"Vide Grenier" anyone?

A "Vide Grenier" literally means to empty the attic in French and is the equivalent of the American 'garage' or' lawn' sale and the British car' boot' sale. It seems to have become quite a pass time in France with people leaving very early in the morning to try and nab a "find" before anyone else; grabbing some lunch and a taste of wine on the spot as these tend to take place in beautiful rural villages. I spotted this well worn wrought iron rack and bought it for 5 €! Brought it back to the UK on top of the car, gave it a Farrow and Ball makeover and tada: a charming vintage piece of furniture to grace my home.

Diane Toury's paintings.

Little clip showcasing Diane Toury's animal paintings. The music is by the Jackson Five.

French Art de Vivre: For eyes and ears!

French Art de Vivre: For eyes and ears!: Had fun creating this clip with photos of FrenchCachet's vintage French crystal chandeliers (it's not perfect but the next ones will be bett...

For eyes and ears!

Had fun creating this clip with photos of FrenchCachet's vintage French crystal chandeliers (it's not perfect but the next ones will be better!). I will eventually make clips of individual items also.  The creative beast has been unleashed now that I know how to use the movie maker on my computer!

Opulence

Open any interior decorating magazine and you're bound to find crystal chandeliers used in many areas of a home.  Sometimes even the bathroom.  Chandeliers are versatile, they can be opulent and lush or simple and restrained.  As always, it comes down to personal taste.  I happen to like antique or vintage crystal chandeliers for the the lustrous richness of their crystal pendeloques, icicles, tear drops, stars, flowers and beads.  Modern chandeliers can be dazzling but sometimes have a 'bling bling' quality to them that does not suit every home.  As an interior designer said : "Crystal chandeliers are like jewels for the home".  The ones in the pictures are the newest addition to www.FrenchCachet.com.

Art de la table or table decorating

Has anybody noticed that many things in France become an art form?  I mean we have 'art de vivre', 'l'art d'´écrire' and now 'art de la table'.  Any dinner party in France will be an excuse to pull out all the stops as far as table decorating goes. So besides china, silverware and flowers you can pick a theme and  rush to one of my favorite places in Paris:  Point à la Ligne, where you will find the most fabulous and tasteful choice of candles and table decorations from classical to the most original.  I've added a picture from their catalogue along with some photos of beautiful crystal and silver swan salt cellars and 18th century style blue glass and silver salt cellars.  Get into party mode everyone!

Penmanship or l'art d'écrire

Trust me, I 'm the first person to advocate the speed, efficiency, immediate satisfaction of e-mailing, texting, messaging, in-boxing and so forth,   however there are moments when nothing beats writing with a  fountain pen in richly colored ink on smooth as satin paper (personally, my "lefty" handwriting takes on a more sophisticated appearance !).  One such occasion is the writing of what the French call the "lettre de château", this is a thank you letter you send to your hosts after a week-end in their country home (even when it is not a château!).   And, though I don't yet qualify as an antique,  I remember writing such letters when I was a teen!

Tea à la française!

You might not think that the French know much about tea...I am not talking about a tea bag in a mug with lashings of milk and sugar, no, I mean tea in a teapot with fine porcelain cups.  As I write I am sipping 'Nocturne Oriental' from Mariage Frères,  it is a green tea very delicately flavored with jasmine, rose and bergamot, it evokes the cool and soothing refinement of the inner courtyards of oriental palaces...Bliss, I tell you, throw in large silk cushions and the trickle of a fountain and we are there!

Link it!

This has been a very grey day.  I need to visit my own blog for a splash of color!  Aah, I feel better now!
Just a reminder: if you click on any of the photos marked French Cachet© photo, it will take you right to my site FrenchCachet.com to see more beautiful things! A bientôt.

Pure Beauty

After my last post titled 'animalier' in which I mentioned Bernard de Clavière, I have posted just a few pictures of his work.

'Animalier'

This French word usually refers to to 19th century artists who were known for their paintings of animals.  It can be also be applied to contemporary artists.  One such artist is the world famous Bernard de Clavière whose work is simply breathtakingly beautiful.  One of his paintings was offered by the French government to Queen Elisabeth.  Google his name or visit his website at bernarddeclaviere.net.

At FrenchCachet.com we represent French artist Diane Toury who does a lot of animal paintings, though not exclusively.  Her take on the subject is bold, modern and very fresh.  The animals depicted ooze character (as the 'Bouledogue Anglais' featured on this page), or are endearing, but they are never overly cute or 'saccharine sweet'.

 Juste rapidement en français:
A voir absolument le site de Bernard de Clavière, bernarddeclavère.net, un peintre animalier de renommée mondiale.  Des oeuvres à vous couper le souffle, tout simplement!

Chez FrenchCachet.com nous représentons Diane Toury dont les tableaux sont  un souffle de fraîcheur.  Ses sujets sont attachants sans pour autant devenir 'gnangnans' comme cela peut être parfois le cas avec les peintures animalières.

Bon, alors!

To date, 218 hits on  FrenchCachet.com (including some of my own for tweaks here and there!).

Allons, encore un petit effort...218 visites pour mon site!

What is it with French words?

Cachet, chic, panache, allure, flair, flamboyant, je ne sais quoi, are all French words or expressions which are used in the English language to describe a person's innate elegance or the specific character or individuality of a house or an antique.
Cachet will always denote an easy elegance with a touch of spice.

That in essence, is what FrenchCachet.com is about, finding items that will add instant panache to your home.

Addendum

I will add photos and switch some around.  Those not marked private collection belong to FrenchCachet.com and if you click on them it will take you to the website. Voilà, for today!

A New Year, a new blog!

I've got the workings of Facebook pretty much down pat, now I'm giving a go at this new blog.  It pretty much illustrates who I am and what I do.  I've just created a website, www.FrenchCachet.com, dedicated to sourcing stunning antiques, vintage crystal chandeliers and contemporary animal paintings.  The purpose is to find items which are full of character to add warmth and cachet to one's home.