Continuing our investigation into the charm of French interior design, this time looking at kitchens and bathrooms. Kitchens The French kitchen is traditionally a workplace and middle-class families eat strictly in the dining room. Working-class and country families, however, do tend eat in the kitchen and many country families don’t have a living room at all, spending all their time… Read more »
The epitome of French house style must be the chateau, and living in a grand building of this kind takes a certain approach to interior design. Many Britons are enchanted by the idea of buying a chateau, and they can still be picked up in France for the cost of many a UK townhouse. Although the most famous chateaux are… Read more »
Low-cost, low-maintenance, environmentally friendly and supporting biodiversity – that’s what we were aiming for in creating a garden out of a field. As busy downshifters, we always knew that creating a garden from a 1 hectare (2 acre) orchard was going to be a challenge. There would be two essential requirements – it couldn’t take up lots of our time… Read more »
The casual, liveable cottage and farmhouse style never loses its appeal. Cottages and farmhouses are the kind of period French property most commonly bought by British buyers and they are buildings designed to be lived in, not for show. Such buildings are generally in the vernacular style – using local materials for both roof and walls, and fitting well into… Read more »
Living in a converted barn is the dream of many a Brit buying in France, and the blank canvas that a barn offers is very enticing. But converting accommodation that formerly housed animals or hay raises some unfamiliar issues. If you are now the proud owner of a barn in France, with permission to develop, you now have to think… Read more »
Living in France: a practical guide to your new life in France – signed copies available direct from the author from WebVivant Press
Another whingeing Pom
When it comes to beauty, the French and the Americans have very different standards
Just to bang my own drum, my book Living in France goes on sale tomorrow.
Haven’t written for about 10 days as we were on holiday in Brittany last week.