Before the renovation, this closed room communicated both with the entrance and the refectory.  From three large windows with views onto the garden, a pretty light filtered through:  this would be the heart of the house – it was settled!   In order to achieve this, two stone walls had to be opened up, revealing once more the pretty arched entrance and the beautiful stone staircase; (an old lady in the village who had been to the school told me that one of the favourite pastimes of pupils was to slide down the large stone ramp); the living room dominated by the imposing chimney and with its intimate dining area  was thereby created. 
From the very first day, I conceived the large kitchen in the style of  an old grocery store bar with its wooden counter, a space in which colour and aroma blend together.  I designed and re-designed it down to the tiniest details so that one might imagine it had always been there.  I chose the local sweet smelling cypress tree and the Ventoux cedar to provide the wood for the work surfaces.  I was excited at the gamble of mixing old and new by combining zinc and steel in the same space.  I did not neglect the functional aspect of the kitchen, which is all hidden behind the wooden counter.
The shape of the counter, (Fanny’s bum for the gents; pretty heart shape for the ladies), brings a smile to the lips.
Life is a game – the cards are in the drawers!
Two ‘bistro’ style tables by the windows provide a convivial atmosphere.