Living Large In Small Spaces - Charming Folie



Forty-sixth post in the series 
"Living Large in Small Spaces"

Charming Folie, Midi-Pyrenees, France



"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."
Constantin Brancusi



Thank you for joining me today for another edition of Living Large In Small Spaces.

Keeping Brancusi's quote in mind, if I was asked to describe today's featured home I would say it is classical and elegant, yet altogether approachable.

An 18th century Neo-classical structure located on a private chateau in Midi-Pyrenees, France, Charming Folie has been renovated into a guest house and listed as a vacation rental with Boutique Homes.







What first drew me to this space is the color palette. I love the light pistachio walls with the pink and creamy yellow uphostery. Next is the excellent mix of antique furnishings with contemporary pieces.  




The ground floor is one open space. The big windows with interior shutters are swoon worthy. 




Behind the charming screen hides the kitchenette. My first thought upon seeing it was that it's terribly utilitarian and somehow out of context. But I don't know. . .it's sort of interesting, and although it's not my style at all I somehow don't mind it used here. 




The pretty spiral staircase leads to the bedroom.





I'm not in love with the bed's red coverlet. Aside from that the bedroom is dreamy.




The en suite bath is small, but inviting.





Right here is where I want to rest. A fabulous outdoor living space. The walls are breathtaking.





Charming Folie sits on a private stretch of river bank.



Here's where I would take my coffee in the morning.




This just may be the most romantic small home I've shown to date. 

One thing I've discovered while doing this series is that you folks are not shy, what do you think of Charming Folie?

No compensation received for featuring this home. For more information go to Boutique Homes here.



Join me next Saturday for another post in the special series

 Living Large in Small Spaces

See more home tours in the 
Living Large In Small Spaces Series here.


From the comments I've received, many
people have been encouraged by the homes and lives 
shared in this series.
If you live in or have designed a small space 
(approx. 1200 square feet or less),
 I'd love to feature your story, too.
Send me an email and let's collaborate.
(See the "Contact Me" page for my email address.)










Fridge, Fleurs and a Butterfly

Hello Cottage Friends,

Thanks to all of you who left lovely comments and sent me sweet personal emails after I posted A Peek at Our Cottage Kitchen. You gave me quite a lift. 

Several people wanted to know the model of our refrigerator and if we feel the size is adequate for our needs.



It's an LG 10 cu ft refrigerator, model LBN10551SW.

I took photos of the interior to show those interested. For two people I think it's more than adequate.

The glass shelves are adjustable.


We cook with a lot of fresh greens and vegetables. We mostly buy greens that are pre-washed and ready-to-eat from the grocers. They come in plastic boxes, which makes them easy to store. (We recycle all our plastic, by the way.) The vegetable bin holds the other produce -- enough for 5 or 6 days.

We eat a fair amount of dairy, and I keep that organized in plastic containers. 

Below we see the shelves on the door. The jars of herring on the top shelf belong to Dennis. (Enough said.) We don't use much in the way of condiments, sometimes Dennis uses prepared steak sauce on meat or salsa on eggs. Occasionally I like a little ranch dressing, but most of the time we dress our salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which, of course, are stored at room temperature.




The freezer, in my opinion is spacious. The fridge doesn't come with an icemaker, and that's fine with us. I've only had an icemaker once in my life, and I didn't like it. We keep our ice cube trays in the shallow top shelf. 



There are three additional drawers, all the same size. Honestly, it's more than we need. (If we ever wanted more freezer space, we could buy a small chest freezer and keep it in our workshop.)

This photo shows one of the larger freezer drawers. You probably can't tell from the photo, but I could store three times the food shown here.




There are no shelves on the freezer door.



That's pretty much it. I really like this fridge. It's quiet and the bottom freezer makes getting into the refrigerator easy on this old back. The fridge received positive reviews, except for a few people who complained that they couldn't store one gallon milk containers on the door shelves. Not a problem for us.

Now for some fleurs. . .

These beautiful flowers were cut from my friend Robyn's garden.



They look so pretty in my $4 thrift store vase. The Phlox give the kitchen a lovely scent. Better than any room freshener.

