Hats Off And On Display!

The entrance at Rennick Cottage

Last week, a young man asked me what I thought of hanging his collection of hats on the wall in the entrance of his condo. Fabulous idea! After all, I have done just that at my home. A collection of sun hats are on permanent display next to my old column ( there is an identical column on display in Surroundings).

These hats are used daily in the summer time and it's nice to have spares on hand for visiting guests as it get very hot here in the Cowichan Valley. In the winter, I love looking at them as I come through the door, they remind me of hot summer days toiling in the garden.

Warehouse door meets country cottage

The door heads into the laundry room, and like most of us, space was an issue! The entrance is 6' wide and a door swinging into the space was awkward. I had similar doors made for the closets in the bedrooms. The track is actually a pocket door track which I mounted on a 2" by 4". The door is custom made and done in an antique oil finish.

A basic utility handle

This handle costs about $2.50. Simple, utilitarian, and classic. I repeated the handle through-out the cottage.  I have 6 identical handles on the center island in the kitchen and 3 more on the bathroom cabinets. Repetition can be very effective in decorating especially when it is in the tiny details.

So, lets get those hats out of the closet and up on display. 

Cheers,

Kristiane

The Other Louvre

This is the Louvre-lens

I just back from Europe and the question everyone asks, "what was your favorite part of the trip?" Well, we put 3000 kms on the car rental, so we covered a lot of ground. The two stand-outs are the new Louvre in Lens and the City of Berlin ( I loved Berlin).

If you have been to Paris, Im sure you have suffered the long line ups, and poorly behaved tourists at the Musee du Louvre.  My last visit there, I was shocked by large (4' by 6') red and white signs next to the Venus de Milo warning against pick pockets .......... ok is that really necessary. Tourists were carrying their ipads filming the museum with absolutely no regard who they bumped into ..... get me out of here.

Travel north  (1 hour by TGV) of Paris to the new Louvre for a totally different experience. The Louvre-Lens was designed by the Japanese Architect firm SANAA, the Landscape Design is by Catherine Mosbach of Paris. The building sits on a 60 acre site of a former coal mine.

The low form building blocks look translucent, a combination of glass and stainless steel. Inside the main gallery is done in a time line starting at one end at BC. and traveling through to the 1860's. It is breathtaking, and a joy, as all visitors are essentially moving in one direction.

The Louvre-lens opened its doors in December 2012, and is offering  free admission for its first year. The landscaping is not completed, and I plan on going back in a five years to see the final vision.

The Beautiful city of Arras is just 15 minutes South of Lens and offers great  accommodations, restaurants, and shopping. Arras and Lens were both heavily devastated by World War I. Arras was rebuilt to its former glory. 

Between the two cities lies The Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge. This is a must see for every Canadian. Truly the most spectacular sculpture you will ever see. Prepare yourself to shed a tear, it is a very moving experience to see Vimy.

For anyone traveling to France this year a highly recommend this region. Lots to see, and learn! And of course enjoy the wine and cheese.

Cheers,

Kristiane