* Chic Provence *

Scouting the Chic Provence Design Tour

2013-05-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

I love Provence so much; nothing is more fun to me than spending the week before the Chic Provence Design Tour scouting out all my locations, vendors and sights, meeting and greeting old friends and checking out new ones. I want everything to be perfect and to run smoothly for my guests from the minute they arrive until we return them a week later to the TGV in Avignon.

This then is how a typical day of pre-Tour scouting goes for me... come with me next time!

hmm.... Madame is offering fresh eggs right from her farm... I'll take a half dozen!
found these on my morning walk along the banks of the River Sorgue

along with President butter, a fresh croissant
and blood oranges, these eggs made a
fabulous breakfast, giving me lots of energy
for a fully packed day of scouting in Provence!

of course, un petit pause for a fabulous cup of
coffee was in order as the morning went on...
here I am using my wonderful basket from
Andrea at The French Basketeer! Thanks, Andrea!!

the summer linens in the Provençal markets always delight me...
and this spring I spied this chic little dress and scarf... paired with
a scarf and sandals, the perfect outfit for browsing the markets
in the South of France... and at 34 euro, a real bargain!

Steven and I headed to our favorite boulangerie... the one that makes everything on site, from scratch, using only the finest "bio" (organic) ingredients... we had to make sure everything was acceptable for our guests at the villa the following week... and yes, everything was!

even the baguettes as they rolled out of the ovens, their aroma just begging for un cafe au lait and a large smear of pure butter and jam!

OK, well fortified, it's off to scout les antiquaires... just to be sure nothing has changed drastically in the last year... we found so many gorgeous treasures we were sure our guests would be completely delighted! this small chandelier caught my eye and I could picture it in my guest room chez moi...

peeking into Madame's window, a row of fanciful dining chairs catches my eye, along
with that gorgeous chandelier and mirror...

these garden cloches will surely captivate my wonderful guests... wonder how many of
these will find their way back to the USA ?

a fancy candelabra called a girondole almost made its way into MY suitcase!
isn't it pretty?

the witty fish sculpture in company the otherwise seriously glamourous
objets is a hallmark of French design... don't take things too seriously!

I fell completely for this period oil painting of Louis XVI himself... pompous and
soft, he epitomized all the excesses that eventually got him into serious trouble... aka
the guillotine! but I really loved this painting, and at 650 euros almost brought
it home to my French-history-loving husband Chris!

OK, back outside, and off to Gordes... just to be sure nothing has changed in this stunning
hilltop village since we were last there... and of course, it is just as gorgeous as always...we need
not have feared!

I always peek into the church in Gordes... this time preparations were underway
for a funeral mass for the oldest firefighter (pompier) in Gordes who had
passed away in his 80's... a procession wove through the village

side view of the chateau at Gordes... actually that is a very excellent
organic grocer tucked under those eaves...

back to our villa to check things out... the olive
tree basking in the late afternoon sun...

...the outdoor mantel a study in still life....

the breakfast kitchen inviting us in for
un cafe under the wisteria arbor...

still the perfect spot for morning breakfast and lingering...

..and putting the final touches on the gifts for
each of my treasured guests when they arrive...
fine chocolates, pate de fois gras, candle,
lavender oil and a sweet bundle of lavender
to tuck under the pillow for a good night's sleep!

Hi From Beautiful Provence...

2013-05-06T13:58:00.002-07:00

Hello everyone! we are here in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue having a fabulous Chic Provence Design Tour with wonderful new friends! I want to share some random images from the last couple of days...in no particular order. I just want to get these out there for your enjoyment... I really don't have time to even write much, but promise more when things are quieter..

Pretty in Provence

2013-04-29T13:22:00.001-07:00

We are so busy here in Provence... but wanted to share with you some of the pretty sights I'm seeing as we visit the markets, brocantes and shops getting ready for the Chic Provence Design Tour next week!

Enjoy!

the tulips are in bloom!

pick your boutis!

the famous pate de fruits of Apt!

a beautiful storefront display of baby olive trees in pots!