Robyn and her family live in a gracious country home. This enchanting view is seen from her back porch. We had coffee there and watched the horses grazing in the pasture. I grabbed my iphone and snapped a photo.



A few days ago while I was puttering in my flower bed, a butterfly landed on one of the zinnias and spent so much time drinking nectar that I was able to go into the cottage, get my iphone and return to take a series of photos.  This is one of the best.



I thought it was a Monarch, but after seeing the digital photos, I don't think it is.  I think it could be a Monarch Moth or another kind of butterfly.  Does anyone know?

Have a joy-filled day.




Living Large In Small Spaces - Glentrothy Lodge

Forty-fifth post in the series 
"Living Large in Small Spaces"




Gateway and parking
Glentrothy Lodge - Blaentrothy Holiday Cottages
There's something so welcoming about a driveway with an open gate, don't you think?

Thanks for joining me today for another edition of Living Large In Small Spaces.

Today we're back in Wales for a tour of Glentrothy Lodge, a small holiday cottage situated on a gentle stream.



Stream outside cottage




We'll see more of the delightful grounds in a bit, but first let's take a look at the indoors. 

Is your decorating style eclectic? If you're comfortable mixing things up a bit, than you'll love the interior of this cottage.

French doors invite us into the living space.


French windows

Dog friendly cabin in the woods


Starting with a neutral back drop, the owner -- an interior designer -- judiciously uses bold colors to guide the eye around the room. 


Comfy sofas and furnishings


Bright, light living room


In my opinion this is a perfect balance of color. And I love the mix of patterns. Completely doable when they're in the same color family.


Kitchen


The kitchen, dining and living spaces encompass one room. 

Well equipped kitchen

Undeniably modern in design, the kitchen is warmed by wood countertops and nostalgic touches.

Sink in self-catering kitchen in Welsh holiday cottage




Beatles poster


The upstairs master bedroom is home to a glorious bed.

Sumptuous bed

The rich colors of the duvet and pillows make this brass bed work. It is the focal point of this room. . .100%. 

Cosy bedroom


The ensuite bath may be one of my all-time favorites.

Bathroom


Love the roll-top tub.

Traditional bathroom


In fact, all the fixtures are wonderful.


Beautiful rural setting near horses, hills and the River Wye


As is the window.


Lovely bathroom


The child's bedroom is subtle and sweet.

Single bed

Single bedroom


A lovely patio off the living room offers views of the lush garden.

Large, private garden


And the pastoral grounds beyond.
Main bedroom with log burner


An idyllic spot in rural Monmouthshire.

Stunning rural setting



Private holiday cottage in rural Wales




Special thanks to Blaentrothy Cottages for allowing me the privilege of sharing Glentrothy Lodge with you. I received no compensation. All photos belong to Blaentrothy Cottages and are used with their permission.

Join me next Saturday for another post in the special series

 Living Large in Small Spaces

See more home tours in the 
Living Large In Small Spaces Series here.


From the comments I've received, many
people have been encouraged by the homes and lives 
shared in this series.
If you live in or have designed a small space 
(approx. 1200 square feet or less),
 I'd love to feature your story, too.
Send me an email and let's collaborate.
(See the "Contact Me" page for my email address.)








A Peek at Our Cottage Kitchen

Welcome Cottage Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. I love your visits.



Please don't pay any attention to the unpainted porch railing. I'll get to that before winter, I'm sure. What I really want you to see today is our kitchen. We still have a few things to complete, such as the backsplash and something special for the range and the sink cabinet, but I figure I've kept you waiting to see the kitchen long enough. So although this isn't a full reveal -- that will come once this project is 100% finished -- these photos capture the kitchen's mood.

As you enter from the front porch, this is what you see.


The missing dining chairs are a work in progress.


And here's a look at the space beyond the fridge.




I could not be happier with the way the kitchen turned out. It's everything I envisioned, everything I wanted and more. Cooking is a joy. Clean up is a breeze. Everything has its place and it all works together beautifully. 

I do want to show you several close ups that make me giddy.


The garden window.


The kitchen faucet.


The range hood.


And the farm sink. I ordered an unfinished, distressed cabinet and antiqued it myself to get the look I was after.


Now I ask you -- is it wrong to love a kitchen this much?