Le Petit Platane
Our little French rental apartment is up and running!
After 2 coats of primer, plaster and sanding and 2 coats of matte Silver Sage paint and 2 coats of semi gloss Silver Sage paint to cover that darn yellow summer kitchen, I have finished the painting. After years of the last owner frying in the room, the walls were covered in a mysterious substance that made the paint slide off! We couldn’t get anything to stick. It was the Bermuda triangle of the paint world; very mysterious happenings and sometimes the paint would disappear into the wall. It went against anything I learned from subsequent painting jobs.
It cost 140Euros just in the last four coats of the best paint around but the painting section of the project is finally complete. It took me 3 days from start to finish, a job that would normally take one day.
My biggest beef with the French paint isn’t the quality or the price, (although it is poor quality compared to Canada’s Home Depot brand -Bere or Benjamin Moore that covers anything in one coat and the price was simply outrageous) but it is the fact that they don’t colour match. That’s the technology where they photograph your colour sample and the computer analyses the colours it takes to make up the exact colour of choice, and spits out a formula. Back home it is in every paint store, so you may select any colour from any paint line and they mix it right before your eyes.
My Restoration Hardware colour Silver Sage was matched by the archaic colour wheel, and looked like a match in the store. It turned baby blue/grey on the walls. It looks great but not the colour I had in mind. Silver Sage reminded me of the West Coast sea line, a gleaming light green with a hint of blue and grey undertones. It is my favourite colour, well currently anyway. You may remember the grecian green phase I went through, ugh!
The bathroom and kitchenette are finally completed, and both turned out better than I had imagined.
The bathroom concept is ‘spa’ with natural elements, a rain showerhead with jets on the wall, and modern stainless fittings.
The kitchen is also in stainless steel with wood accents. It looks sharp, maybe even masculine and a direct contrast to the white bedding with flower details directly across. The simple cupboards against the paint, match well. I am pleased with the end result, clean and tidy!
The day bed with drawers, open simple closet, and the last of the finishings came together from Alfonz and Adrian’s hard work, and we were all relieved when they went in place.
Then came cleaning and set up, which was my job, one that I couldn’t wait to get to!
The over all feel of the room is light, open, calming with clean lines. Modern fixtures and features make this a good fit for the lighter traveler. And convenient pool access is great for a break from the hot sun. The terrace is designed for four in case you meet friends for drinks or maybe you are a local wanting to put up a family member just for a night or two, or a camper that has company wanting to stay near them but aren’t into camping. Honestly this small space could work in so many situations.
I love this space, and I am sure travelers will too!
Wish us luck!
Visit www.lepetitplatane.com and let me know what you think of our website!
Website Set Up and Design. I am farming myself out for Word Press set up and lessons for people wishing to run their own website/blog. We start with a domain name, Fat Cow hosting, and a day showing them how to run their new Word Press site. I can help pick a theme, colour scheme, what kind of features the site may need, and literally go through hundreds of templates until we find the exact one that fits their needs.
Word Press has the best SEO packages available and it is an all in one system that virtually anyone can use, as long as they are shown and it is set up properly. I am looking forward to sharing my few years of experience building sites with others.
South-Westy Rentals
It has been difficult to set up a rental business here in France. We have alternatively decided to offer shuttle service to and from the surrounding airports from our rental. We have 6 extra seats in the van, with loads of space in the Westfalia for luggage, getting clients to and from their destination with ease.
We haven’t given up on the idea of running a Westfalia rental company. The red tape has been a sticky business, one that I haven’t the will to get through during the renovations. Soon we will pick up the business idea again and give it a go, once the renovations are complete.
We still believe in the idea.
Until then, we are also offering wine-tours with designated chauffeur. Alfonz will be the host! What fun, eh?
House Keeping
With so many families living between England and here and also running a gite rental, I was hoping to pick up some work cleaning during change over times, plus cooking, gardening, shopping and driving for people in town that may need a house keeper.
Although I have cleaned many houses in the past, I wanted to offer for the first time a shopping and cooking service. I cook each day for my family anyways, and love to do it. I know there are a few families in Capestang that might need a day off from the cooking and cleaning, and I can come in and straighten out the house, and offer up a home cooked meal when they come home from work.
It also makes a great birthday gift, to come home to a clean house, and a favourite meal, warm on the table.
I also spent the last 20 years gardening my own gardens back home, and although I am no expert here, I am willing to learn the ins and outs of the south climate and can straighten up in the garden too.
10Euro/hour cash, minimum 3 hours work, best deal in town!
That’s Hamori!