Edith Mezard's inspired wedding decor!

the ranunculous are in bloom too!

pretty pastel vintage stemmed glasses!

18th C. mirror for madame's dressing table!

all photos taken by kit golson with iPhone

aren't these beautiful? come with us next time!

In a Charming Atelier Under the Rooftops of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue...

2013-04-28T13:12:00.002-07:00

...magic is created by the beautiful and spirited artist Aurelie Alvarez... come with me on a private visit to her incredible atelier, where time stands still while she takes layers and colors and textures and patterns and creates wondrous works of art...for all to behold. So taken was anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson that her work was used for their famous window displays... and countless other clients have been lucky enough to own one of her works.

Influenced greatly by the top floor atelier itself... in her home, which dates to the 15th C....with its peeling layers of plaster and paint, Aurelie's work is a living extension of where she lives in the heart of the ancient village of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France... in Provence, bien sur!

Steven and I were scouting brocantes for next week's Chic Provence Design Tour when I spied Aurelie's work hanging in one of the very chic shops: La Princess au Petit Pois.. Laurence invited me to meet Aurelie and within the hour we found ourselves in Aurelie's engaging studio itself chatting with her about her art and her life. She is a most creative and refreshing artistic soul.

Aurelie's mailbox with its peeling
ayers of paint gives a hint of
the atelier to come...

one of the first rooms in the rambling, many-room workshop Aurelie is
lucky enough to call her own

a pretty work in progress for a client features vintage wallpaper, paint, pastels

at La Princesse au Petit Pois, Aurelie's lovely hanging meant to be the head of
a twin bed, attracted lots of attention while I was there

an ancient fireplace in her 15th C. home in Isle sur la Sorgue

the largest room in the under-the-eaves atelier

the massive beams dating from centuries earlier, Aurelie thinks 16th C.... make a wonderful counterpoint
to the delicates works for art

many surfaces are covered with Aurelie's work

a collage of samples of Aurelie's lighthearted works

and this is the lovely Aurelie!

all photos taken by kit golson with iPhone

If you would like more information about Aurelie's work,

contact me and I can help you place a custom order

So Happy to be Back in Provence...

2013-04-27T15:44:00.002-07:00

It's so beautiful. I love it here... even with the skies just a little overcast. I am told by the locals that the clouds will clear next week and that, madame, will be that... no more clouds until late fall...in fact, it is forbidden to rain then!

all photos taken by kit golson with iPhone

Packing for Provence

2013-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

GOAL:

Traveling Light
in Provence next week!

If you are like me, you detest lugging heavy bags around
(although truth be known I usually do!)
... this year I am paring down
my packing to a few basics. I am sure to find wonderful things
in Provence if I find I "need" something new to wear! I'm
not even bringing many toiletries since I love to stock up
at the French pharmacies à la Gwyneth Paltrow's list...
I'll probably add a rain jacket and warmer scarf and
possibly wear short boots on the flight since this
spring is a little cooler than usual...
here is what I am bringing:

1. My collection of colorful cotton Provençal scarves
2. Eileen Fisher Oval Dress can wear with anything at all, so comfortable
3. J. Crew Minnie Pant in black bi-stretch, the best pant in the world for traveling
4. Anthropologie Stone & Cloth blue chambray shirt to use also as light jacket
5. Levi's jeans jacket in a great stretchy denim
6. Teva Pasas Mary Janes, incredibly comfortable walking sandals
7. J.Jill black linen dress, looks great over crop leggings, too
8. Rainbow leather flip flops, cannot leave town without them
9. James Perse v-neck white T ... of course a staple!

the most important item of all..
Kipling's cross body messenger...
cannot say enough great things about
this incredibly light and sturdy bag

Sonoma in Early April... the Plaza, a Chateau and a Recipe!

2013-04-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took the route du petit ecolier... and set out to wander the wine region north of San Francisco and Marin County. After meandering up the Valley of the Moon, we found ourselves once again in one of our favorite small towns in the world... Sonoma, California. With Nicky in tow, knowing that dogs are as treasured and welcomed here as they are in France, we crisscrossed through the square, sampling cheeses and wines, sights and vistas, and, of course shopping.

