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.

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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 know. We probably should have sorted this out before running all the electrics down there, but at the time it just felt like something we could put off. You know how it is with old houses: there's always a never-ending list of jobs, and you have to prioritise somehow! We'd convinced ourselves that insulating the external walls would be enough to keep the place cosy. Turns out, we were very wrong about that. If you've ever lived in a 19th century house, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about: that bone-deep chill that no amount of heating seems to shift.

Hugo's been down in the cellar all week fitting wood fibre insulation between the joists, and honestly? The difference is already noticeable. Our feet are actually warm when we walk across the living room floor now, which feels like an absolute luxury!

While Hugo was busy with that rather unglamorous task, I decided to make our living room a bit cosier with some small decorating touches. I've been challenging myself to get better at sewing this year, so I dug out some gorgeous fabric scraps I picked up at the vintage market a few months ago and made a few cushion covers. I even attempted contrasting piping for the first time, which was simultaneously fun and frustrating! They didn't turn out quite as crisp as I'd imagined, but I'm choosing to see them as charmingly homemade rather than wonky. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Watch this week's video to see the full cellar insulation process and my cushion-making adventures!

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As always, thank you so much for following along on this journey with us. Your comments and messages always make our day.

Stay warm!

Hugo & Romy