All posts filed under: French vintage

Decor: Bold Statement Made with Colors

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I dared myself four years ago to add a bold color in my studio apartment I renovated adding very neutral colors so that I could tie in the outdoor to my indoor – the focal point being views of the Pacific Ocean and fenced gardens in-between homes. I wanted my guests to walk in and instantly look outside – which really isn’t hard to do. The boldest I’ve gone is a Tiffany colored throw pillows on the bed and similar shades on a built-in bookshelf. So, I have to admit, I do love the gutsy bold colors used throughout these rooms and naturally I needed to share. {Photo source}

Boutique Hotel Pick – Le Roch Hotel and Spa – Paris, France

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In my opinion all hotels in Paris are boutique, no matter the grandness or the uniqueness or even the simple 2-star rated tucked away in some alleyway unfamiliar to tourists and frequent visitors of the city. I decided this to be the case when I first arrived in the beautiful city over a decade ago and stayed between the Moulin Rouge and Montematre, a street here and there, and then again a year later, each property I chose then had a unique style of their own, charming to say the least, and memorable to say the most. This past March while I returned to Paris, I did a little bit of hotel touring. I guess I was tapping into my travel agent days 🙂 and I discovered this wonderful place, beautifully designed in every detail if you ask me, keeping in line with a Bohemian theme. I simply adore this place.  

Boutique Hotel Pick – Le Regina Biarritz, France

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The weather has been crazy lately, with a glimpse here and there of warm sunny weather and then all of a sudden a downpour, thunder, lightning, and high winds, overall, making me want to get away even more – to a tropical or seaside destination somewhere in the world. While I was going through a list of places I have logged into a travel journal (yes it is paper bound), this property came up for Biarritz, a place I’ve only been to as a day trip from somewhere near by, over a decade ago, I can’t for the life of me remember any details, nor the fact if the coastal destination is something I’d like to explore. Now, I’ve done all my reading online about Biarritz, being a luxury destination near the border of Spain visited by royals and the famed Hotel du Palais, which has a history worth reading about and if you are an architectural and decor buff like I am, you would appreciate details of its renovation and such. But even still, …

decor: rustic taste and a flare for french country design

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I think if I had the means I would decorate my house differently every six months or so. But since reality dictates otherwise, I choose to decorate over time not really sticking to one style or another, and including everything that I makes me feel happy. With that said, here’s a few decor styles I’ve been slowly incorporating in my current state of transforming my studio-loft lucky for me attached to a beautiful garden: {source}

the black and white of kitchen decor

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Although most kitchen remodel today suggest modern and clinical, I tend to lean towards French country inspired suggestions while searching for new ideas. There is something to be said about white cabinetry and subway tiles. A bold chandelier, a touch of color. A slab of marble or distressed counter tops and a dark wood center island perfectly ensembled in a brightly lit area of a home.

day 8 to 12 – travel journal – french riviera et all

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The most amazing thing about Europe is the fact, everything is connected by train, so there is no need to stress about driving nor flying. One can simply book a point to point ticket or by a Railpass (Outside of Europe Residance only) and arrange to get from any number of destinations within Europe. The beauty of having a Railpass is that the passholder can travel on the TER train – which connects all the beach town along the French Riviera by an intrecit timetable and train schedule.  So, basically in the morning you could be in Cannes and within half an hour to an hour you could be in Antinbes, Nice, Monte Carlo, Menton (depending on the stops the train makes). So, of course we did just that, hopped on the TER everyday and ended up in different parts of the French Riviera. Our stops, on this trip were to St. Tropez, Antibes, Monte Carlo (for the hubby man), VillaFranche Sur Mer and Nice.  Now, although every town is almost the same in that …