A Fairy Tale Chateau

Imagine being greeted by a pair of unicorns upon your arrival at a fantastic French chateau...

While this fanciful introduction may not be entirely real, there is a bit of truth to the idea. A pair of horses' heads, with narwhal tusks added, mounted up high in the entryway of this whimsical French chateau do, indeed, make their presence known. The rest of this extraordinary mansion is equally marvelous. Full of treasures ranging from antiques to modern design icons, artwork, and objects from all over the world, this magical chateau is a wonderland of strange and beautiful things.

The Chateau de la Goujeonnerie, located in the Vendee, France, is the creation of the three men behind the famous London restaurant, bar, and design shop, Les Trois Garcons, who designed it to be a holiday getaway. Built in 1872, this national treasure has 22 rooms over three floors, a lake, and views of rolling green hills in the distance. The chateau is available to be rented by visitors, going for around $12,000 for a weekend, in case you are interested in seeing this amazing abode for yourself.

When the trio bought the chateau, in 2006, it had been derelict for eight years. They set about transforming the chateau from top to bottom. Finally, in 2011, the work was complete. All 22 rooms are used. With respect to the chateau's rich past, modern comforts and amenities are also found throughout the mansion, including a heated pool between the rose and vegetable gardens, a gym with massage room/ sauna in the basement, and a media room/ disco near the kitchen. 

I would imagine there must never be a dull moment in such a grand place. 'When we leave the chateau we are always thinking about returning as soon as possible,’ one of the owners said. 'In fact, we never want to leave. That’s how we know we have created something really special.'

Maybe in the next lifetime, I will have a ridiculous amount of money, so I can design a fabulous chateau, like this, to play in. 

Dare to dream...!

{Sources: Les Trois Garcons, Habitually Chic, The Telegraph, Urban Kaleidoscope, and Design Tripper}

dining in style

I'm in the mood for beautiful dining rooms today.

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 Nate Berkus

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Kellie Grosso

 Kevin Harris

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This afternoon, G and I went looking at dining sets. Since our family is expanding, and we enjoy having friends and family over for meals, we would like to get a larger table and chairs, to accommodate everyone. We'd like a set which seats 8-10 people, ideally. A clean-lined, dark wooden table, like in a chocolatey colour, along with some elegant, comfortable upholstered chairs, in white or grey, is the look we're looking for. After browsing at some lower and higher end places, we're hoping to find shops that offer a good range of furniture with decent prices. This will be quite an investment, so we want to choose well, naturally.

There are so many interesting and gorgeous images of dining rooms out there to look at. It's almost overwhelming to think of the ideal look for our own. Of course, we don't have unlimited funds or heaps of places to find furniture, so we will--like most people, no doubt, make the best of our options. Anyway, it's always fun to look!

An Everlasting Impression

Combining her love for French, English, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Charleston decorating styles, antiques dealer Jeannette Whitson has designed a new home in Nashville, Tennessee, which somehow seems to feel timelessly beautiful and soulful. 

You may recall that I showed her gorgeous deep blue library in a recent post. I have since had the pleasure of finding images of the rest of the house, featured in House Beautiful. I'm equally enchanted by every room, as well as the lovely outdoor spaces. 

In Whitson's design work for her company Garden Variety Design, she loves to use garden-inspired elements. Naturally, she wanted her own home to seamlessly blend the gardens with the interiors. The house wraps around the terrace, to maximize the garden views, and every entrance into the house requires passing through a garden. 

Another timelessly appealing design element of the home is the use of restoration glass windows, which filter sunlight in a soft, painterly way, reminding Whitson of the Impressionist works her father used to collect.

Subtle colours such as greys and blue-greys, along with aged-looking patinas, garden views, and, of course, antiques, make this home feel very special. No wonder Whitson calls it her family's "forever home". How could anyone possibly want to leave such an elegant, comforting haven?

{all images found here, along with a wonderful interview with Jeannette Whitson}

Room Love: Blue

I'm in a blue mood today...

Jeanette Whitson's library painted Farrow Ball’s Hague Blue

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 Shangri La Hotel, Paris

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Glam Furniture

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 Living etc

Study designed byThom Filicia

I've been daydreaming about the Dream House again. I'm picturing blue design elements being used throughout the house. I'm envisioning the front door being painted a beautiful blue (the same colour as the one shown above), and the study being painted a gorgeous blue hue (much like Jeanette Whitson's library painted Farrow Ball’s Hague Blue, top image, shown above)--actually, they seem to be nearly the same shade. I have always loved blues, from light to dark, cool to warm, I love them all.

Maybe the reason I'm in the mood for the colour blue today is because, two days ago, Glen and I found out that we are having a baby boy. I'm 20 weeks along, which means that I'm halfway through my pregnancy. It's so exciting to imagine our life with this new little person. As much as I'm a girly girl, and I adore all things pink and pretty and feminine, I will certainly love this boy of ours.