I need your help!

I just discovered that the FrenchByDesign blog was nominated on the Apartment Therapy best home design blogs at the Homies 2012, and I need your help. If you could take a few minutes of your day to vote for this blog, that would mean the world to me! Simply click here and then click on the "vote" button by the FrenchByDesign blog name. Voting ends March 2nd, by end of day, so time is running out... Please vote! Merci, my dear! Xo, Si-

Access the vote page

Wednesday quote!

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Good Read : The Natural Home

I've had the nice surprise to receive last weekend an email from super talented art director and stylist Hans Blomquist who mentioned the imminent release of his upcoming book, the Natural Home. No need to say that between the stylist's natural eye for beauty and Debi Treloar's immense photographic talent, they got me at the cover page.
Hans Blomquist was kind enough to share with us some pictures of The Natural Home, due for release on April 1, 2012 and available through most book retailers.

As Hans Blomquist puts it himself, "the book celebrates a home where style, through furniture and materials used, is very natural, celebrating vintage objects with patina that aged with time and use [...] The homes shown are furnished in a very spontaneous way... unplanned or un-staged, where the style and setting have evolved with time, where furniture and objects found their place, almost by accident. [...]". 

The Natural home is an ode to the "perfect-imperfect" look many of us try to achieve in our home, a look that instantly gives character to a space and clearly contrasts from a "showroom" or catalog home. Can't wait to add this one to my personal home decor book collection... Monsieur Blomquist, merci!

All Photos courtesy of Hans Blomquist - Edited by Ryland, Peter & Small





Photos Debi Treloar - Styling Hans Blomquist 

Product Crush : Pantone by Serax

Major crush on the Pantone plant pots and tableware collection. I had seen the mugs, the Christmas ornaments or i-device cases, but I discovered the Serax for Pantone line at Maison & Objet last january. Can't wait to add some of these colorful plant pots {think basil, parsley, cilantro, or lavender... rosemary!} on my patio or on the summer dinner table {hello sexy salads!}. Definitely on my shopping wish list!



All images via Serax

Hello Monday!

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weekend!

Have a fab' weekend my dear. See you back here on Monday! Xo, Si-

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Oh la la, j'aime...

Oh, I have a major crush on this dining space. I love everything on it. Absolutely everything. So instead of enumerating every single detail I like, I spotted them for you on the pic. See? I like everything!

Photo Nicolas Matheus




At home with Annie

In Uzege, a dreamy area in Gard, southern France, Annie, an American stylist originally from New York, transformed this old farm into a glorious home full of character. Simplicity, the use of local artisans and craftsmen and respect of the original structtral elements were key elements in this renovation. What a serene spot!







Photos Nicolas Matheus - via

M&O crush, part 2 : Refuge

This is my second big Maison et Objet crush...

Picture a big cocoon shaped booth, some fluffy sheepskin rocking chairs and stools, off-whites and natural wood furniture... All you need is a hot cocoa [or some vin chaud], a cashmere throw, and a good book.. This is the mood of Refuge Megeve. Big major crush on their chevron minimalist pendant lamps too...





Images via FrenchByDesign© and Refuge


Hello new week!

Bonjour! Hope your weekend was as enjoyable and relaxing as mine. I am having a hard time this morning, so more coffee will be needed for a full productive mode. Wishing you a happy new work week and a fab' Monday!

Photo Mikkel Rahr  Mortensen

weekend!

Oh, spring where are you? Whenever it gets a bit warmer or the sun shows up, I feel so "renewed" and reinvigorated, only to get back into a forced hibernating mode a couple of days later when temperatures drop again. Is it just me or do you too feel physically exhausted by these sudden temperatures swings we've been experiencing this winter? Oh, spring, please, please, show up soon.

Have a fab' weekend my dear! See you back here on Monday! Xo, Si-

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Happy friday!

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Sneak peek : E-shop update

Here is a sneak peek at a FrenchByDesign shop update. I've come across some more amazing vintage wire baskets with brass tags [and with some elbow grease and a good triceps workout, they look pretty darn good with their rusty patina and shinny front tag], and some beautiful vintage wooden crates [for some strange reason, these have been extremely hard to find lately]. All of these beauties should be listed in the e-shop by the end of this week.

Image FrenchByDesign©

Today I am loving

No... loving is not the right word... Today I am adoring these spaces by Prïvate 02 04 Danish rug company. You might remember a post I did about rugs a month ago. It turns out one of the rugs shown was from Prïvate 02 04...
Prïvate 02 04 rugs are simply to die for, with their aged patina and washed out colors as only sun rays and time can do. This is the epitome of an eclectic mix of ethnic chic and scandinavian minimalist style. Superb!
More inspiring images of their splendid rug collection here.




All images via Prïvate 02 04


You're invited...

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Ode to Love

Pure beauty from Le Maitre, Mr. Serge Gainsbourg.

Si-




The Drowned by Serge Gainsbourg, 1970

You’re drifting away
On the river of memory
And I’m running along on the bank
Shouting at you to come back
But slowly, you slip away
And in your frantic race
Little by little, I recover over you
Some of the lost ground


From time to time you sink
Into the moving liquid
Or else, brushing past some rambles
You hesitate and wait for me
Hiding your face
Inside your upturned dress
For fear of being disfigured by both shame and regrets


You’re now nothing but a poor wreck
Carrion floating by
But I remain your slave
And jump into the brook
When the memory stops
And the ocean of forgetfulness
Breaking our hearts and heads
Forever makes us one again.

House Tour : Fatti + Pierre

Fatti, Pierre and daughter Romana live in Brussels, Belgium in this artsy loft, full of vintage treasures. Fatti brought a feminine touch to Pierre's world, ruled by sober, functional design. The loft, inudated with light is also a vast playground for their 18-month-old daughter Romana.

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Monday Mornin' coffee/tea!

Hello you! Hope you had a relaxing weekend! Wanted to share this pic with you because it made me smile. So, what is it gonna be today? A posh Monday, or do you feel royal? No, your Monday is gonna be a Jedi one... Happy new work week my dear! Si-

weekend!

Yay, finally, weekend, Pjs, a couple of hot cocoa cups, a book, a good movie, still in Pjs, wine, food, food, and another glass of wine... What are you plans this weekend? I may just hibernate in a bed like this... Oh, have a good weekend my dear! Xo, Si-

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Dar Kawa

Well, it's that time of the year... when the excitement of winter with its cosy wool sweaters and nice leather boots is all gone, your skin is dry, your toes are bluish because they haven't seen the sunlight for so long... I long for spring so bad... Don't you? To top it off, I keep coming across pictures of sunny paradisiac spots. Like this one spotted on the latest edition of Cote Sud : Dar Kawa in Marrakech, Morocco. Arhh... take me there... What's not to love about this place. Really.
Redesigned by Valerie Barkowski with the help of architect Quentin Wilbaux, Dar Kawa's style is all about simplicity and authenticity - and extra bonus, it's located in Morocco, a place I call home... Blissful, truly...







All images via Dar Kawa and Cote Sud