And who could resist a stop at Chateau Sonoma, importers of French antiques and goods? Their gorgeous shop stands in for the best of the Paris fleas and the Provençal brocantes...if you can't be in France right now, visit their shop!

vineyards in Sonoma County's Valley of the Moon

hmmm... which way to the Plaza?

the Plaza at Sonoma is home to the beautiful old Sonoma City Hall

...and since we are all old friends here, yes, this is
my very early interpretation of the
Sonoma City Hall... this tortured acrylic
was my first painting in art class a
few years ago!

have wine will travel... one of the dozens of tasting rooms
within one city block on the square at Sonoma

Chris and Nicky wander down one of the side streets
off the square past the vintage range rover and the bungalows

white wisteria is gorgeous at the Depot Hotel... a chic
little European style inn and restaurant in Sonoma

a typical bungalow off the square in Sonoma

a window of the Depot Hotel in Sonoma

stunning cactus in front of one of the bungalows in Sonoma

***

this stunning hot air balloon chandelier hangs at Chateau Sonoma

"le tricolore" flies outside Chateau Sonoma

this little vignette at Chateau Sonoma places you
directly at les marches au puce
outside Paris in spirit

wonderful, soulful old carousel horses Chateau Sonoma

I love the rustic chic combination of rough woodland elements
with the refined and delicate
Astier de Villate porcelain and Juliska glassware
at Chateau Sonoma... welcoming springtime!

these sturdy, well made shopping bags caught my eye..
who can resist their
breezy, summer-on-the-Rivier" allure?

the gorgeous old carved wooden crown at
Chateau Sonoma deserves a place
of honor in your French country home!

in the garden room at Chateau Sonoma lot of old green jugs,
birdcages andthat wonderful green patina
on the statue! love the light, too..

the exqisitely detailed 18th c. model of the
Paris Opera House at Chateau Sonoma

wonderful old red painted dresser with foxing on the mirror...
such presence!
want to create that "aged look"
on your mirror? go here for a DIY
*disclaimer: I haven't
tried this myself! *

not to be missed event, the French Flea Market by Chateau Sonoma later in May... I will
be there after returning from the Chic Provence Design Tour! See you there?

***

for a wonderful springtime wine country
simple supper recipe from Cindy Pawlcyn
of Mustard's Grill in Napa,
click here! and invite me over!

Nicky loves baguettes!

since I wasn't planning a blog post,

most of these photos were

taken with my iPhone;
the really good ones are
from promotional sites
for Sonoma

The Côté Bastide way of life...

2013-04-03T13:24:00.003-07:00

You may ask yourself why people today are so drawn to the simple, to the rough-luxe, to shades of grey, taupe & linen, to honest, handcrafted things, to natural materials with a clean and nostalgic feel. I think that the genius behind Côté Bastide is their ability to recognize this yearning in modern times for simpler, more tactile and sensual experiences of our youth.

Whatever the reason, we love the Côté Bastide aesthetic at Chic Provence. On our Chic Provence Design Tour next month, a visit to their stunning showroom and shop in Aix-en-Provence is the first stop after we visit the Provençal Market, so we can soak up and inhale the simple, pure, clean and sensuous atmosphere. We are looking forward to getting things for our homes there... small things we can carry home in our suitcases... such as candles, soaps, kitchen linens, tableware. And I might have to order one of those chandeliers for my kitchen! :)

The art of living Côté Bastide

" We come into the world with immense naiveté, auspicious of its wonder. Like a thief of emotions, we greedily pass through our childhood, accumulating a mixed treasure trove of new experiences and intense feelings, and then we become an adult. And, almost immediately, we forget. Yesterdays image fades away, surrendering to today's rhythm of conventionality, where we no longer have the time to exist, and no time to spare. Côté Bastide drew its inspiration from forgotten lessons.

