- Hi, everyone, it's Justine.
I'm currently working on the creative direction
that I want for this upcoming house renovation.
Interestingly, some parts of this house
date back to the Renaissance period,
which means 500 years old,
elements like this stone arch here
are original from that period, which is crazy.
It was a master house,
but within a village, very much in the countryside.
The way it originally looked like
was probably somewhere between a peasant farm
on one side and a bourgeois home, maybe on the other side,
it's tricky because that category
in interior design history is not well documented at all.
I took this challenge as an excuse
to go around Provence and visit all sorts
of castles and houses renovated to get some inspiration.
I have not wasted a single weekend since the last work.
First I went to Grignan in the north of Provence.
This is a typical view of Provence.
You see all the right trees,
the tiles roofs, very typical view.
It's also on the list of.
(Justine speaks French)
The most beautiful villages in France.
Today, I'm going to visit Grignon
and the castle of Grignan,
famous for the Marquise de Sévigné and her letters,
a big piece of literature history in France.
Grignan is also famous for their ancient roses.
They have breeds that were technically almost extinct
but they found seeds in the archive and put them together,
managed to resurrect the breeds.
So the village is one big botanical garden as well,
and it's really pretty.
Grignan is pretty,
but it's hot here.
12:00 PM noon,
I'm gonna look for a place in the shade, I think.
Wait until 2:00 PM and then continue.
(keyboard music)
This one is called "La Grand Rue".
It's not that big, but it leads to the castle.
Is this a chateau I'm seeing.
The castle of Grignan is a masterpiece
of Renaissance architecture.
Ta-da.
(Justine speaks French)
The windows are typically Renaissance,
they're large, they let much more light in
than the tiny windows of the middle age.
That's very easy to recognize,
if you see tiny windows put in the weirdest places,
like in a corner or something where you think
it makes no sense on the facade,
you're very likely looking at a middle-aged window
because at that time they didn't plan
how to put the windows,
they just made a hole wherever they needed light
at a given moment.
Whereas in the Renaissance period,
they started planning the windows
as parts of the features of the architecture,
so they start in the center and then on each side,
left and right, they allocate very large windows,
evenly spaced all over the facade.
That's typically a Renaissance facade.
Think of castles like Versailles, Chambord, Vaux-le-Vicomte.
My house is a lot smaller than these, of course,
but some of its features are similar
to what you see in Renaissance castles
because it was that style at that time.
For example, high wooden ceilings, à la Francaise,
but these are painted.
They look even fancier.
Mine are not painted.
In the living rooms,
chimneys that were not meant for cooking anymore,
but for heating and for the family to gather around
and spend time together.
Beds à la duchesse,
meaning that the roof is suspended.
Beds à la Francaise,
where the roof is supported
by four pillars in the four corners of the bed.
A bit much from my taste.
(Justine laughs)
The walls were typically covered
with jacquard tapestry and/or wooden panels
which was actually a great trick
to not only decorate the wall,
but also to hide a saltpeter issue,
or when the wall wasn't quite straight.
(piano music)
Honestly, I really wanted to visit the kitchen
in that castle because I love kitchens.
It's always my favorite part to see in a castle
and also I have the kitchen to renovate,
but unfortunately, in Grignan,
the kitchens are now closed to the public,
so I couldn't see that, which is okay
because the following weekend I went to
Montbrun-les-Bains
which is another one on the list
of the most beautiful villages in France.
Provence has many of these, as I learned.
(calming music) (birds chirping)
(water trickling)
Accueil, this way.
Montbrun is a bit higher up in the mountains
so there, the grass actually remains green longer,
and the trees survive summer.
I found it super cute.
The old village is mostly accessible by foot, no cars.
There are fountains and wash houses at every corner.
Here is the laundry room.
Not much water, but still.
Narrow streets to keep the shade, absolutely lovely.
Place de l'apero.
(Justine speaks French)
Two chairs.
I stayed at a bed and breakfast
which turned out to be an excellent source
of inspiration in a more countryside direction
as I explained in the beginning.
I like the vintage bathtub a lot.
It's standing on the floor made of plain wood.
The corridors are kept raw and uneven.
The old tiles are a typical provost pattern.
There is a lot done quite right in this place.
(water rushing)
I want one like this.
(gentle music)
Follow your dreams, they know the way.
I know that's the way to breakfast.
It's all about the details.
The metal basket with burlap cloth at breakfast,
the old coffee grinder.
I have one similar to this, actually.
The garden design was a dream.
There was even a path
leading to a little river
and all this little path smells so good
thanks to these flowers.
(relaxing music)
Yay! (water trickling)
In which I went and dipped my feet
and the water was surprisingly cold.
It's the little moments like this
when I realize how lucky I am
that I landed in Provence,
that it's what I was looking for
and also everything that I hope for,
despite the renovation thing coming up
which is gonna be a huge project.
I'm well aware of it, despite the headache
when I'm gonna realize that what I have in mind
does not fit my budget
and that we need to compromise,
as the architect are already telling me.
All that doesn't matter.
My grandfather, who was a wise man,
used to sit down, take a deep breath
have a look around and then say,
"Aren't we lucky to be here?"
When one person in the group says that,
the whole group realizes,
"Yeah, he's right.
We are lucky."
Alright, next time I will show you more of the house
but today is a tiny bit too hot for that.
I will stay in the shade
and try to move slowly and not to sweat.
See you soon.
Take care.
(relaxing music)