I thought I would use my guest post on My French Life this month to do a recapitulation of the renovation of our Renaissance fireplace in Closerie Falaiseau, our 400-year old house in Blois. I know that some of you waited with bated breath as we converted it from a “bandy-legged monster” as Barb Hall so aptly called it in a comment, to a straight and dignified fireplace ready to use. 

The hearth looks a bit stark at the moment but once the fireback is in and the logs are in place and there’s a roaring fire going, it should look a bit more attractive!

French Renovations in the Loire Valley

posted on My French Life, the global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French

The first time we visited Closerie Falaiseau, a beautifully restored Renaissance home built in 1584 near Blois in the Loire Valley, we didn’t see the upstairs fireplace. It was almost completely covered up with a large wardrobe.

So on the second visit, we asked if the cupboard could be moved. But it was very heavy and we only had a partial view. It was not until we signed the final deed of sale and saw the house empty that we had any real idea of the state of the fireplace and even then, it turned out that a large rattan fan was hiding a gaping hole filled with cement. Read more