Home Sweet Home

It's been a tiring couple of weeks but I couldn't be happier.  We are safely installed in our new home in Cognac and la vie en ville is agreeing with us both.  It's always worrying when you make such a large change to your life but I'm relieved to say that I have no doubt that we made the right choice.

A little grubby and sad but a beauty waiting to be revealed

I think the reason I never really felt quite satisfied is that I am a townie through and through and although I love the countryside and the idea of country life and I think it's fair to say that I have given it a go but I only truly feel stimulated by my surroundings when there is beautiful architecture to admire, cafés to frequent and boutique shop windows to gaze into.  The countryside is a wonderful place to visit but for me, after ten years of living in France, I feel that I have finally arrived.

So these last two weeks we've been busy unpacking just enough of our things to live comfortably without getting unnecessary items out of storage that will get in the way during the renovation process.  We've been so preoccupied with this that I've hardly had time to keep up with the numerous Christmas sales of my Etsy shop.

My new spacious office (I think I may change the wallpaper!)

And my dwindling stock (must go shopping!)

We've only just started to fully explore all the nooks and crannies of our new place and to gingerly peel back wallpaper, lift corners of lino and discuss which walls will be opened up and to what extent. That's the exciting part.

We did start by gingerly peeling back wallpaper but may
have got carried away when we found a false wall the length
 of the narrow entrance hall... not so narrow now!!!

So we have a lot of dust filled days ahead of us but the house has such wonderful original features coupled by a feeling of charm and elegance that I really don't mind going through all that upheaval again.  

The stunning marble fireplace in the living room that needs opening up
and something to be done with that 1960's chintzy inner surround!

The view of all four levels of the house from the top of our elegant
spiral staircase is definitely worth the climb!

Our cute little bedroom/cat sanctuary is just oozing with French charm

I am the first to admit that I have a terrible track record for putting down roots but I am confident that this time we have at last found our forever home and in spite of the sceptical chuckling I continue to endure from close friends and family (not to mention the chorus of "that's what you said last time!") I remain sure that I will not tire of this poor ugly duckling of a house that will, given time, blossom into a swan or for that matter the fabulous vibrant town of Cognac.