I confess, it has been harder to write here in France than I thought. Days are filled with activities, exploration, market shopping, festivals, friends, a bit of gardening, and yes, a bit of cooking. Evenings are the same. Simply, it is a rich life.
Many of you have asked to see photos of our mas. I don’t know our mas history, but wish I did. I have asked at the village Mairie, or town hall, and they don’t know. I do know that it is a little stone mas from 1850, situated in a hamlet in an older part of the village. Close by the village, our road butts up next to a protected forest and vineyards. The house is small, but very sweet, and now has a separate studio, which was a former tiny barn. I imagine a hundred years ago, previous owners would walk their small herd of sheep up into the forest and garrigue landscape to graze.
From our paperwork on the mas, for roughtly the last twenty years, previous owners have been women and interestingly enough foreigners, not French. Each have made their mark on the tiny mas with their style and improvements like skylights, new doors, new bathroom, new appliances, rooms with climate control, etc.
My husband John, and I have owned our mas for two years, and been here over five visits. Since most of the mas has been tastefully modernized, I really wanted to decorate with the purpose of creating an inviting charm, and a warm feeling with vintage and brocante pieces. I mentioned, I worked with a very special and talented lady for the last six months long distance. First, we put together our plan together (John had great suggestions), from our wishes, such as different dimmable lighting, new kitchen backsplash tile, sisal rugs, wrought iron railings, window treatments, vintage paintings, antique pieces, lamps, and decorative pillows.
It is not quite finished, but the small changes have really made a difference. Here are a few photos to share with you.
