Anyone who watches “Escape to the Chateau “ knows how tempting a visit to the local antique/junk shop can be!!

Currently we are not restricted to travelling within France although there are definitely areas to avoid Covid wise, so over the last couple of weeks we’ve discovered a fabulous dealer about an hour and a half away from us who stocks a great variety of “Chateau treasures”. Although we moved into a virtually fully furnished home there is always something else that’s a “must have”!

And so it was one sunny day last week we headed over to Haute Vienne and returned with Renee the Renault loaded to the gunnels.

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OK so we don’t have a Chateau, but I feel sure we can find a use for these plaster mouldings?!

The chaise has ended up in the main bedroom as has the rug. The bentwood coat and hat rack is perfect inside the back door and I’ve already found a use for some of the decorative mouldings.

The main bedroom which retains a French feel has a blocked off fireplace. In France to get house insurance all chimneys have to be swept annually by a professional chimney sweep! As we have 2 wood burners there was no need for a third chimney, so the previous owners had blocked it off.

Today’s little project was to expose the fireplace in the hope of finding something beautiful behind the boards?
No such luck, no treasures, not even a beautiful fire back or tiles.

A perfect opportunity to dress up the rather plain looking surround!! Just knew there was going to be a use for the mouldings 😊It’s definitely a work in progress but is already an improvement having painted the old bit of board.

We’ve also hung an old map of Jersey which we have had rolled up in a cardboard tube for decades. Now framed it occupies most of one wall and ties in well with the bedroom decor.

Once the revamped fireplace is finished that will be another room completed, there’s a lot to be said for restricted movement.

In between a bit of redecorating, gardening etc the Spring weather has tempted us out on our “steeds” which are rugged and stabled in the cow barn.

Another sure sign that Spring is on the way is this really useful bit of information in our community newsletter. How to build an Asian Hornet trap!