The profound desire to reawaken our dormant senses, to regain lost sensations, and to re-capture our wonderful memories, in a word, to remind us of the simple pleasures in life. The rare and yet familiar scent of an age old rose, the charm of hand-crafted earthenware, the craftsmanship of cinnamon bundled and tied, contact with a pristine cotton sheet. Côté Bastide rediscovers the daily pleasure, to be enjoyed, shared and never to be forgotten."

{ quote from the website Côté Bastide }

Conservatoire de la Couleur

2013-04-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

In Provence in the Vaucluse, there is a magical village, perched on a golden hillside, that is drunken with exuberant color, called Roussillon. The houses, the quaint shops, restaurants, and the churches are themselves finished in reds, ochres, burnt oranges, yellows, apricots, every building a different shade of sunshine.

In Roussillon, there is a center dedicated totally and completely to color: its creation, its use in decoration and art, its history. This place celebrates, honors, teaches about and preserves color with a fervent reverence usually found at the finest conservatories of music... and it is called the Conservatoire des Ocres et de la Couleur.

There, you can take workshops in Color for Interiors, Using Natural Materials to Dye Fabrics, Making Your Own Pigments for Watercolors, How to Color Cement, How to Create a Tadelakt Finish, and many more very interesting topics for beginners, professionals, young and old alike.

Yes, the ateliers are taught in French. So you can either learn French, or come with me on a design tour and we will interpret for you! We will be visiting Roussillon and the Conservatory this May, and can't wait to tell you all about it!

Lafourcade: les jardins provençaux

2013-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

This spring, we have added to our Chic Provence Design Tour 3013 an exclusive visit to the Provençal gardens of the well known and extremely talented landscape designer, Dominique Lafourcade. I am so excited to see her work in person after seeing so many images. Her exquisite garden design plans, carefully laid out, drawn and beautifully watercolored, are as if by magic, transformed into actual landscapes. She is remarkable: trained first as an artist, she is a self-taught landscape designer, and is married to the incomparable Bruno Lafourcade, the architect of great renown in Provence, with whom she collaborates.

I have always been awestruck by great landscape designers. Imagine the challenge of working with materials that are chosen knowing that they will begin to change the minute they are installed. It is such a completely different milieu than interior design, where once it's done, it's done... a sofa chosen, upholstered and installed probably won't change, grow, and be clipped over time, and does not depend on water, sun and fertilizer to thrive! The dynamic, ever-changing metier of gardens is fascinating to me.

Enjoy these gorgeous images of Dominique Lafourcade's work as photographed in Provence. As stunning and frankly unattainable as they are for most of us, there are a few "takeaways" for the rest of us would-be garden designers that I have found in her work. Of course, her genius is in making it all look effortlessly chic! Below the pictures are some notes from what I have observed from looking at her galleries.

1. She creates "rooms" in her gardens, petit destinations at the end of a pathway promising a enticingly comfortable spot to relax

2. She uses boxwoods extensively... to delineate those little rooms with small hedges, create "walls" and pathways

3. The boxwoods are also used as sculpture...usually perfectly round shapes...that look wonderful either in pots are in the ground

4. She creates rhythm in the gardens...the sculpted boxwoods, long rows of cypress, an allee covered with wisteria...she creates rhythm and repetition with garden elements

5. She incorporates a water feature whenever she can

6. She masses flowering plants for maximum effect and keeps the garden structured and simple

7. She loves to incorporate a little folly in the garden...a feature such as a sculpture of a boar, a little cottage...meant to disarm, charm and delight

8. Often she builds in a "potager" or kitchen garden, for its practicality in providing fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices to the French garden

***

I hope these pictures inspire you to find ways to create beauty in your own garden or outdoor space. It seems that her garden ideas are scalable all the way down to a small patch or a patio. A few boxwood topiaries on the patio, masses of same blooms, a water feature, an enchanting spot to relax. These are the little moments that become enchanting elements of wonderful garden design.

What do you think? I will, of course, write more after I see her gardens in person next month. Until then we can all dream of fields of lavender bound hard by geometric borders in boxwood when we wake up and look outside our chateau window!

{all images via the Lafourcade image galleries}