Finally Home!

All of you who are making your move to France know how difficult and stressful it is to downsize, organize, pack, move, unpack, reorganize, etc. Not only have I been doing that for the last two weeks, but doing it all in the midst of a renovation. If you have followed the saga of my rue de Saintonge apartment that is now 4.5 years in the making—from when the first signs of the structural problems appeared in April 2021 to now when I am moved back in, lock, stock and barrel—then you know the entire story. The last two weeks and the week to come are the icing on the cake…or should I say the “lid on the coffin?”

First off, I am extremely grateful to a number of people without whom none of this could have been accomplished. Sharing the top of the list of those I’d like to thank are Martine di Mattéo and Diane Carruthers.

Martine is the designer/decorator/contractor with whom we have worked for more than 20 years. She told me she could have the apartment ready for move-in by the end of August and by Jove, she did it. I didn’t think it would be possible given that every inch of the apartment needed renovation. The team that replaced the wood beams with steel to reinforce the structure of the building managed to destroy every inch of what existed and therefore every inch needed replacing: the electricity, the plumbing, the tile work, and every single inch of cabinetry. It was a big job, it was summer when everyone is on vacation, but Martine said she and her team could do it. Other clients likely got neglected, for which I am terribly sorry, but if it hadn’t been ready, I’d have been out on the street as of this past Saturday.

Martine’s team is amazing. They set out to recreate what I had before the destruction as much as possible, but with minimal expense. (You may have read last Monday’s Nouvellettre® title “Zircons and Diamonds.”  The quality of their work is excellent and they are smart. They worked incredibly hard days, nights and weekends to accomplish the task. One guy in particular became a real comrade as together we tackled a lot of decisions. He went beyond the call of duty to get it all done without one single complaint and always positive. Jokingly, I asked him to just come live with me!

Understand that I am not an easy client! I am certain I have driven Martine nuts with my attention to detail and drive for ultimate functionality. Yesterday morning as I went to draw a bath, just after the beautiful shower doors I chose, after much conversation, were installed on Saturday, I realized that it’s impossible to turn on the water without actually being IN the tub. I won’t bore you with detail, but with my bad back this was a no-go and immediately sent out an email exclaiming that we had to change the doors! I’ll bet she “loved” that early on a Sunday morning! Ugh! I want what I want and I want it to work perfectly. So, I become one of those demanding clients she’d like to fire, but can’t. Fortunately, we love each other and understand one another and appreciate one another. (That goes a long way—thank goodness for me!)

Diane C. is my personal assistant. She began working with me a few months prior to the move to the rental apartment in 2024. I knew I needed help and she was recommended by a mutual friend. Diane is the shining star. She is smart, strong, organized and incredibly positive at all times. She plies me with croissants (knowing full well they’re not on my “diet”), never stops telling me it’s all going to be just just fine and refuses to let me lift a finger that might damage my already suffering ruptured disk. Diane does anything I ask of her, but she’s now doing a lot for the company at large and will be taking on even more, if she’s willing. Without her, I’d have croaked a long time ago and the move could not have happened at all.

Here’s how it all played out:

Last Tuesday, the movers came with the boxes that had been in storage these past 14 months to rue de Saintonge. They created a relay by bringing them all into the courtyard, then relaying them up the 70 stairs. There were about 50 boxes of books alone and the rest were all of the things we didn’t need in the rental apartment, such as the furniture. It filled the center of the apartment to the brim, stacked high.

Wednesday and Thursday we tried to unpack and put away as much as possible while the workers continued to work on the renovation in the apartment. It was utter chaos. And it was dusty and dirty. My OCD fastidious nature kept trying to get the best of me while Diane kept me at bay with her positive nature and croissants. We had actually had some fun putting away the books, deciding how they should be arranged and ensuring they would all fit into the new “bibliothèque.” Watching them fill in made it feel more and more like “home.”

Friday the movers came early in the morning to pack up the rental apartment things and move them to Saintonge. It was pouring rain. The guys weren’t happy with any of it. There was a bed stacked with things belonging to my daughter to go back to storage till she returns next year, things to pack and move and things to leave in the rental. It was confusing, but we had done our best by marking anything going with us to Saintonge with a red sticker dot. (Diane is in charge of getting them all off, but I’ve ordered a glue remover kit to make it easier!)

They loaded it all up and headed over to rue de Saintonge. When they saw the massive mountain of things already in the apartment, and the construction team busy at work, with little place to put the new boxes, they were even less happy. One guy in particular was cursing the project because the moving company had underestimated the quantity and number of boxes they had provided…delaying the whole process. By mid afternoon however, everything I owned was sitting in the middle of the apartment.

At the same time, Martine and her seamstress, Corinne, came to install the new drapes. Two of them were made from antique linen sheets given to me by an old friend who had passed away a few years ago. I did this for sentimental reasons. The other two sets were identical, but made from new linen Martine had found and proposed—absolutely gorgeous. Draperies are the diamonds. Install custom drapes and even the cheapest of Ikea furniture (the Zircons) looks rich.

