Christmas... Noel

All these years, the spirit of Christmas always lifted my moods, no matter what could be happening in my life. I feel that this year, I am going through the motions but factors outside of my control are a heavy damper on my Christmas spirit. I just need to remember the profound true meaning of Christmas and try to find solace and peace. I am not one to disguise behind a business face, I will continue to put all my energy into my family, my work, my friends... but I am afraid....what happens when the energy runs out? Do I get stuck on the mountain ? ....do I rest and gather my inner forces?. The single moment in my life that required the most will power, was the last hour reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, when my head felt about to explode, with nausea from mountain sickness... I kept going, forced myself to look to the top, breath in, breath out... These times are very challenging and humbling, I need to learn acceptance and perhaps defeat.

Meanwhile, I will keep going, breath in...breath out...

At night, when all is quiet, I lay on my daybed, take in the silence, the scent of the tree, the fluttering lights and think of Christmas pasts.

Presents are wrapped, large or small... I love giving presents and it is my small way to say thank you... I care... to  everyone who works with me at Interieurs or at home, my friends, my family ... a couple of years past, my mother who lives in France, was very ill. I sent her a Christmas tree with boxes upon boxes of ornaments and she did the most wonderful thing ... on her visit to the hospital right before Christmas, she arrived ladden with the boxes filled with the beautiful ornaments and garlands and gave them to the nurses to decorate the halls of the wing where she spent so many days. This is the true spirit of Christmas, giving, sharing , bringing a little smile in some stranger's life who needs it more than you do.

Table set...

Promise of brighter days to come

A Bientôt,

Francine

Jose Esteves celebration of light in Cote Sud

The greatest thrill in my job is to work side by side with creative minds. I love the thought process, the inspiration, the moment when something clicks in your mind....and you know...that's it! This is what i envisioned... I will be going back to Paris in january to work with Jose on our annual show of signed unique lighting sculptures. Jose is commissioned all over the world for his lighting creations... to think I found a pic of a small lantern in a copy of Cote Sud a few years ago and searched for the artist for more than a year! Tenacity paid off and Jose and I not only have an amazing working relationship, but became close friends as well. 

His work has been often published, enjoy this latest issue of my favorite magazine, Cote Sud...

Let's dream..

Interieurs represents Jose exclusively in the US. Please check: http://www.interieurs.com/collections/jose_esteves

A Bientôt,

Francine

Innocence lost

image via flickr

Today, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters ask...WHY... when nothing makes sense, when the pain is too hard to bear, when total strangers stop in shock, when our President shed tears, when I cry for the innocent souls... I ask WHY....children are the pure innocent souls that bring love and joy to our lives.

To day, we all grieve... tomorrow we will need to find comfort if not understanding.

Celebrating Interieurs

Our Holiday window

Last Tuesday night we celebrated our Luxe Interiors and Design Cover Story for the New York Issue, with 350 guests bee-lining straight to the bar (good thing Luke ignored my instructions and bought more wine than I had approved). 

Mercifully, it was a beautiful balmy late Fall evening, I made many attempts to try to get at least one glass of wine to soothe my nerves (did I mention I cannot bare hosting parties.... I am always a nervous wreck!) but securing a spot on the terrace was impossible.

The entire Luxe team was present and the Editor In Chiel, Pamela Jaccarino surprised me with her unexpected visit prior to hosting the Art Basel festivities in Miami.

Two days before the party, the transformers for our 16 feet  glass chandelier blew out. Panic set in, immediate phone call to the electrician, window display dismantled, scaffolding rented, 8 hours later...the new transformers are installed, scaffolding taken down, I finally relax... the ordeal was over, to morrow (day of the event) we will redo the window and get the showroom ready. 

As we pack our bags, we witnessed one by one the lights turning off... we all looked at each other in dismay...new more powerful transformers were needed. I went home, collapsed in physical and emotional exhaustion and slept for  a few hours. Early morning on the day of the event, I met with the electricians, we rebuilt a much larger scaffolding (which had to be returned by noon...) and hoped and prayed to... PLEASE let us have a break... By 3pm, chandelier in all its glory was lit again. Then the race to get the showroom ready started again in earnest.

Estera putting the final touches. (this scaffold was actually too short, we had to revert to a huge scaffolding that took the entire entrance... I was too stressed to even take a pic).

Tanzania chandelier finally re-installed.

I took a few shots of the showroom with my iPhone as we were re-arranging furniture to accomodate our RSVP list.

