French Archives - French Country Cottage https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/tag/french/ Sun, 13 Sep 2020 19:12:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.3 https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/french-country-cottage-favicon-150x150.jpg French Archives - French Country Cottage https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/tag/french/ 32 32 3 ways to add French Cottage charm to your bathroom in 5 minutes https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/3-ways-to-add-french-cottage-charm-to/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-ways-to-add-french-cottage-charm-to https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/3-ways-to-add-french-cottage-charm-to/#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2018 22:00:00 +0000 https://frenchcountrycottagenet.bigscoots-staging.com/2018/02/3-ways-to-add-french-cottage-charm-to.html 5 minute decorating… one of my favorites and one of your favorites. Because, we all want that gorgeous, well thought out, designed and styled look…  but in 5 minutes.  And today, it is about the bathroom.  You know, bathrooms are one of the most overlooked rooms in the house when it comes to decor. And…

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5 minute decorating… one of my favorites and one of your favorites.
Because, we all want that gorgeous, well thought out, designed and styled look… 
but in 5 minutes. 

And today, it is about the bathroom. 
You know, bathrooms are one of the most overlooked rooms in the house when it comes to decor.
And yet, you spend a bit of time in them getting ready for the day or an evening out.
 And when guests come over- you know that guest bathroom is going to be used- so why not decorate it just like you would any other space? 
There was a time that bathrooms were all about wallpaper. (I do love that look.)
Or no wallpaper and just plain walls. (It works)
And then we got into wood planks and shiplap everything. 
Side note:
 I have a confession.
 I have not been able to get on the shiplap trend- though I like the look.
I do have wood walls in my house-  but they are knotty pine running top to bottom.
Then there is the marble… ahhh, yes, I have jumped into both feet forward- 
and I love marble in the bathroom, the kitchen, the floor- everywhere.  
But that is something that takes more than an afternoon of planning, diy work and more. 
That is a JOB. And a big one at that.
So what can you do in a bathroom that isn’t going to require a bank loan, a demo and overhaul and isn’t going to take more than about 5 or 10 minutes? 
Good question. haha.
Well, the answer is- you focus on decor. 
You think about fabrics, accents and pretty little details that can change the look of your room in a snap. And likely – you have them right now in your home.
I recently spruced up the bathroom a bit 
with nothing more than my robe and nightgown, tub board changes and a mirror change.  
Let’s take a look.

#1. Mirror mirror on the wall
You might recognize this mirror. It is a fav vintage find. I picked it up in San Diego- along with a twin mirror and they seriously are some of my absolute favorites. 
One of them was on the mantel- and one in the other bathroom.
And then one wasn’t. 
It was on the wall behind the tub.
I chose the more distressed mirror for my bathroom and love how it brings that old vintage charm to this mostly newly redesigned space. 
And yes, that mottled reflecting glass is my favorite part.
So first tip- move a mirror or artwork or something else to your bathroom
to give it a fresh look.

#2. Florals and fluff
I am a big time girlie girl kind of girl when it comes to robes and pajamas.
Bring me all the silky pajama pants and shorts with little tank tops, comfy warm slippers and an oversized robe to wrap up in and I am a happy girl at bedtime.
In the bathroom, I have a hook on the wall in between the shower and tub
 that is kind of like my own personal bath hook.
Actually, now since the kids have all moved out- the bathroom is kind of my own personal bathroom since my husband has taken over the kids bathroom.
haha.
So it really IS my own personal bath hook now.
 ðŸ™‚
So for something pretty to look at while doing double duty,
 I decided to add a pretty nightgown to that hook. One that is all covered in vintage floral print. 
I am going to date myself here- but do you remember those flannel nightgowns covered in itty bitty florals?
I used to wear those  when I was growing up- and this version of  a vintage nightgown
 reminded me of those but in a grown up version.
I think it adds such a huge amount of subtle charm to the bathroom just by being there.

And on the bathtub- a bit of fluff.
Normally this fluff would be hanging next to that floral nightgown as well- and a towel would be on the tub- which you can see in one of the previous photos.
 But think floral and fluff on hooks and the tub for a charming cottage look.

