The Setting

The main entrance.

Let me set the stage before the actual "play" begins.  Here is the front of our condo building!  Isn't it beautiful??  I love the European charm of it. 

We actually moved in 2 years ago, when we sold our last place.  We weren't sure what we were going to do next, so we decided to rent for a while.  The Mayfair had a small unit on the 7th floor available, so we jumped on it.  We had looked at units in the Mayfair complex before, while shopping for a condo to buy, but didn't find anything that was perfect.  We also didn't think our rental time here would be very long.

After a year here, we realized we probably aren't leaving Atlanta any time soon and we also realized how much we like living in the complex.  The search for a place to purchase...a much larger place.....began.



The side courtyard.  See the bldg in the background?  We used to live there!


A full year later, we found a 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath unit on the 26th floor.  After all the negotiations that go in to buying a home took place, we were under contract and we close on it TOMORROW!!!!!!!  Tomorrow.....finally! 

Tomorrow, I get to start making the transformation of this new home for us and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

-I'm off to Home Depot. 



Just one before picture today...it's the dining room with paint that looks like paper (and lots of texture I get to sand off) and a light I look forward to replacing.  It's hard to tell, but the floors are great!!

My obsession.

I'm obsessed.  I've only been to Paris twice, but somewhere along the line, I became a certified Francophile.  It sounds silly, but there's a name for it.  There's no Italiaphile, Amsterdamophile or Mexicophile.  Just Francophile.

The reason for this blog is to document my effort to create my own Pied a Terre in Atlanta, Ga.  After living in very contemporary building, we are buying a condo with more of a european personality.  Decorating is one of my passions.....so, while lying awake "dreaming" of how I could decorate this new place, it occurred to me that I could try and create that Parisian apartment feeling. 

I think pied a terre translates literally to "foot of earth", which makes sense because Parisian apartments are mostly tiny, especially compared to Chateaus outside the city. 

How do you create a french apartment, you ask?  The recurring elements are the light wood floors and pastel walls with lots of trim work.  Some of the trim work is very old and ornate.  Both of these things can pretty easily be duplicated here and I got VERY LUCKY with the floors.  I just need to add a lot of moulding to the walls and paint, paint, paint. 

The last element that distinguishes a Parisian apartment seems to be the light.  Natural light.  Natural light that comes through those amazing floor to ceiling "french door" windows.  Okay, I don't have that, but I do have windows, so we'll see. 









I have some ambitious plans for the new place...most of which I hope to do myself!!  Check back for before, progress and after pictures.

Au revior!