Renovation

Chez-Lolli & family home. Built in 1856 (we think). Originally a bakery and shop, which still houses its bread oven inside. This property oozes charm and character. We fell in love with its old stone, wooden beams and history straight away.

The outside walls will remain untouched. The interior acquired from begged, borrowed and up-cycled furniture from the decheteries and local Facebook Marketplace. We've found items including, antique wardrobes, doors and flooring - that some people just give away. Our budget isn’t massive, so we need to be conservative and choose our materials wisely.

I’ve found great inspiration on Pinterest. It’s a way to visualise how you’d like your home to look. I’d recommend anyone starting a renovation project to use an app like this to amalgamate your ideas into one place.

A French Start

As an adolescent adult, I skipped the gloom of British winter weather and set off for the snowy mountains.

I met Chris, a like minded person and together we enjoyed a handful of seasons in the French Alps.

After much fun we decided to return to the UK to settle. We bought a house and had our children, Frank (7 years old) and Sadie (4 years old). And everything was okay. But sometimes you have to drop a lot to gain what you really want. I like to call it a mid-life venture (not crisis). I wanted something more from life.

It was a massive decision, Frank has actually said to me, did you think of us when you made the decision to live here. In which I replied, YES OF COURSE. These kids are my main priority of moving here. I hope he sees why as time goes on.

My aim: to create a better life for our family and to enrich our children with culture, a new language and plenty of outdoor adventures.

I'm looking forward to our future together, as we grow into our new French lifestyle.