A Cariad Life

Every part of this journey has stages that are recurring and these appear to be the two most common: a mad rush to meet a deadline and then a wait. Currently, we are waiting to hear back about our visa applications, which are in DC at the French Consulate for review. I am learning to rest and reflect in these times of waiting, when things are really out of our hands and I know that we have done our best and now it is up to someone else. These “in between” times are purposeful and needed. Can you imagine the horror of constantly living in the mad rush every day? (Actually, I can, and it is one of the reasons I resigned my previous job in May). I now focus on resting in the waiting and doing what I can do, learning French and dreaming about what our new space looks like and will look like as we “put our own stamp on it.”

The guest rooms, one of the areas about which I dream, are pretty fundamental to a Bed and Breakfast (at least half of the equation!) Repos has four guest rooms all on the second floor (if you’re American) or the first floor (if you’re French)–the rooms are named after types of French wine from appellations in Southwest France: Monzbazillac, Rosette, Montravel, and Percharment. (Interesting note: in my first attempt at buying an Inn on Bainbridge, the plan was to rename the rooms after different types of wine; it means a lot to me that this had already been done in this B&B). The two guest rooms facing the street are larger rooms with one of them having an additional room with a single bed. The two rooms facing the courtyard are a little smaller, but are also quieter without the street noise. All the rooms have an en-suite bathroom. All but one of the rooms have queen-size beds (called Double in France); the other room has two twin beds that can be brought together for a king size bed as needed. Each room has some beautiful French antiques that were curated by the innkeepers–and those pieces are staying!

People have asked me all types of questions about the guest rooms, but the two most common are, “Are the beds comfortable?” and “Will you change anything about how the rooms are decorated?” Yes, the bed, at least the one in which we slept, was comfortable. As the current innkeepers are originally from Britain, I noticed right away that not only were the sheets high quality 100% cotton (in my opinion, the only type of sheet anyone should sleep on), but the sheets were also ironed! The innkeeper and I talked about this–I said, “you always iron the sheets??” He said, “well, of course–you don’t iron your sheets at home?” I thought for a moment that my response may be a deciding factor on whether they would sell us the Inn 🙂 …then we agreed on the fact that only 100% cotton sheets are appropriate and all was well! So…will I iron the sheets? Yes, probably, but I think I may have to buy one of those Mangle irons! By the way, they also hang their sheets to dry when possible, as to save electricity…we’ll see about that.

As far as changing anything in the decor, yes, there will be some changes to the rooms that will reflect some of our decor choices and bedding preferences(other than the sheets), but overall, I first want to sit with what is there for a bit and fully investigate all that the innkeepers currently have and are leaving for us–let the rooms and furnishings speak to me first. Although there are aspects of the decor that are very “French” and not really my style, I don’t want to rush in and “americanize” everything. I’ve always treated each of our homes and decorating those spaces as not just an extension of our personalities and loves, but also as a home in a particular context. For example, our house on the Parade Grounds was 5 minutes from the beach on the south end of an island–that same style doesn’t really match a French town house built in 1850 in a historic village. Ultimately, a home should feel at home where it is and also feel comfortable, welcoming, and reflective of the people who live there–it’s a balance.

I’m trying to learn to not get into a “mad rush” on everything…sit with things for a bit, watch and observe our new French culture and style, and really understand what I love and what might need to be changed. I also find great joy in the slow and purposeful process of curating and refining a space–it’s also better for my budget! I share this with couples and young people just starting out–they want their homes to have the best of everything right away, and many, unfortunately, go into debt creating it all at one time, often what HGTV says a perfect home should look like…enough with “I have to have white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and brass fixtures.” The first question I would ask, do you really like those things or have you been told that you should? Second, do those things even match your space?

So…I am going to let things sit for a bit. I promise though, if you come to see us, you will have a clean comfortable bed with ironed sheets! You will also get a warm welcome and French (with an American flair) hospitality. I would love your feedback on what you love and what you think we should consider…I invite you into the curating process with me!