#3. On the tub
This is such an easy one- and I have shared it before but a couple changes.
This tub is a deep soaker.
 Fill it up and it takes the entire hot water tank kind of tub.
And so when you are soaking- you want candles, music, maybe some bath salts and a scrubby brush
because you might be there awhile.
I have the reproduction wood stool in here that holds a lot of stuff while looking charming-
 and I have this simple little bath board.
It is a fancy schmancy board that lays across the tub where I can set things like candles and those lavender bath salts I got for Christmas.
 One that you might find in a Restoration Hardware type catalog.
But do you know where I found it? 
The wood pile. 
It is a simple old, weathered board that I cut to size and set across the tub
 to do some heavy lifting work while looking good.   
So.Easy.

So for this simple quick change charm in the bathroom:
 I shopped the house
 shopped my closet 
and shopped the wood pile.
5 minute already on hand decorating is a good thing, right? 
Something else just arrived (that was not on hand obviously since it just arrived)
but that will be going into the bathroom in just a bit as well and 
I will share that next.
Happy 5 minute decorating everyone.

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A new love~ my French Lacanche range https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/my-new-love-french-blue-lacanche-range/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-new-love-french-blue-lacanche-range https://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/my-new-love-french-blue-lacanche-range/#comments Mon, 04 Sep 2017 19:57:00 +0000 https://frenchcountrycottagenet.bigscoots-staging.com/2017/09/my-new-love-french-blue-lacanche-range.html Do you think it is possible to fall in love in an instant? To be swept off your feet heart pounding  and palms sweating in love… You had me at Hello? I am here to tell you…  it is possible. Because… I have fallen in love with a French range. A range is just a…

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Do you think it is possible to fall in love in an instant?
To be swept off your feet
heart pounding 
and palms sweating in love…
You had me at Hello?
I am here to tell you…
 it is possible.
Because…
I have fallen in love with a French range.

A range is just a range, right?
Something to cook on 
and bake in 
and that takes up about 5 square feet of space in your kitchen.
But some ranges are different.
Some ranges have personality. And charm. 
And just the fact that they are a joy to cook on makes you a gourmet chef.
Okay… me a gourmet chef might be pushing it…
but… a better more inspired chef? 
Indeed.
And this Lacanche…ohhh it has all of that and then some.
And it cooks and bakes like a DREAM.
Which makes me feel like I am whipping up French pastries and delicious pastas
and much more like a television pro.
So where did she come from- this beautiful french bebe?
 A little bit about the back story…
You see, we bought a gorgeous stainless range a few years ago after the very basic bought it the day we moved in range was replaced.
We asked the associate about this particular very popular brand
and she said gas ranges don’t have a lot of electronic controls
 so they are pretty basic and not prone to issues- so it is a great range.
So we brought it home. 
6 months later… the first issue with the electrical control panel. 
It was replaced-  under warranty so no cost.

Another year later- another control panel issue. 
This time- out of pocket to replace the SAME PIECE-  
the warranty on that piece expired.

Another year or so- the electronic control panel was on the fritz again. 
 Another out of pocket expense to replace the motherboard for the 3rd time 
 on the oven on a range that was less than 3 years old.

On a daily basis…
the motherboard beeped randomly-
In the middle of the night. 
When we were using the burners.
Or when we were not anywhere near the range.
And then one day… it was out again and the oven wouldn’t work- 
because the motherboard is what runs it.
So, there would be no Thanksgiving baking or Christmas cookies- it was all stove top.
When you shell out money to replace a part on a brand new range several times
and it still doesn’t work- you get a little cranky and disgusted.
I was done.
My husband was done.
We were not going to replace that same part AGAIN- we were cutting our losses.
So we didn’t order a replacement part again and just stopped using the oven. 
We bought a countertop convection oven
and we used that for the past year.  lol.
Christmas cookies, lasagne, you name it.
Seriously.
And so while we pondered what brand to upgrade to after feeling a bit let down by that ‘fabulous brand’ and recommendation…
I brought up my dream range to my husband ever so. quietly…
That one that I drooled over on Instagram daily.
That spoke SO loudly to me with a design that wasn’t over the top
but that was so very elegant 
and refined
and was something that was noticed instantly in a kitchen-
 but without shouting for you to see it.
Just like an elegant classy French lady. 
It was a gorgeous Lacanche range with enamel finish and brass knobs.
I was sold on the beauty-
my husband was sold on the no electrical motherboard.
It just so happened that during winter, I was in NYC 
for a business trip
and I stayed an extra couple of days because- hello- NYC
it is my country loving girl alter ego – I go every.chance. I get.
And while there, 
I met with the fabulous Elisa in the Lacanche showroom
and fell in love
with both Elisa (she is the absolute sweetest and we connected instantly)
 and also with the fabulous Lacanche ranges.

