Penelope Bianchi

Blog

The inspiration for our French chickens!!

By 5 Comments

Our granddaughter feeding the chickens!

About eighteen years ago;  my husband Adam and I went on a trip to France.

I had read a lovely review of a new hotel opened in Burgundy that sounded wonderful.

The name was” Chateau Vault de Lugny”.  The owner was a young woman

who had grown up in the Chateau as her family’s country home.

She wanted to turn it into a country hotel; and described to us all the work and all the requirements

to qualify for a ”Relais and Chateau” member.

Our room was beautiful;  and best of all;  the labrador retriever “Licorice” slept on our bed!

(We missed our dogs; so we were encouraging him.  Not everyone’s cup of tea!)

…

Trumeaus: Lovely mirrors that were formerly part of paneling.

By 13 Comments

My very favorite mirror above a fireplace or console is a “trumeau”!

A “trumeau” either has a painted scene or some lovely carving.

 They were always part of the “boiserie”  (paneling) in a french house; and are very popular here, especially

in ” French” houses!

This is what I do know!  I LOVE “trumeaus”!!

Our house in Pasadena……..had three trumeaus in the living room!

It was a “pavilion” and copied from a lovely house outside of Paris built in the 18th century.

 During the eighteenth century , many rooms were paneled with “boiserie” carved and painted.

Above the fireplaces and over consoles they often had a mirror included in the paneling to increase the light.

“Because lighting an interior was a great challenge during this period the use of highly reflective

mirror glass was an integral part of any room. During the reign of Louis XV (1723-1774) and Louis XVI (1774-1792) large mirror plates

were actually placed within the framework of the walls and

 mounted above fireplaces and console tables with candelabra and candlesticks placed in front of them to reflect the light.”

When we were building our house;  I was on a decorating trip to New Orleans with Sotheby’s and I

discovered a pair of “trumeau” mirrors with two different scenes!

I had never seen that before!

Because we were building a “big hall” with two fireplaces , I made an “emergency” call

to my husband!

 Finding a pair of trumeaus with two different scenes was lucky beyond!

 

Happily, we bought them , and they are a delightful part of our “big hall”!

 

They have two delightful scenes of children playing and even a dog that looked like our dog, Georgie!

 

 We had a lovely French Regency style house in Pasadena, which had  four beautiful trumeaus!

Here is the one that was over the fireplace in the living room

This is looking the other direction towards the dining room  a pair of consoles with trumeaus.

This console was in in the dining room.

This console and mirror were in the entry hall!

Trumeaus are lovely!

The lady who built  our house  in 1957 went to France with her architect to buy these antiques to incorporate into the French “pavilion” she was building!

I am showing examples of others I’ve found!

Pair of Louis XV Style Trumeaux. Ca: 19th C

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

The tale of the pond!

By 10 Comments

This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in  2011!

I hope you enjoy!

On Mother’s Day in 1997; we purchased this vacant lot.  It is a little over two acres;  however it seems like more because it is in the middle of 90!

…

The Garden Sphinx

By 9 Comments

This is an updated version of a post from 2011!

Our house was briefly on the market then.  Then we took it off!  So glad it didn’t sell!

 

 

I have always been a lover of gardens, especially the wild ones!  I love statues, birdbaths, and accessories  (although when overdone;  I am reminded of a cemetery)!  Two of my most prized possessions are a pair of terra cotta sphinx that sit on the entry way to my house.

…