Visiting Shabby Chic NYC store

When I decided to spend Christmas with my family in New Jersey, one of the things that popped immediately into my mind was, that means I'll get to go to the Shabby Chic store in NYC for the second time this year! What a privilege for someone that lives in Paris, the city of romance and Limoges China but no Shabby stores. 

I'm such a big fan of Rachel and her work through all these years and her NY store is definitely one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in New York. I always find tons of inspiration browsing and scanning around this magnificent place. 

A beautiful white Christmas tree welcomes us. I can feel already my exciment to get in and start scanning the place with my mesmerized eyes.

I love the wallpaper in this room. So many people would be afraid of using a flowery wallpaper but for me a vintage wallpaper is the perfect way to get that old/cottage look that I love so much! 

And what about those white French doors. They remind me so much of the doors I have back at home in my Parisian apartment. These are a lot prettier tho! Those carved glass panels are the perfect way to add an extra touch of elegance and charm.

This room works perfectly for me. The color palette and the textures marry perfectly with exquisite harmony in this cozy, country, chic dining room. 

Ruffles paradise!

This nex spot stole my heart. That blue vintage console is perfect for adding a pop of color that's still subtle and within the palette. It's a nice way to tone down the ruffles and the flowery wall. 

A big chunky wooden table blends so well in this charming dining room.

I'm a happy visitor! 

  

In case you were wondering, not everything in this store is flowery and feminine. There's also place for neutral and sober. But then of course you need a gorgeous chandelier to make it work ;) 

    

The reflection on this mirror lets us know we're in dreamland. The harmony of the colours is mellow, smooth and peaceful . 

A living room that is all about neutrals, maybe I'd like it better if it had some flowers on the table... And that's just the magic of flowers for me...

I want some of this beauty to take home with me! Need to get serious! 

Off I went looking for easy-to-travel gems. For me is all about fabrics, one of the things Rachel does best! Linens, napkins and curtains. Prints and textures, she gets it so well. They are all gorgeous!

What a great visit! I know you want to know if I bought anything..?! Well, how can you just leave this place empty-handed?

   These are some if the beauties I came back with. Can't wait to get home and start enjoying them! 

Beautiful living is what I love most!

Visiting an old French farm

Today I had the great pleasure of going inside this beautiful French farm, built in the 18th century. 

Everytime I come to Picardie in the northen part of France, I pass by this enormous farm. It always catches my eyes and makes me wonder about what it might look like in the inside. Old doors and windows, patina perfection everywhere you look! 

It seems abandoned from the outside, I found out later that it's been more than 40 years since anyone lived in this forgotten gem full of history and treasures. This is all making me more and more curious! 

A man aproches me. An old farmer who turns out to be one of the 4 owners of the farm. A farmer himself, he tells us about his family and how three generations have lived in this place that now stands unloved and forgotten for over 40 years.

I asked him if we could visit the inside of this amazing farm. The rest is all in picures... 

One of the front doors lets me know this is going to be good... 

Patina at its best! 

How cute is that little door! 

Vintage wallpaper decorates every room. 

This print was one of my favorites!

And then I saw these doors and my heart stopped for a second... 

He was so nice showing us around. Proud and ashamed at same time because this house that he loves so much is in such ruins... 

I still loved it and appreciated every single detail with astonishement! 

I was so lucky to have passed by here today and to have bumped into this man who so kindly opened the doors of this great home and let us take a peak into the French 18th century. 

Table Setting

Table setting is one of my favorite things to do. I love making a "pretty mess" with lots of flowers, petals and mismatched china. 

Even though I do have a preference for certain flowers like Peonies, Hydrangeas, and pale-color roses; I try to change from time to time so I don't always get the same flowers. It's for sure I wouldn't mind having a Peony season that last forever, but nevertheless it's nice having different types of flowers. They are all so special in their own different ways.  

I usually don't get red roses (or anything that's red for that matter) but these were a gift from my sweet boyfriend and I got to say I have loved photographing them and adding a touch of red in my pictures. Especially when mixed with blue and pink.

Everything you see in these pictures come from different places. French Brocantes, Rachel Ashwell, Zara Home and a cute little Parisian boutique where I got the white lace napkins from.

As you can see, the red petals stole the show. They're in the fading stage right now but it's been such a pleasure to have them around!

My little French chest of drawers

I found this beauty in a Brocante and fell in love with it right away. It's perfectly chipped, white and old.

What I most love about it is that "campagne" look. It seems like it belonged to an old french farm and that is what I look for when I want to add a bit of "country charm" to a room. 

I like it's simplicity and how easy it is to match with more glamorous pieces like that lovely pale pink vintage sconce and of course flowers. 

I like to work on the drawes so they look pretty and cozy inside. 

I always add a vintage-like wallpapper on the inside and few layers of white paint. Now these drawers are like brand new! 

I’m originally from Venezuela. I moved to Paris 5 years ago and fell in love with this beautiful city, but how can you not? The architecture was one of those things that caught my eye straight away. The Haussmanien buildings with their exquisite molding on the ceilings are one of the most beautiful features of a Parisian home.

Going to French vintage markets became my obsession. Finding unique charming pieces to decorate my home. There’s that feeling when you know you’ve found what I like to call a “treasure”, that unique little charming piece from the past that you have to bring home, otherwise you risk never finding it again.

Flea markets or how the French call them “brocant” is where I find all my treasures. Vintage finds are my biggest thrill. To me they are forgotten gems waiting to be found and loved again. It’s the history they hide within them that I want to rediscover. The beauty of a hand-made piece. The patina, the worn-out colors, the imperfections. These are all characteristics that fascinate me and that I look for in every vintage object that catches my eyes.

My style combines the French glamour with the modesty and charm of an old English cottage. It’s in the mixing of these two that I find the perfect balance between beauty and warmth.

And of course there’s the color palette. Whites, soft, worn out colors are my favorites. I also like to leave a few pieces in their original vintage gold paint to add some old glamorous charm, but I stick to my color palette no matter what.

There’s also my love of flowers and their perfection that fascinates me. Flowers are a source of inspiration for me. I always keep fresh flowers at home and even find it hard sometimes to get rid of them once they’ve started fading away. I appreciate their beauty in every stage of their lives.

I live in a small Parisian apartment but my dream is to have a big garden where I can plant my all my favorite flowers; Roses, Peonies and Hydrangeas.