Last weekend Arnelle and Rodger, friends I met through blogging, invited French Husband and me to join them at their home away from home in Ardeche. Arnelle gave us very good directions, directions her family from the States found without a hitch. French Husband and I weren't as clever. We were five minutes from their home, yet we were lost for over an hour. Driving up and down one lane, mostly dirt roads, reading and re-reading the directions. Basically, I think it was a French/American lost-in- translation-then-nearly-ready-to-clobber-one-another-out-of-frustration type of moments: "I said turn right! Not left, turn around, oh my God you nearly drove the car into the ditch..."
Finally, our phone service kicked in and Rodger found us, and lead the way back to their home.
Arnelle is a interior designer from San Francisco. I knew I was in for a treat extraordinaire but I wasn't ready to have my socks blown off. From the moment we drove up to the front gate my mouth fell open and I could not close it. The table was set, lunch was served and every inch was perfection.
Their home is a hamlet consisting of several smaller homes that interlock with one another:
"During the 18th century, for rich or noble, it was classic to create their own hameau (hamlet) in their gardens. A hamlet was a group of houses or farms with rustic appearance, but in fact were very comfortable. The best known in the Hameau de la Reine built by the Queen Marie-Antoinette in the park of the Château de Versailles." Via Wiki.
Arnelle and Rodger's Hamlet was a silk worm menagerie and made completely in stone.
A. R.
If you have ever tried to find your monogram on old linen in France I can tell you it isn't easy.
Arnelle and Rodger found theirs.
Luck is on their side.
Arnelle is about subtle details that can easily go unnoticed but add enormously to the whole picture.
I love how she took three iris stems and made a trellis for the basil plant.
Wildflowers spring's crown.
A small view of one of the courtyards.
Their home is a few centuries old...
A few story live amongst the stones.
Arnelle and Rodger are the guardians faithfully keeping it safe as it continues on to tomorrow. Arnelle said something that struck me, that we are the guardians of these beautiful things, we need to be mindful of the history and know that these old homes have lived and will live longer than us.
Straight to my heart.
Art history. Living memory. The story objects hold and give to those who listen.
If you look on the top right hand corner of the above photo you will see a slot in the stone wall that was used to hold the long handle sauté pan.
Loved that detail that has been left intact all these years.
It is hard for me to believe that I only took a handful of photos. Not even one of the view, or of the pool, or of the bedrooms, or of the kitchen, or of the incredible meals, or of the artwork, or of the tiles, or of the amazing tub, or of the walk in fireplaces, or of the mulberry trees, or of the landscape, or of the stone work, or of the beads on the kitchen door, or of the basement, or of our walk down to the old laundry and water source, or of the king's soldiers burial ground, or of the homemade chocolate prune cake or of the bleu cheese fig crackers Arnelle made, or of Arnelle and Rodger!
What was I thinking?
Simply...
I was happy in the moment. Soaking it in and letting it form memories deep within me. I am grateful for the imagery enriched with history, mindfully kept by Arnelle and Rodger's graceful touch.
Every room, each entry, stone, beam, ironwork, handle spoke of a generation no longer living yet alive.
What will we leave behind?
A future of beauty I hope.
And a kitchen window that looks out to an olive grove.
xoxo
That outdoor patio is wonderful. Love the interior pictures too. What a lovely place!
Posted by: Diogenes | 01 June 2016 at 02:02 AM
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so beautiful!
Posted by: Kipper | 01 June 2016 at 02:13 AM
My husband and I love to drive around in the Ardeche, it is just north of us when we are there. So remote and peaceful! He often rides his bike up there as well, it is a cyclists paradise!! What a lovely home your friends have...it's what dreams are made of!!
Posted by: RebeccaNYC | 01 June 2016 at 02:25 AM
Oh the glimpse is gorgeous. I did find sheets in France with my initials. Lucky find.
Posted by: Marilyn | 01 June 2016 at 03:58 AM
What a beautiful experience....thanks for sharing, T&D
Posted by: Teresa Young | 01 June 2016 at 06:48 AM
Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences.
Posted by: Sharon K | 01 June 2016 at 07:25 AM
Simply stunning... What a treat!
Posted by: Andrea | 01 June 2016 at 07:30 AM
It was worth the trip and getting lost and found...
Blessed are the gatekeepers, and God has richly blessed your friends,
Posted by: joanny | 01 June 2016 at 07:51 AM
Loved this. Loved the concepts. Learned something.
Posted by: Shelley Noble | 01 June 2016 at 09:05 AM
What a gorgeous experience! And your description does the hameae proud.
Posted by: Chico Sue | 01 June 2016 at 09:09 AM
It looks absolutely stunning, I don't know the Ardeche at all, but as it is only three or four hours from us, I keep thinking it is an area we should visit. It's so easy to get lost in rural France, the best bit is getting lost on purpose and discovering all sorts of fascinating places that seem to exist right under our noses and yet remain firmly hidden!
Posted by: Our French Oasis | 01 June 2016 at 09:23 AM
Merci...Corey! I thank you for the beautiful and kind words discribing our little corner of paradise.
X times 3
Arnelle
Posted by: Arnelle | 01 June 2016 at 12:15 PM
Spectacular! Each property is unique in its own special way and I love your descriptions. Perhaps Arnelle will let you return and you can take more photos to share with us!
Posted by: Suzette Bannister | 01 June 2016 at 01:17 PM
Beautiful! Love how t French set t table, would love to see more of that!
What an amazing place!
Posted by: Dd | 01 June 2016 at 02:26 PM
Another thought, how do you get lipstick out of the lovely white napkins? I have some embroidered ones lm afraid to use.
