It was a dream that became rooted in my bones so long ago, that it’s hard to know when it began. Probably right at the beginning - on my very first trip to France in the summer of 1994. I immediately felt like I was home, where I really belonged, as I started in Paris and travelled across the country - concentrated in the South for the majority of the trip. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but knew that I must do it. I must find a way to have a home in the South of France one day.
I carried that dream with me over the years, held it close to my heart and after many of life’s ups and downs, I thought I was getting closer. In the autumn of 2008, I left my native home of Los Angeles, California for London, England - and took the exciting and frightening leap to pack up all of my possessions into a massive container and bring them to the UK with me. My intention was not to stay in the UK forever. By packing everything I owned and moving it all across an ocean, I was declaring a very strong intention to find the house of my dreams in France and to move all of those possessions into it. I was going to manifest that house by hook or by crook. I could not fail - as there was no way that I could afford to move everything back to the States again!
All images from Provence Style: Landscapes Houses Interiors Details by Dr. Angelika Taschen (Editor)
For years before leaving Los Angeles, I had amassed a collection of Taschen’s beautiful books of houses in Provence and their interiors, which served as years of inspiration for the house I had yet to find. They were to form the basis of what I was to come to look for in a forever home. I also had the sage advice of one dear French friend in particular who laid out for me the main things I was to look for and not to compromise on:
Location: Far enough South to get the best weather and as much sunshine as possible.
Transportation: Close to at least one airport, preferably close to two or three to give you options; absolutely must be close to a stop on the TGV (France’s intercity high-speed rail service). Needs to be easy and affordable to get there from London.
Village: Small enough to not be too touristy, large enough to have all the amenities you need: some nice restaurants, a weekly market, a good pharmacy, a supermarket or mini-casino (as they’re called there - in the U.S. we’d call it an am/pm), at least a couple of good boulangeries, a hospital near by - and of course a glacerie (essential in the summertime). Amongst other things - but these were my key points. Most important: within an hour’s drive (or so) of a beach.
House: With a dream this special, you don’t want to spoil your opportunities by being too specific or closed-minded - you have your essentials and your deal-breakers, but being too rigid about what you want can often end in tears - as even once you find the place of your dreams, if it’s a fixer-upper (and the best deals are), there will inevitably be things that you adore that will need to change in order for the house to eventually be liveable. My absolutes: The house needed to have (1.) enough space for a pool, (2.) a viable space for the art studio of my dreams, (3.) a completely separate and independent space that could be rented out or for visitors to come stay in and (4.) be behind a big, private gate.
There had been a period of time when I wanted acres of land and multiple outbuildings to restore, but the reality of what that would cost both to purchase as well as to restore was definitely cost prohibitive - so I decided to keep an open mind about what this future home could be. As long as the top essentials were present, it didn't have to be some massive chateau with acres attached.
Little did I know, it would be the adventure of a lifetime. When I fell, I fell hard and madly in love. This kind of undertaking is not for the faint of heart…