I must say, my connection with France is far more removed that with England. However, I do have a long-running obsession. I’m not completely sure of where it started, though I suspect it was probably the dose of Franco-Anglo history and French language I got in my classes in the UK, or something I read as a child. However, I can specifically acknowledge crediting the continuation of that obsession in my adult life to Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006). The film was released during my Sophomore year of highschool (I know, I’m a young gun), and I soon after wrote a research paper on the “real” Marie Antoinette, which I’m sure was totally biased and obsess-y in nature. This specifically calls to mind the first time I was taught [read: forced] to use note cards to keep track of all of the research and sources I collected. I was such a free spirit before that . . . Just kidding. It takes a lot to break a romantic soul ... probably because we allow ourselves to be broken over and over again. Oh. Woe is us. In more recent media, I have, again, been reinvigorated by Outlander: Claire and Jaime’s stint in France has been one of the more action-packed parts of the series and is certainly filled to the brim with French politics, intrigue, mystery, and drama. Another less recent inspiration is Disney’s classic retelling of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Again, filled with magic, politics, and Parisian architecture, it created a special place in my heart for French storytelling and activism. This is all not to mention the breathtaking screen-adaptation of Les Miserables (2012) which was just ... wonderful. I must say, for a country (the United States, that is) that supposedly hates the French so much, we sure do retell their stories and history quite often in our media. And, to segway, we quite often appropriate their fashions and decor as well! In my view, the French have a very special relationship to the history of Romanticism. Their country went through major political upheaval because of the words of their writers. It was violent. It was liberating. It was powerful. Oh-so-Romantic. And the effects from the French Revolution have lasted. Not only have their writings influenced our political ideals since, but France has remained a politically tumultuous country - and in a good way. All of this said, I must admit that it is not the bustling cities nor the tres chic Parisian apartments which interest me most, but it is the countryside. Dotted with ancient chateaus, farms and flowers, France is known best for what comes out of its countryside: wine and champagne, perfumes, and cheeses. And, for this reason, I would like to pay tribute to the French farmhouse (but hopefully not in the demeaning way in which Marie Antoinette did). For the French section the materials and ideas I will be focus on are printed linen, country, fishing and picnicking scenes, stripes, light, unfinished woods, whites, dusty blues, pinks and creams, gold accents, and functional porcelain. Here is another selection of images I have found which at least lean toward what I have in mind:
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For about 2 years of my childhood my family lived in the United Kingdom. Not only did we live in the UK, but we lived in one of the most magical counties: Wiltshire. Every day on my way to school I would see giant white limestone horses carved into the sides of hills. We lived near Avesbury and Stonehenge wasn’t too far either. This is not to mention the usual charm of the English countryside: crumbling stone walls, lichen-consumed headstones in the churchyard up the road, local pubs and phone booths, and even a cold, desolate pill box leftover from the World Wars along an otherwise placid canal. There were horses, sheep and cows behind our house, luscious gardens inside every home's fence, hills upon hills for miles, and this was only in our neighborhood. I remember visiting other’s homes to explore streams and forests, what I was sure were haunted stone barns, and a canoeing trip up a canal with family friends while my parents visited Paris (yes ... they went without me; though, it should be noted that I was apparently quite a snob and wasn’t interested in visiting Paris - probably the only way they could have convinced me is if there had been a tour on horse-back). Greenery, slugs, gardens, pastures, stonework, and horses. These define my memories of my time there. No matter what they tell you - the rain will always be worth it. And hey, I loved every moment of stomping through puddles in my wellies. I was always outside there. I was standing on the fence, feeding apples and oats to the fat white horse behind the house. I was riding and jumping horses at school. I was playing football and cricket with the neighbors, or sitting out next to the small, newt-filled ponds. Even at school we walked the gardens and sat next to pools, painting with watercolors or drawing; our recesses weren’t filled with brightly colored plastic equipment, but with running through trees and over grass, pretending to be horses or fox ourselves; we marched down the lane to the on-campus chapel to sit in the stuffiness and sing from old books. The rain made the earth, the leaves, the air smell stronger. The roses climbing every side of our house hung heavy; the slugs grazed freely; everything was warm and damp. These are my strongest memories - in the gardens and fields - and what I hope to capture in my English decor section of my Etsy shop, CountrysideRomantic. The garden and growing things were a large part of everyday life there. No wonder when I read Pride and Prejudice later in life that I could have slapped Caroline Bingley for her snickering at Elizabeth’s hem. Then there’s Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, which turned my mind into a garden-planning machine, ready at any moment to find my own private plot of land to turn into MY secret garden. In this section, I look to bring the garden inside and to appreciate the quiet dampening effects of rain. The materials and ideas which I am using to define this section are floral + striped patterns, velvet, garden scenes, tea, lamps, roses, sheep, and the colors grey, red and green. Here is a selection of images I have found which at least lean toward what I have in mind: Hello, you dizzy dreamers. My name is Whitney Goller, and this is my new blog, Countryside Romantic. The Countryside Romantic is a blog designed to support my Etsy shop, Countryside Romantic, and to help me direct some of my indulgences. For example, I plan to absolutely show y’all my favorite home decor and design inspirations, but also to organize my thoughts on books, wines, do-it-yourselfs (it’s a word, look it up ... just kidding, don’t), my travel dreams, historical references and classic art. This will be a little bit of eclectic heaven. Well maybe it’s eclectic hell for some of you, but for those of you whose brains are constantly wandering through the fields with Elizabeth Bennet, or pining after John Keats in Bright Star - this may be just the place. In my shop I plan to include trinkets and decorative items that are defined by the categories of English, French, Scottish and American cottage decorum. I will be forthcoming with an explanation on how I am separating and defining each, but for now I seek only to explain why I have chosen these particular locals, all around the time period of 18th and 19th centuries. It is evident that these places and those times have be romanticised in a serious way by pop-culture film and literature. For example, some of my personal favorites include: movies made from Jane Austen films (such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility), the Outlander Series, Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, Helena Bonham Carter in A Room With A View, and the Robert Downey Jr. / Jude Law Sherlock Holmes adaptations (and the updated Cumberbatch/Freeman BBC version ... but they don’t count in this particular list). I eat these movies, shows, and books up like candy. I buy them, I hold them, I covet them. So eventually I decided that - hey - I could create these worlds for myself in my own home! With a bit o’ thrifting and antiquing, I have begun an endeavor to romanticize my home. Now, I have a place to catalogue. I hope to learn and grow with these posts, and I hope to have open discussions on all of the topics broached. Maximum effort will be expended to bring you useful, or at least cheerful, updates on everything one might want to know about these decor styles and time periods. Until next time, cheerio. And read on, my friends. |
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