Reflections on our renovation

As the year comes to an end, we look back on our achievements in France. We arrived at the end of February and although the house was cold and in need of much work, its proportions were such that we knew even then, in its slightly neglected state, that we had found a great home. Those first few weeks were ones of settling in to our new life and I remember the snow blanketing our village and all around as we sat around log fires each evening and planned the first stage of the work.

One of our first major achievements was knocking the wall down between 2 rooms on the ground floor to create a huge kitchen – closely to be followed by the demolition of the pigeon tower in the garden. I remember both those times as being landmarks in our story: one can imagine the space which results from knocking down a wall but actually seeing the result is quite another thing. Thus it was that our garden took on a whole new aspect and the kitchen, with its high ceiling and great new space, already looked bright and inviting.

The tower was a big job of demolition but once down, made us realise how much light we now had coming in at all levels of the house. The ancient balcony, already crumbling, was next and the new one remains to be constructed in the year to come.

Opening out our big family bathroom was the next step ( hitherto we had had a rudimentary shower in what is now the kitchen!), closely followed by creating doors in place of windows at ground floor level in both the kitchen and the small living room. Then Mr. Fix It, always seemingly one step ahead, designed and installed our 2 ensuite bathrooms back to back.

We have had jolly times with visitors, both friends and family throughout the spring and summer; endless evenings sitting in the garden until the early hours when it was still warm until late September.

Central heating was a big job but is now safely installed. Our house, already warm with log fires each evening, took on the feel of a real home at this point.

As I write, we are staying with friends in Germany en route for England and Christmas time with family. It will be good to take stock, to plan for 2011 and for Mr. Fix It to have a time of rest, recuperation and celebration. We look forward greatly to the New Year and all it may bring, knowing that the sun will always shine on our lovely corner of the South of France and that next year our house will gradually become quite splendid.

I wish you the happiest Christmas, wherever you are and may the New Year bring you peace, prosperity and happiness.


Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company
Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com/

The importance of light and space

It is much easier to live in a house undergoing renovation if that house offers you space: with its high ceilings, large square rooms and symmetrical layout, this house fits into that category and was one of the many attractions it held for us when we first saw it. Living in France, one notices and appreciates space so much more – probably because there is so much more of it! Natural light is so important that we could not thrive without it. A room with large windows providing natural light and fresh air means greater productivity and verve: enter Mr. Fix It who has worked tirelessly over these last few months to bring our house back to its former beauty. Having light and space has, I have no doubt, given him increased impetus to carry on.

Our large windows allow us to look at the beauty of nature around us, to watch the world go by and marvel at the huge 14th century church which sits majestically opposite our house. They somehow offer a feeling of a greater connection between the interior and the exterior. We have been blessed with full sunshine again this week, and not a day goes by without our marvelling at how very blue is the sky and how golden the light before sunset.

We count ourselves lucky to have such wonderful natural light. Perhaps this lends inspiration for lighting in our kitchen. Mr. Fix It is as I write preparing his electrical layout plan for this and I know it will be quite stunning: soft lighting under the wall cupboards to show off the granite worktops, lamps all around and small lights from the ceiling pinpointing different parts of the huge space. The importance of good lighting cannot be denied and with our temporary kitchen in place already, a couple of lamps sitting on the corner fireplace, one almost does not notice the fact that we actually have yet to fit the kitchen. Yes, lighting can transform even the dullest room.

With Christmas fast approaching we have taken time out this week to experience local festivities. The run up to Christmas starts later in France but as soon as St. Nicolas (December 6th) approaches, every little village, every town seems to put on some sort of exterior light display: and how well it is done. We visited Carcassonne and sat in the huge square watching the ice skaters uplit from the ice in changing colours. Then as night fell, the trees all around became a blaze of soft colour, the huge centrepiece statue almost seeming to dance in time with the music.

We are leaving this week in the car to drive back to the UK for Christmas with family and friends, our route taking us through Luxembourg, Germany and Belgium. Mr. Fix It can take a well-earned rest from his toils and enjoy a glass of wine or two as we catch up with everyone in England. We wonder if Eddie & Alfie will remember their young days in the UK and whether they will miss their canal side walks here in France. I have a feeling they will go with the flow however, as we have done this year since we started work on this house. A little driving adventure lies in store for them but come evening time, wherever we are, they will be snuggled up to us no doubt, happy to be anywhere that we are.

Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company
Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com/

Fantastic Mr. Fix It in full flow!

Like a magician who astounds you with his tricks, Mr. Fix It has seemingly effortlessly started on the hard graft which involves making our kitchen into one of those rooms with the WOW factor. This, the heart of the home, means serious planning whilst the work is going on so that I can still come up with the odd casserole, roast chicken a la francaise or that great regional dish “cassoulet”, all in my mini oven which has served us so well. Thus it was this week that he has fixed us up a temporary kitchen in the dining room end of this room whilst he blitzes the future kitchen end, prepares the walls and floor for future units, oven, hob, fridge/freezer and granite worktops (can’t WAIT for those).

Nine months is a long time to last without a proper kitchen, a simply dreadful old sink and no freezer but I have always taken the view that everything is relative in life and therefore having this temporary kitchen now working, our new chunky ceramic sink plumbed in and even a cutlery drawer (!) in place, it feels positively luxurious by comparison. Naturally, we both have huge anticipation however for how it will be when completed and with 2 cast iron radiators giving out great heat, the corner fireplace begging to be lit and almost a proper worktop for preparation, we are most definitely over the worst and the transformation from its original state is quite extraordinary already.

Whilst there cannot be many of us who consider washing up to be one of life’s joys, I can honestly say that I don’t mind it in the least now, so beautiful and solid is the ceramic sink which will eventually be sited under the back window, waiting to be raised to give more light and afford us more space.

Mr. Fix It’s “Keep calm and carry on mug” serves as a great reminder to go with the flow during this kitchen renovation: Rome was not built in a day after all. One must not forget either that when installing a kitchen pretty much from scratch, a reward is that you can do what you like in terms of lighting, positioning of units and appliances, wall coverings and even doors and windows. We have grand double doors leading into the kitchen and another door has suddenly become somewhat redundant so we will instead make a window at the top giving on to the entrance hall and thus the whole room will seem as though it always was just that: one room and not two knocked into one. Little by little, this stage of our renovation is coming along: watch this space!

The sun continues to shine every day here in the Languedoc Roussillon and I was able to tear Mr. Fix It away from his toils one day this week to walk the dogs by a stream and indulge in one of those typically satisfying “prix fixe” menus in a local French bar cum restaurant nearby. The colours of the trees and landscape as well as the mountain views remain stunning as winter approaches and we revel in that wonderful sense of peace and space as we watch Eddie and Alfie bound along, utterly unconcerned with anything to do with our house renovation.

Not a week goes by without a comment or two from one of our neighbours or passers-by on our progress in this grand old house. Mr. Fix It can be utterly proud of himself as the work continues and we become more and more used to the French way of life. One only has to take a long view, not only through our home but through to the years to come to know that this project is turning out to be quite the most rewarding tone either of us have ever undertaken.

Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company
Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide