Tag: interior

Hannah Wilson

Monet’s House

Comments See & Do

If you’ve ever wondered what Impressionism looks like in the form of a house – a speculation that has probably never been a priority in your life – then you may have also wandered what Claude Monet’s house looks like. I mean, he’s practically the king of Impressionism as far as I’m concerned, and if his house doesn’t embody 19th century French painting, then I don’t know what does.

… these are the kinds of thoughts that go through my head on a regular basis…

I had been to Giverny twice, and on both occasions, photographs inside the house were strictly Forbidden, with a capital F. My friend Natalie and I would always try to be sneaky and take quick iPhone snaps, thinking we were so incognito; the photos pretty much always came out blurred and crappy. THANKFULLY – and this seriously made me so happy – they now allow you to take photos! Mais sans flash, bien sûr. I discovered this while my sister was visiting me last week, and we also discovered that the Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay allow photographs now too.  :O

So without further ado, take a peek inside Monet’s house:

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Hannah Wilson

Frozen in Time – A Swedish Farmhouse

1 Comment Travel

While we were in Sweden a few weeks ago, we had the chance to explore an old Swedish farmhouse that was almost literally frozen in time. From the embroidered cushions to mismatched dining chairs, it felt like we had walked onto a movie set or a cultural museum. The décor was a mashup of decades. Most of it felt 70s kitsch but there were items that had obviously been heirlooms from much further back. We even found a black and white photograph of some unsmiling folks, rigid in their poses, like they’d been sitting there for a while to get the shot.

I like to imagine what life might have been like back then, aside from the lack of technology, it probably wasn’t so different from the lives we live now. I had this realization – that people in the past aren’t so drastically different from us in the present – when reading Anne Frank’s diary. I was amazed at how much I actually related to her, which I did not see coming. Even though she lived in hiding during the 1940s in the Netherlands, it brought back feelings and memories from my own teen years. It makes me feel so much more connected to the past and to life itself, knowing that we’re all (even those living 1000 years ago) built from the same basic components. We are more than just individuals existing in the here and now – we have a long, epic history that shaped each and every one of us, and we’re preparing the way for a long, epic future. Walking through this house, I saw myself, very consciously and very simply, as part of that timeline.

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Hannah Wilson

Travel Diary – Sweden

1 Comment Travel

Our week-long trip to Sweden is winding down; tomorrow we head back to France via car, train, plane, and then another train.

This trip was essentially one big, continuous circle of fika, or coffee, sweet cakes, and light conversation. Of course, most of the time I didn’t have any idea what was being said, since I don’t speak Swedish! Knowing about five words – speedbump, frog, sausage, and beach – doesn’t get you very far in a real conversation.

I am in love with Swedish cakes, however. Nothing like texture of French pastries, the Swedes like softer things, much like their temperament. Sugar cake with a layer of butter in the middle, vanilla-cinnamon muffins with custard on the top, and cardamum rolls. They take their coffee strong, but not too strong. Not quite espresso, but way darker than the American cup o’ joe.

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Hannah Wilson

Office Inspiration

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Now that my life here in France seems to finally be picking up speed, I find myself dreaming of creating my own personal office space, so I’ve compiled this small collection of office inspiration pictures, all found on Pinterest! Currently, we have not one, but two beds sitting next to one another in the downstairs section of the apartment – the second bed has served us well for the hosting of guests that has been ongoing for the past couple months, but I think it’s time to clear out some space for MOI!  I hope to find a new home for our second bed and slowly start assembling a little space for myself.

I especially love these images I’ve found on Pinterest.  I love that the dominant shade is white, with pops of metallic, wood, and/or bright color (except the completely monochromatic desk in the second picture!).  After a bit of research, I’ve discovered that Ikea not only sells full-on desks, but they also sell table legs and tops separately.  The desk in the image below is assembled from these Ikea parts, but they painted the legs copper, which makes it look amazing!!  What’s nice is this particular combo would only cost about 40 bucks or so – not bad for a desk, especially one that can be easily disassembled when it’s time to move.  I’d actually love to do the exact same thing, unless of course I find a beautiful desk on the side of the road… On Sundays people throw their big items on the street for disposal.  Yesterday, my friends who just moved into town scored a coffee table from the sidewalk!

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