I was planning on sleeping there that night. The only thing we needed to do was make my bed and clean the bathroom, but I had failed to consider that I might need a raincoat, or closed shoes, or a clean nightgown…or anything to eat or drink with. Everything was packed away and there was no way to tell what was where if we wanted to access it. Every box we could empty was a blessing.

Friday night was my first night at HOME. I ordered Asian food I could eat with chopsticks provided without needing a plate and drank from a bottle since there were no glasses yet in the kitchen. I slept in my dress from the day. It was pretty hilarious. Saturday morning I took the first bath after living in the rental apartment—outfitted only with showers. That was already a big pleasure!

Darty delivery guys came in the morning with the new washer/dryer—a Miele, heavier than most—up my 70 stairs huffing and puffing. With the help of the contractor’s head worker (the one I asked to come live with me!) who was fortunately there to assist them in getting it installed by removing two doors, taking out several drawers, and drilling more holes in the furniture to accommodate the piping, it went in like a glove. It was quite a spectacle!

I had also hired a helper each day to clean, break down boxes and take them to the street for pick up by the city’s sanitation crew. We continually filled boxes and bags with things to give away. Even though it’s illegal, we placed them on the street and within moments scavengers would happily take them away. As I was placing a beautiful white felt fedora in its designer bag on the street, one of the “scavengers” came by, wearing a fedora himself. I asked him if he wanted something very special and he was thrilled when I produced the fedora! It was heartwarming to make someone happy with something so simple. He would get more use out of it than me!

So, here I am writing you on Sunday from Café Beaubourg. After this I’ll head to Leroy Merlin for a few things we need (like cleaning equipment we managed to forget at the rental apartment). My list continues to grow of little things to purchase for the apartment. The Punch List I sent off to Martine Saturday night, as I conjured up more and more tiny tweaks, had about 30 items to complete or do! It’s natural considering how much had to be done in so little time…it still amazes me how fast they worked and what it took to do in the height of the vacation season when most workers and companies are taking their hiatus. That was a big part of her challenge—to find the materials with fast delivery.

I have advice to those who will be doing renovation. I’ve personally renovated 15 properties, not to count those prior to moving to France. Martine has done most of them. Renovation is not to be feared, but to be enjoyed…as it’s a very creative, if not challenging process. When you renovate, you have the ability to have your home exactly as you want it. That’s a big deal, especially for someone like me who is OCD, detail-oriented and fastidious. I want what I want.

Choose a good and reputable designer/decorator/contractor. Don’t work directly with a contractor unless you’re the designer/decorator yourself. Contractors are usually “hands,” not “heads.” Sometimes they are really bright, but they are more concerned with the construction than the functionality and design. With a designer/decorator at the helm, you’re sure to get the brains needed to make it all work well.

If there are any changes to the floor plan, or even the kitchen plan, don’t be penny-wise, pound-foolish by not hiring an architect. A good architect can make every detail sing, including the electrical plan. I happen to be excellent at designing kitchens, but I still like working with an architect. Kitchens are the toughest challenge because a kitchen needs to function and hold a lot of small things in the right places. Small well-designed kitchens are the most functional (big American-style kitchens are a total waste of space and have you walking distances for no reason at all!) El or U-shaped kitchens work best. Most people put in cabinetry without thinking what will go inside them. I start with the things and then design the cabinetry based on what how they will fit. The dishwasher needs to be next to the sink so that you can stand at the sink and load the dishwasher. The spices need to be over or next to the stove, as do the cooking utensils. There must be over the counter lighting and the outlets need to be in the right places…and plenty of them. Ask any professional chef and they will tell you these things!

Expect to not get everything right the first time, so plan on spending money you hadn’t planned on spending…like the shower doors we’re going to have to change. The shiny tile I chose for the counter top in the bathroom is already scratched up and driving me nuts with spots from Paris’ limestone-rich water. It’s gotta go. The bathroom cabinet ended up 3cm shorter than planned—after the new tile floor was installed—so the only washer/dryer that would fit under it was the most expensive one on the market…that was about 1,500€ I wasn’t planning on spending. C’est la vie. It was too late to lower the floor or rebuild the cabinetry!

Get cash and tip the workers. In France they don’t expect to get tips, but when they get them, they are really appreciative. In the big scheme of things, it’s a small price to pay for being well-treated. I tipped the movers, the hired help and the contractors’ workers. They were surprised, and happy.

When Martine’s and the contractor’s bills come, I’ll pay them immediately, no questions asked. She knows this and that is perhaps one reason they don’t mind me as a fussy client! The bottom line is that we’ll all get what we want and we’ll all be satisfied.

I’m tired, but happy. There is still much to do, but have the help to get it all done. And I’m HOME! It feels so good to be in my own bed in my own apartment of 28 years (since August 26th, 1997). On Thursday I will celebrate 31 years in Paris…quite contented with life…in spite of the stack of boxes sitting at this moment in my living room!

A la prochaine…