashion. Now there are just five savonneries who can claim the true title Soap de Marseille and they have a certification mark to prove it too – a small square soap block with the Union des Professionals du Savon de Marseille stated clearly on their packaging.  Without that, the soap is in effect – a fake.

Marseille Soap today

Fer a Cheval, Marius Fabre, Savonnerie du Midi, Le Serail and Pre de Provence produce the ever popular green olive oil soap bars. To earn the classification of Marseille soap, it has to fulfil certain criteria. It must be made in Marseille, in a cauldron, have plant-based oils and be fragrance free, no dyes, no preservatives. Any chemicals, additives or mention of allergens and you’ll just have an ordinary soap. Many soap makers buy flaked soap, soften the flakes through rollers and add perfumes and colourants. The genuine article is hard, homogenous. Its angular imperfectness wears down slowly, the special soapy lather lasts for about six weeks even with daily use.

Using it for the first time was a revelation – good for skin and for hair. My skin felt clean, but not dry and it left my hair soft.

How Marseille Soap is made

The area around Marseille provides all the ingredients – olives, salt from the Camargue and from the port, palm, groundnut and whale oil to stabilize the soap. Olive oil on its own produces a sloppy soap, the other oils enable the soap to clean, not break but still dissolve in water. There’s a five-step soap making process and the genuine bars must have a minimum olive oil content of 72%.

Using antique machinery, the soaps pass through several stages. First there is empatage, pasting all the ingredients together in large cauldrons, like a witch’s brew, until homogenous. The second stage, cuisson et lavage, is the process of cooking the soap and then washing out the salts.  A taste test is made, physically with the tongue, and if too much “sting”, more water is washed through. Washing removes glycerol and fatty acids, leaving soap behind.

Like boiled treacle, the soap is poured into cooling vats to sit for 48 hours. It’s then sliced into strips and put into miniature blocks and cut using wire or traditional soap cutting machines. The bars are then stacked on wooden shelves to dry. They range from 1000g to 100g blocks. For Marius Fabre, Le Mistral wind passing through the drying room allows the soaps to dry slowly to avoid splitting. Their soaps are cut and scraped to create a crisp edged soap. The final touch is estampillage – stamping the soaps with their trademark names and proudly advertising the 72% olive oil content. Marius Fabre hand stamp their soaps before cutting. Le Serail use an old stamping machine with four plates that emboss and give the soap a softer shape as the machine squeezes the soap in the process. Once stamped, the soaps are simply packaged, nothing fussy.

Why Marseille soap is so special

As with many artisan skills, it takes a long apprenticeship to learn how to make soap. Family run Marius Fabre was founded in 1900. Secrets kept and passed down the generations. Le Serail was founded in 1949, by Vincent Boetto. His grandson continues the business. Producing soap is a passion and not about time saving. It is the process of creating, getting close to the product, using your hands, the physicality of the process that deems these soaps worthy of their status. A commercial soap can be made in just four hours, packed and shipped within the day.

Marseille soap takes weeks, space is at a premium, and because of this the price is higher. But you will have an authentic product and a supporting role in keeping these traditions going and soft skin to boot.

Judi Castille is a freelance writer, illustrator and landscape/farm photographer with a passion for gardening and cheese. She lives in Creuse, Limousin in the heart of cow country and blogs at: judicastille.com

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Typing the hashtag #interiordesign into Instagram will yield over 14 million results, with vintage and post-modernism coming in as the top two styles for people all over the world. While not necessarily a part of either category, French style combines a little bit of everything that makes interior design so beautiful and intriguing. Whether you’ve just returned home from yet another trip to the French countryside, are dreaming of days spent in a Paris cafe on a rainy day, or are simply looking for ways to decorate your new French home according to local style, here are a few timeless tips that French interior designers recommend.

Have Fun Incorporating The Rich History

As a Francophile, or at the very least an ex-pat in France, you’ve probably fallen in love with the country’s rich history. The great thing about purchasing property in France is that most homes come with a history dating all the way back to the 17th and 18th centuries. When decorating your home, don’t be afraid to incorporate this history into your interior design and take advantage of the existing layout. If your home features elaborate ceiling molding, for example, try to preserve and highlight this feature by avoiding recess lighting. If it boasts large French doors between your living room and kitchen, find unique ways to merge the iconic character and elegance of the space with practical luxury.

Don’t Try Too Hard

As you’ve probably noticed about the French and their impressive culture, they are effortlessly stylish and so are their homes. “The French adopt the same laissez-faire attitude towards interiors as they do with their style,” noted Marissa Cox, a Brit-turned-Parisian behind a popular French lifestyle and interior design blog. Feel free to adopt the same attitude and feel encouraged to mix vintage with new and special, modern nicknacks with old vintage travel finds. This might be a little easier than you think, as you’ve probably got a lot of fun travel photos you can use to create a decorative photo collage in the salon next to vintage photos of the French countryside. While they might not seem like an obvious pairing, that’s exactly what laissez-faire French style is all about.