Pamela Jaccarino, Editor in Chielf of Luxe magazine with me (looking exhausted...no time to even put a little make up on), and Team Interieurs, Estera, Anthony and Jennifer.

Jeanelle Wing chair.

Our Bamboo dining table set with Rina Minardi handmade plates,

 Lieux Floorlamp Affolee, and acrylic prints of photographs I took in Cambodia.

Just received our containeur a couple of days before the party with mid century pieces I found at the deballage in France. Chandelier Simon Collection for Interieurs.

Our Juliette chaise with lighting by Jose Esteves.

The Julien L shape sofa with Antoine Bamboo table

Armande bed

The last of industrial steel mesh screens

Mezzanine

Kathryn bed

A Bientôt,

Francine

My favorite Christmas...

Dear Marsha... to reminisce on my favorite Christmas is an impossible task! I have loved every Christmas life has granted me...

As a child, the excitement of Christmas would almost be unbearable, the preparations, the new velvet dress, the joy to be with all my cousins and the ritual of opening all the presents. My great uncle, the patriarch of our family would arrive with loads of huge extravagant gifts! There were Teddy bears taller than I was, and boxes upon boxes of yet more gifts from my parents and relatives. Following a formal Christmas Eve dinner we would go to our beautiful beloved church for Midnight Mass.  Then off to the mountains for some intense skiing.

Clermont Dessous

As a teenager, I treasured Christmas. By that time, we would spend  Christmas  in the mountains, attending midnight mass in the small village church. Our tradition was to follow the Church service with intense noise making in the street of the town, up all night and then off to the slopes as soon as the lifts opened. We were an inseparable group of friends.

Chamonix

As an adult, I have never lost my love of Christmas and all the traditions. My happiest, most fulfilled Christmas was the Christmas my older son was born, the tree was gleaming, my parents in a delighted delirium with their newly born grandson, so well guarded by our Doberman Leila.

I said a very special prayer and deep thank you to God in his tiny church of Marshfield Hills, Mass where we were living at the time.

One very special Christmas was celebrated in the jungle of Borneo. From Camp Leaky, where we spend time hiking the rainforest and getting to know some of the orangutans, I decided to find a boat and get to a Dayak village. It took a few hours via speed boat to reach a village where we were immediately welcomed and we were invited to stay in a villager long house. I  had heard that there was a catholic mission way up in the rainforest, somewhere along  the river. Our guide/translator accepted to take us in search of the church where I was hoping to celebrate Christmas mass . This was one of the most extraordinary Christmas.As we walked the trail, we came upon this beautiful church which was filled with converted Dayaks. Everyone stood up, looked at us in disbelief, guided us towards the front pews and gave up their seats for us. We sat and listened to the chants, and endless hours of prayers in a dialect we of course, could not understand. These were precious hours, I prayed for my long gone grand parents, I thanked God for the beauty of the world and my loving wonderful family ...while melting away at 120 degrees temperature.

Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

I could go on and on with stories of Christmas. One tradition I dearly miss, is the reading of Christmas books to the children. I would buy a book each day of December until Christmas Eve, to read to my sons, the look on their faces as they were waiting for the new book was precious. The hours spent reading French and English stories, the anticipation of Christmas morning itself, I will miss forever.... until perhaps, one day, I will be given the joy of reading to my sons children.

  

A Bientot,

Francine

Christmas windows in New York

Tiffany's miniature windows

One of a greatest pleasures of living or working in New York is to be swept up by the city's vibes...glamorous, enchanting, whimsical...New York is glittering in all its splendor.

I phone in hand, I  fought the crowds to capture the essence of the city at Christmas .

Bergdorf Goodman's Holiday windows

New York is a dog loving city

Louis Vuitton...Glam and sparkles

Tiffany's miniatures

I now, need to work on our own Christmas windows as  Interieurs and Luxe magazine will be toasting the Holidays on Tuesday December 4th.

If you are in New York, come and join me in the Celebrations of our cover in Luxe this month!

A Bientôt,

Francine

My latest project in Luxe magazine

It is wonderful to share good news. My latest project was not only published in Luxe Interiors + design, but we even made the cover! Needless to say, I was thrilled especially since this project is a favorite of mine, and the owners of the house, who are much more than clients, were wonderful to work with. I am very thankful that they allowed their house to be published as they are otherwise extremely private people.

The house is located in the Hamptons and I went back in time, to all my summers in the South of France to create a serene atmosphere of understated elegance.

A Bientôt,

Francine