Bonjour everyone, Right, I'll be honest with you: this fortnight has been an absolute slog at the Chartreuse. Our latest video is now live! Fair warning though, it's less 'dreamy French renovation' and more 'why did we think this was a good idea?' But that's the reality of this journey, isn't it? Watch it now: January decided to throw everything at us: constant rain, an actual storm (thankfully we escaped with minimal damage, touch wood), and then, of course, the universe decided that nothing...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, Welcome back! In this week's video, we finally tackle a job we’ve been putting off for over two years: ripping out all the old insulation upstairs, as the first step towards our attic renovation. It’s one of those tasks that nobody wants to do, but that needed doing before anything else could move forward. Why now? The insulation that was up there had been installed back in the 1990s, and it was made of glass fibres. On paper, it should have done the job, but in practice it...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, Winter has truly arrived here in southwest France. We've had a proper cold snap this week, and would you believe it, we actually woke up to snow in Bordeaux! It's such a rare sight that half the neighbourhood was out taking photos. But the novelty wore off pretty quickly when we realised just how freezing cold the house had become. And that's what finally pushed us to tackle a job we really should have done ages ago: insulating under the floorboards in the cellar. I know, I...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, We've got a special one for you today: our bedroom transformation is finally on the channel! This room has been quite the journey. When we first got the keys to the Chartreuse, the bedroom was an absolute state: mouldy walls, plasterboards stuck to the original stone that had to come off, a hole in the wall that needed fixing, dodgy gutters, ancient plastic window... the list goes on. We had to sort the gutters, replace the windows, insulate properly, and then tackle...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour, Our latest renovation episode is now live, and we think it's a good one: packed with satisfying progress, antique treasure hunting, and a touch of Christmas magic. Watch it now👇 🛠️ Bedroom makeover continues In this episode, we’re back in the big bedroom. The end is finally in sight as we finish the drawer fronts we’ve been working on. It’s one of those jobs that looks deceptively simple but makes such a difference once it’s done. We can’t wait for you to see how the whole space is...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, We’re back with another update from the chartreuse — and this time, we’re making more progress on the bedroom renovation. It’s still far from finished (as always, these things take time!), but Hugo has started working on the doors and drawers, and I’ve been playing around with some fabric options for the door panels. If you love seeing the little details come together, you’ll enjoy this one. Meanwhile, outside... We made the most of the last of the autumn sunshine and spent...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, We’re back this week in your inbox with lots of renovation excitement and a brand-new video! Over the last few weeks, we’ve been deep in renovation mode, and this episode is a big one: we’re finally making huge progress on our bedroom makeover and adding those finishing touches that make the old house magic come alive again. Bedroom makeover: almost there! We’re so close to finishing our bedroom, and this phase may be our favourite yet. In this episode, we: Installed the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, Welcome back! Our latest video is out, and this time, we’re diving deeper into our bedroom makeover. It’s been our main focus these past few weeks, and we’re finally starting to see things come together. 🎥 Watch it here: You might remember our vision for the room: since it’s quite square with very tall ceilings, we’ve been struggling to balance storage with a large bed and bedside tables. So, we came up with a plan: two built-in wardrobes on either side of the bed, joined by...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Bonjour everyone, Our latest video is live, and this time we’re taking you on a proper tour of the gardens to show you how much progress we’ve made since the last update. It’s been a busy few weeks out there, and things are really starting to take shape, so grab a cuppa and come have a wander with us! 🌸 The front garden Earlier this year, we planted the yew hedges, and they have been thriving since. They now frame two neat borders and bring some much-needed structure to the space. The idea is...
5 months ago • 1 min read