Find Your Personal Style

One famous interior designer noted that the three secrets to decorating like the French are being aware that perfection doesn’t exist in French homes, knowing how to mix different styles from different time periods, and being confident in whatever choices you make. Learning how to craft your own personal style will come with some trial and error, and it is that process that is so delicately and deliciously French. Sooner or later you’ll take a look around your new home and notice it’s more French than you’ve realised, and also that it feels more like you than ever before.

The post Take Cues From French Interior Design Trends For A Stunning French Home appeared first on The Good Life France.

Françoise and Philippe Fleuriet have a passion for vintage French interiors that runs deep within the fabric of their home. Their vintage style bed and breakfast is tucked away in the Charente region of France, just a short drive from the town of Cognac where the amber tipple has made this sleepy area famous worldwide. The Fleuriet’s little corner of South West France reflects the unspoilt way of life here; gentle, laid back with a nod to a bygone era that’s impossible not to fall in love with.

The Fleuriet’s Rouillac home is open, warm and welcoming with a unique sense of French style. For the past 25 years, Françoise and Philippe have collected beautiful French antiques, furnishings and objects, started a successful artisanal vinegars, soups and conserves business and brought it all together to create a home that is as full of history as the walls that surround it. Their vintage style bed and breakfast accommodation provides a romantic retreat for two, and, as echoed in the main house, is bursting with romantic vintage French charm.

Can’t wait to have a look around? Off we go…

The Fleuriet family art for curating vintage French objets cleverly allows you to appreciate each item in their home in its own merit. The passion for styling their French interior is one that is shared equally by Mme and Monsieur, placing their favourite items in prominent places to draw the eye in and let a little story unfold. It feels homely, interesting and with a million and one beautifully aged items to look at, gives you plenty to talk about around the dinner table.

Philippe has his own particular ideas about how to pull off the vintage look without over-cluttering,”I usually always put items together of a similar style to tell a story and always, always use odd numbers of objects.”

Surprisingly, he is a fan of modern interiors as well as traditional,”I used to live in a city loft space in my youth and love modern French interior design. That said, there’s nothing quite like seeing the knife marks in an old chopping board or the warm hues of a traditional farmhouse table.”

Pots and pans and a traditional Canche oven ensure functionality and style combine harmoniously in the large farmhouse style kitchen. In renovating their property from scratch, Philippe and Françoise have tried to let the traditional style of the house guide them, saving doors where possible and putting back original features like stone fireplaces where they should have been. He likes the way that a house’s imperfections can tell you a lot about the history. “A blocked up window or dark room can be very telling in the history of a house, maybe a room needed to be dark to keep cool or it was too expensive to have windows due to taxes.”

The house was has been a hostelry for many years in different shapes and forms. The old farming town of Rouillac has been host to a large animal and livestock fayre once a month for centuries. In the basement, bed and breakfast guests could put their animals to rest at night while taking a meal and a room upstairs. The link to nearby Cognac is one which Françoise and Philippe bring into their living room decor with ancient bottles, enamelware and publicity.

From the state of the art commercial development kitchen in the main house, the Fleuriet’s have been making artisanal French vinegars from Pineau des Charentes for the past 8 years. The range now includes such delicacies as Ginger conserve for sushi and handmade soups like butternut and courgette. From the potager (vegetable patch) the family use their own produce where possible to create their artisanal soups at Atelier de Conserverie Fleuriet; they export around 25% of the prettily packaged produced to high end delicatessens and epiceries in the US.

Deep within the ancient walls of the Fleuriet’s impressive French farmhouse, a romantic French country cottage gite called “La Petit Maison” sits at the bottom of the garden, the perfect French hideaway for two people. There’s a pool for use during summer months plus use of the pretty, secret gardens that have been planted to resemble a traditional cottage garden style from this sunny area. Philippe and Françoise took the time to find the exactly the right paving and planting for outside to ensure nothing looks out of place.

Step into the vintage style kitchen from the outdoor summer terrace and the charm of reclaimed style instantly seduces you. The kitchen, like in most French interiors forms the heart of the house.

What makes Françoise and Philippe’s outstanding vintage style bed and breakfast so interesting is their ingenious ability to curate their French brocante finds in an interesting and appealing way. It’s about getting the right amount of age with modern comforts like a great bathroom and well equipped kitchen. There’s nothing over cluttered nor over complicated about their interior style, just a gentle appreciation of the French heritage they adore that shines from room to room.

Katie Anderson lives in a tiny village in South West France where she says “everyone knows my name and old ladies ride tandem on tractors with their pinnies tucked into their knickers”! She blogs about jolie French things at www.lovefrenchstyle.com

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