Des Travaux: "We're Having Some Work Done..."

Renovations and Transformations in France, Plus a Must-Try Super-Simple Dessert Recipe for the Weekend !

Bonjour tout le monde,

Have you ever been in the middle of a giant transition in life, and it seems like everything else tags along for change too? Jobs, homes, relationships—sometimes when we open up to one change, we stir up a whole bunch of transformations. That’s kind of where I am right now.

As you may know, as a designer, I love sharing pretty pictures here. But since I also like to keep it real, I’ll tell you the truth. We’re living in un vrai chantier (a real work site) right now.

Don’t get me wrong, je suis ravie ! (I’m delighted!) Because it means that we’re making some lovely changes and updates and reimagining spaces in our two homes (in Paris and in Moret-sur-Loing, about an hour away). Also, Monsieur B, a talented bricoleur (DIY-er) is doing some of the work so I get to see him in handyman mode!

The fun stuff--selecting fabrics to work with our art and design elements in the country place.

In 2022 we redid our kitchen just as we were planning our wedding. I remember Monsieur B dismantling the old kitchen cabinets (he took care to preserve them and we gave them to another family who needed them), and hauling out massive bags of debris on the day before we left for la campagne (the countryside) for our rehearsal dinner in Fontainebleau. I am in love with our new kitchen, because it is so well-organized for cooking even fancier dishes like this 7-hour gigot d’agneau.

Monsieur B designed our new kitchen which is toute petite but a joy to cook in.

In 2023 we combined our traditional French toilet closet with the shower room to make une salle de bain à l’américaine (an Amercian-style bathroom). We had to move out and stay in a little studio space down the road for a month, and we waited months after that for the last bits of work to be completed.

Our new space is simple but so well organized, with plenty of storage and my favorite element--we hid the washer and dryer in the closet at left!

Next we started planning for a remodel of the bedrooms in our country place, which involves removing wall-to-wall carpet and replacing it with parquet, and taking down all the wallpaper to repaint. We’re also redoing curtains and I’m having fun reorganizing art and choosing paint colors. It’s an interesting challenge because we have some beautiful vintage furniture pieces, some of which we’re recovering, and then some modern pieces to combine.

It's starting to come along, with some of the carpet removed and new parquet floors

I’m really excited about our latest project, which is the kids’ room in our Paris place. Since they’re grown now, we’ve taken out the bunk bed and sofa bed and will be replacing it with un lit escamotable (a grown-up Murphy bed) that is really gorgeous. Monsieur B is making me un bureau (a desk) in his wood shop so that I can have a real space to work in the apartment (I’m currently using the dining room table). The great thing is my handmade desk will be foldable, so I can move it out onto le pallier (the landing) when the kids stay with us or we have guests visiting.

This magnificent armoire has been in my husband's family for many generations. There's a card inside that has the names of all the married couples it was passed down to

I’ll do a post on those before and afters later when things have settled down, but for the moment, furniture and paper and boxes and tools are everywhere and it all feels a lot like a metaphor for the deeper transition I am personally going through right now.

My whole being is a work site. You know, tearing down some old stuff, deciding what to keep, taking the opportunity to clean where needed, letting go of things, doing some restoration, and living with a lil’ bit of chaos while I get curious and figure out how to start building whatever is next.

I’ll keep you posted! In the meantime, below is a weekend dessert recette (recipe) for a classic French clafoutis that is so easy and flexible—it’s kind of a mix between a flan and a cake (although don’t quote me on that technically). Mixing up the batter takes fewer than ten minutes and it cooks up so pretty. Also, I like it because it’s not too sweet and takes advantage of almost any kind of fruit you like (so pick good fruit!). It’s perfect for brunch or as an afternoon goûter (snack). You can serve it slightly cooled or make it the day before.

Fun French Fact: Traditional versions of clafoutis are often made with cerises (cherries) or mirabelles, both of which have pits.

If you start to discuss the idea of un clafoutis with a French person, you may get asked, “dénoyautées ou pas ?” That means, are you in the camp who likes to take out your fruit pits before baking or spit them out while you’re eating the dessert? Me, I’m Team Dénoyautées all the way, because although it may be true that leaving the pits in makes the dish more delish, breaking a tooth can really ruin the mood at brunch.

VERY BERRY CLAFOUTIS AUX MYRTILLES
CLAFOUTIS WITH BLUEBERRIES

Pronounced without the “s” at the end, clah-foo-TEE. Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean or vanilla extract (optional)

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 3/4 cup Flour

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup Milk (depending on your egg size)

• 4 tablespoons Melted Butter

• 1 to 1 1/2 cup Blueberries, rinsed and patted dry (Cherries, Strawberries, and even Pineapple work great, too, and the quantity can vary based on how packed you want your fruit.)

• Powdered sugar (optional)

PREPARATION

STEP ONE
Preheat your oven to 375 F/180C

STEP TWO
Butter a baking dish. For this recipe, I used a ceramic Emile Henry dish that I found in the cupboard, but glass works well too.

STEP THREE
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla.

STEP FOUR
Add the flour, then the melted butter.

STEP FIVE
Add the milk slowly and stir till you have a smooth consistency. This not a thick batter, but depending on the size of your eggs, you may need a little more or less.

STEP SIX
Pour the mixture into your buttered baking dish, then add in the berries or fruit.

STEP SEVEN
Bake for 40 minutes but keep an eye on it at the end to make sure it doesn’t get too golden brown—just enough! You can always cover it with foil for a few minutes at the end if you see too much browning.

Note: the clafoutis will puff up in the oven, then drop a bit—that’s how it’s supposed to be!

STEP EIGHT
Let cool a bit and serve right away or completely cool. Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a dollop of crème fouettée (whipped cream) or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, eh voilà !

Wishing you a very sweet weekend and everything good.

Bisous,

Karen