I left the showroom that day super inspired and dreaming up our kitchen renovations
 and with samples of enamel finishes in hand-  and I couldn’t wait to share with my husband. 
And with the blues, whites, creams, grays and greens… there was one that stood out
 that right away, I was in love with… 
a perfectly perfect color for me. I was ready to order.
But Elisa told me to bring the samples home- see how the color looks in my lighting 
because Lacanche enamel is a game changer and looks different in different places.
So I waited.
And the waiting made me question…
Part of me thought go neutral.
It will work with anything.
Done.
But the other part of me thought- go bold.
Make it the focal point- give it that spot to shine.
Well, you know going bold for me- is something other than ‘white’ haha.
So it wasn’t like I was considering a vermillion or bright blue
 or even too much of any color.
😉 
But let’s be honest… there is not ONE COLOR that would not look incredible.
So you really can’t go wrong no matter what direction
 or color you choose.
But the one that made my heart sing and spoke beautiful French to me?
It is quite blue gray in our home- though online it looks very green.
It has a hint of pale gray green at times and looks pristine white in the morning sun.
But overwhelmingly, 
I would describe it as a ‘duck egg blue/gray/green’ 
It is Vert Silice.
This photo shows Vert Silice on the left
and Faience on the right.
(quick iphone pic for my mom) 
You can see the more gray/green next to the blue/purple of the Faience.
My family and friends will tell you- the color struggle was real. 
And I drove them absolutely nuts.
And there was not even ONE photo or example of this color range out there yet-
 it was that new of a color.
So… I wavered and thought I can’t make a big purchase on something speaking 
 ooh la la to me without seeing an example. 
That is like getting married without ever meeting.
And after chatting with a couple kitchen designer friends at High Point and mentioned the range
and how I was thinking of going with a neutral…
 and they both 
said choose that color and
don’t play it safe.
They encouraged me to go with my true love.
That complex color that on that little 4″x 4″ enamel chip-
that  kept speaking and whispering French nothings & I am the one in my ear
Every time I saw it.
I had butterflies for this color…
I kept going back to it. 
It made my heart sing.
And I couldn’t leave it behind.
And so, I messaged Elisa and said
 THIS is the one. 

And then- my Lacanche Cluny in Vert Silice and I were 
basically married for 6 months before meeting.
You see…
A Lacanche range is not sitting in a showroom waiting to be loaded onto a car.
They hand build each one after you order it- 
and it takes from 4-6 months for it to arrive.
It is custom made
 from the oven configuration to the burner configuration to the color.
I ordered the Cluny for this house.
To be honest, the Sully is an even bigger dream range
and I really wanted to go with that one…(thinking… maybe the next house in a couple years) 😉
but for our cottage kitchen which isn’t huge-
 the 40″ Cluny was a perfect fit. 
The other draw for the Cluny is the symmetry.
I am a symmetry girl
it makes me happy to see a pair of ovens exactly the same next to each other
and those perfectly centered and spaced knobs.
Call me crazy. 
My range arrived all the way from France last week
 after months and months of waiting for her.
She came right in the house and went right into the spot we had made for her.
She is a dream to cook on- and yes, I baked in a legit not on the counter oven last week
 for the first time in about a year.
And though we have plywood counters waiting for marble on either side of this gorgeous girl,
 no range hood in place yet
and are not ready for a kitchen reveal-
I had to share a peek of my new french bebe with you.
And yes, I will be giving her a proper photo shoot very soon.
Because…it is love.
Happy Labor Day Monday everyone.

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