Eeny, meeny
So for those joining now -hi! *waves
Here is where we are at. I had painted our Grand Salon in France a hideous, girly, darkish pink. It looked like a nine year old’s bedroom – all it needed were some Lelli Kelli shoes scattered on the floor. And so I had begun a search to find a pink I DID like. I was open and broad minded in this quest – from lilac to nudes to peaches – no shade of pink was denied its chance. See above!
As it turned out I fell back on my old friends at Farrow and Ball (don’t ask why I didn’t just do that in first place) and went for Calamine.
Calamine by Farrow and Ball
but the wall above remains in our London dining room and produces an interesting talking point for guests.
Guest….
“So, which one are you going for,”
Us…
“None of them.”
And we set to work, reprinting the entire room. And then we added a wooden floor which came from Bricot Depot and some tall skirting boards which Peter plans to add to the rest of the house one day but he ran out of steam doing the Salon.
And I added two hanging lights I bought in the Graham and Green sale. I got Peter to replace the hanging wires with vintage style fabric covered cord bought on eBay. And we are currently in the process of recovering all these old chairs we’ve found in Vide Greniers.
The coloured chandelier has been moved around every room in the house and will be replaced in here too but we can never get rid of it as it hung in Peter’s dining room in Los Angeles where we first met. When we left LA, we left the chandelier with my LA dwelling Aunt Moira and it lived in her garage for about ten years until I decided I’d carry it back while visiting for work. It came on the flight as hand luggage much to the annoyance of other passengers. And now it’s in France. And Peter keeps optimistically hanging it in every room until I point out it ruins the ‘mood’ I had planned….. Maybe it could go here (current utility room!)….
One day in the future this will ACTUALLY become a pig sty
And as a gift for us all and our newly repainted Salon, Serge brought us an enormous plant which we added to our ‘reading corner’ and we have a long list of other things we would like to go in it. Mirrors, chairs, tables, bookcases – pretty much everything but at least I have painted walls in a colour I love. Phew.
Farrow and Ball Calamine walls
The Chandelier of love!
Serge’s plant and some French mags!
we bought a french house 
Ta da. You found it, and it looks wonderfully modern without smacking in the face. Should be a color you can live with for a long time. The Old Parsonage Hotel in Oxford used to have a purple tint in their main rooms that achieved the same sort of effect. It didn’t scream; it whispered.
I love your process. I’m also doing up a house, which is in Charlottesville, Virginia. And while we don’t have the hard bits of restoring, we have our own challenges. It evolves in spite of a small car and frustration getting big items “home”.
The main floor is pretty much finished–the walls khaki, the palette is shades of orange and red. The sala di pranzo is neutral with a grey lattice rug to allow for my more colorful table linens.
The ground level is undefined except for a sofa, round table and chairs (reading area) and like you wrote, still needs bookcases, mirrors, stuff for the walls, and maybe a TV–small one. On a table. And definitely NOT hung on the wall!
I’ve loved your blog and shared it often. Each time I see you’ve posted, I pour a cup of coffee and feel as though my phone has rung and you’ve called me for a chat.
I’m Leslie. Thanks for sharing your story.
Cheers!
Leslie what a lovely comment thank you. Xxx
really like the colour, looks very restful. 🙂
Thank you – we are really pleased with it – will be nice once we finish the room I think x
the pink is good. now, for the bit I would hate to say…should the floor be pale grey? cover it in a shabby rug?
Am getting a rug – or maybe even multiple rugs. X
I really wanted to suggest F&B calamine but didn’t want to appear as a total F&B obsessive (although, quite frankly, I am).
It looks wonderful; really calming and tres sophistique. My faith in your taste is restored, cos you were really worried, right?
Jude x
Thanks – I know – I tried so hard to avoid F&b but they’ve opened a shop in my local village – Blackheath so am now totally sucked in!!! Little Green Paints good too though xxxx
I’m not a pink person but I absolutely love it with the grays!
Looks very French and will be cosy in winter
Good choice
have mixed pale pink /lilac for one of our French bedrooms as can’t get shade I want. Tis difficult when you have something not quite defined floating arounfd in your head!
Gill (Blog Sur Aude)
or even “around ” in your head! (It’s Friday & I am brain dead)
Thanks – lovely to hear from you – am going to go check out your blog too x
Love this room, the colour is super, the furniture and lights looked relaxed and that little checker board table is fab. The sample shot looks very familiar, how many times have i had similar on the wall? A right pest to get it covered up too!