We redecorate a room that was already “finished”, move plants to begin a new garden project, go shopping for authentic Edwardian costumes for an upcoming Belle Époque weekend, find the perfect hand needlepointed rug for the Orangery, use our own citrus fruit for Ginger Marmalade, and my father gives me a priceless family heirloom-treasure: John Audubon’s book of hand-coloured etchings “Birds of America”.
#chateaulife #frenchchateau #gardenmakeover #audubon #lifeinfrance
ABOUT US:
Hello! I’m Vivienne, the châtelaine of a small 19th century neo-Renaissance castle in the Loire Valley of France, which I share with my delightful (and wonderfully funny!) husband, Simon, our daughter, and —whenever possible— lovely friends and family.
This is not our first chateau! 23 years ago, we bought a much larger castle nearby, which we loved with all our hearts. However, nearly 2 decades, many happy memories, countless renovations, and several small fortunes later, we made the very difficult, empty-nesting decision to downsize. With great luck and perseverance, we found our current petit château, which we are now decorating and updating with love, humour, comfort, and —of course— antiques and art!
We adore France and its many unique facets: its people, culture, landscapes, wine, food, art, and history. We also love being surrounded by châteaux, both public and private, which we can explore together! After 20 years here, we have learned many things about living in France, renovating châteaux, and appreciating the extraordinary riches surrounding us. We originally decided to make these videos as a way to share our lives with our loved ones worldwide during the pandemic lockdowns. However, we soon realised that many others are at home alone, and it is our privilege to open our home to you, our new friends. We hope you will join us on our adventures in this exceptional location, and we look forward to sharing a little Château Love!
Links
@Chateau Love
Instagram –
Facebook: Chateau Love
MUSIC:
(sister)
Ashley Locheed – “La Vie En Rose”
ashleylocheed.com