ong ago on one of my early antique buying trips to the South of France in search of Country French antiques, I was introduced to a talented young lady named Brigitte who spoke good English~ which was a rarity in those days. She generously invited me to her country family home. Being new to Provençal French experience, I excitedly jumped at the chance.
It was summer in Provence, and after taking a small and winding road which climbed up a rocky hill, we suddenly saw her farmhouse awash with warm ochre stucco colored walls and adorned with bright blue shutters over an ivy covered façade. As I entered this home I was immediately charmed ~ by what I now learned to know and love ~ by the Country French interior. The furniture was elegant yet simple and so charming~ with the warm glow of rich, warm honey-toned patina acquired through the centuries. Brigitte proceeded to show me around her ancestral home, telling me the stories behind each and every piece of French antique furniture that her family had loved and cherished for generations.
The large kitchen, which was open to the living room, housed the most impressive piece of all ~ a magnificent Country French armoire. Brigitte explained that this beautiful armoire had been in her family since the 18th century, and that a small dent on the side was made during the French revolution by one of the careless revolutionaries traveling through their village over 200 years ago. As we proceeded through the home, each room turned up new timeless treasures of Country French antiques and furniture that were acquired by her ancestors. My host further explained that local craftsmen hand-made a Louis XV style 18th century Country French commode from walnut trees grown in the region. After an enlightening tour of this amazing home we ventured out onto the shady terrace surrounded by a rambling garden filled with olive trees, vegetable plants, rosemary and lavender.
The warm summer breeze was rustling through a canopy of fruit trees over the limestone-covered terrace while sunlight was peaking through the branches. In front of us was a rustic Country French farm table with a wonderful time-worn finish. It was covered with the splendor of local Provençal gastronomic finds. We feasted on a long, delicious meal overflowing with conversation, food and wine.
“Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced”, said John Keats, an English poet of 18th and early 19th century.
These memorable encounters with the warm and charming villagers in rural France taught me so much about the life and essence of the Country French style than any history book ever could. It gave me an understanding into the exuberant and lyrical heart of Country French antiques ~ their heritage, beauty and ancient cultural legacy.