Posted by: Dd | 01 June 2016 at 02:28 PM
WHAT will WE Leave behind........MASSES of cell phones and computers!
WHAT A TREAT........does she come back to SAN FRANCISCO half the year?I want to MEET HER!Their home is STUNNING.............LUCKY YOU and FH.
NOw, as I sat yesterday with a stack of magazines in MY GARDEN with temps in the high 80's and the JASMINE swimming about my nostrils......I OPENED VICTORIA MAGAZINE.As I went page by page and I haven't done that for a VERY long time cause THEY LOST something to me years ago...........I was SO HAPPY!THen I TURN The PAGE and I think THAT LOOKS FAMILIAR!YOUR APARTMENT in PARIS is BEAUTIFULLY displayed in their pages.............the only difference for me is it has MORE STUFF AND A SOFA!I canNOT wait to show the BOYS!
I would DEFINITELY say YOU have ARRIVED!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!
I LOVED EVERY INCH of the MAGAZINE...............XX
Posted by: La Contessa | 01 June 2016 at 03:38 PM
Wow; I stayed in hameau de Veaux in 2004; how lucky they are to be able to join all of it together. Amazing. I love the connections made via the blog. I'm getting back to blogging . . .
Posted by: tut-tut | 01 June 2016 at 04:29 PM
So happy and excited to see these photos - lucky me will be visiting Arnelle and Roger in 3 weeks! Your description and photos have created a dreamy anticipation! I'll be in Cassis in early July Corey - maybe time to meet in person for Apero?
Posted by: Debbie | 01 June 2016 at 04:37 PM
Love, love, love this house! Perhaps one day we can enjoy even more photos.
Posted by: Teddee Grace | 01 June 2016 at 05:13 PM
stunning! they are very lucky custodians!
Posted by: kathleen short | 01 June 2016 at 05:33 PM
Oh. My. Gosh.
I'm in the ER from the head injury I received when I fainted looking at those pics! Jkjk
Please have them sell me their place, but you know my budget!
Xoxoxox Mari
Posted by: Mari | 01 June 2016 at 05:58 PM
I think if they agreed, that you could take photos for a wonderful magazine article about their hamlet. I would love to see many many photos of their place.
Posted by: Lilly | 01 June 2016 at 06:04 PM
So beautiful, Corey. The piece that truly "stuck" with me today is the phrase "What we leave behind"...something to consider deeply each day, for sure.
Posted by: Kristin | 01 June 2016 at 06:12 PM
Hi Mari, You nut! xxx C
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:15 PM
I would love to do just that!
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:15 PM
YES! Early July is good!
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:16 PM
Hi Tut Tut!!! So good to see you again. My friends are near the Veaux.
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:16 PM
Hi Contessa, Yes you stayed there before I barely had a bed! Big difference. I will pass your email on to Arnelle when I see her.x
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:17 PM
White vinegar and dishwasher soap.
Posted by: French la Vie | 01 June 2016 at 06:18 PM
1. Please return and visit them again, so you won't be so overawed next time and will take many more photos for us to pant over.
2. The painting in the deep recess in the dining room!!
3. For someone who "didn't take photos", the many you did take and posted here are wonderful.
4. No pictures of "the beads on the kitchen door, or of the basement, or of our walk down to the old laundry and water source, or of the king's soldiers burial ground, or of the homemade chocolate prune cake or of the bleu cheese fig crackers"???? But. But. I wanted to see all these things.
You tease you.
Posted by: Rebecca from the pacific northwest | 02 June 2016 at 12:45 AM
Hello, I have just stumbled across your blog through "An Accidental Blog' (how appropriate!) and am excited to have a look around. This was a lovely first impression. Thanks, Catherine
Posted by: Catherine Berry (But you are in France, Madame) | 02 June 2016 at 03:51 AM
Amazingly beautiful home! Thank you Corey, for taking us with you!
Posted by: Ana María | 02 June 2016 at 05:03 AM
This is totally über-magnificent. Not only have your friends the absolute 'super taste' in their 'furnishing' but obviously also the means to entertain the wonderful beauty they live in. I so often see a display of much money and sadly, a great lack of taste. Arnelle and Roger even have a beautiful and healthy view of 'what is ours to care for and what are we going to leave'... I love them dearly, just from your post.
And BTW; you KNOW you'll have to go back to them and take the rest of the photos, you do, don't you?! :)
Thank you for this lovely and heart-warming post. I got all warm with the warmth & happiness emerging from your words and photos.
Posted by: Kiki | 02 June 2016 at 11:05 AM
Arnelle; this is SO heart-warming.... Love what you and Roger did and do. And I love your 'view of things to be & to come'. Thank you so much
Posted by: Kiki | 02 June 2016 at 11:19 AM
Oh thank you
Posted by: Dd | 02 June 2016 at 02:08 PM
Hmmmm. I'm thinking a stop on the French Muse Retreat, eh? Looks so lovely and relaxing. I understand how you could get lost in the serenity. Sometimes taking pictures seem to disturb the peace and quiet. You just want to absorb the environment to remember. And I think you did that.
Posted by: Debby H | 02 June 2016 at 04:37 PM
Wonderful I will email you
Posted by: Debbie | 02 June 2016 at 10:57 PM
Mari, when Corey gets her friends to sell their place for YOUR budget, could I move in with you please?
Posted by: Rebecca from the pacific northwest | 02 June 2016 at 11:41 PM
Does Arnelle have a blog, btw?
Posted by: Rebecca from the pacific northwest | 02 June 2016 at 11:41 PM
What a beautiful space. Thank you for the peek!
Posted by: Jen | 08 June 2016 at 07:30 PM