a hip haven in paris

paris-montmartre-apartment-rent

 

This was my view for a week in Paris, and I have good news for you – it can be yours too. Renting an apartment is, in my opinion, the best way to experience a city. Having worked with Haven in Paris before and loving the experience, I reached out to them again for this trip. I have them to thank for my new obsession with Montmartre, which I got to know intimately while staying there. I had always heard about the unique vibe, and boy did I feel it – it’s palpable. The first thing I did after checking in (and being kindly greeted) was wander charming side streets and discover new perspectives of Paris. I’m getting ahead of myself though, as I’ll be sharing a neighborhood tour separately, soon. First, let me give you a tour of the apartment, which is classic yet modern, spacious yet cozy, and just like the neighborhood…very hip.

 

haven-in-paris-balcony

breakfast-on-paris-balcony

petit-dej

 

While the interiors are beautiful and thoughtfully curated, the balcony beckons you. Every morning I found myself there in a somewhat meditative state, saying good morning to the city. The rooftops of Paris are so iconic and beautiful…I could have just sat and stared at this view all day. With the Invalides, Roue de Paris, and the tip of the Arc de Triomphe in plain sight, it’s breathtaking! Located on a quiet street (but close enough to the buzz and heartbeat of the 18th), you can watch as residents lovingly hang their clothes to dry, listen as children laugh and play in a school courtyard, and the bells of the local church announce the hour. It’s a quick walk to the local market for fresh fruit, and the boulangerie for croissants and a warm, crisp baguette – is there anything better?! Ok maybe the butter…maybe the salty, creamy, butter is the best part. Ugh, that’s like choosing your favorite child, I can’t do it. Le petit dej with a view…#yesplease. Click through for more!

 

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desktop fleurish | plein de vie

desktop-fleurish-pleindevie

It seems May is a busy month for most of us…and the term plein de vie comes to mind, which is a feminine phrase meaning “full of life” or “lively”. That can be interpreted in so many ways, but to me, this month is very full of life, with spring in full bloom and Mother’s Day. My life is certainly more lively thanks to my children, to whom I gave life. See what I mean? The term can have different (and very significant) meanings to everyone. This beautiful design by Lindsey Buck of The Hive Studio is also full of life, don’t you think? Every month she pens a beautiful new desktop download highlighting a French word or phrase…you can see all the designs here. I hope your May is filled with joy + life!

simple desktop | calendar desktop

please note that these designs are for personal use only + not available for commercial usage.

peel stick love

fleurishing-chasing-paper-makeover-2

 

Our powder room makeover is finally complete, thanks to a second collaboration with Chasing Paper! You may have seen the sneak peek a few weeks ago, and now I can finally share it. Ever since discovering their removable wallpaper and going “wild” in Henry and Marie’s room, I’ve been obsessed with finding another place for it. Our (tiny) powder room proved to be the perfect space for their speckle print paper, which is both classic and modern thanks to the carefree (freehand) dot pattern. It elevated this bathroom to another level – it’s so much more interesting and fun (the dog tail hook helps too).

 

doggy-hook-detail

 

In addition to the paper, we updated the mirror and light (you’re not missing anything by not seeing the before photos – although I did share the process along the way on snapchat: hutchsusan). It’s very tricky to photograph such a tiny space (and I’m not a contortionist, lol) but I did my best! The details are always my favorite stage of the decorating process, and I found a happy home for the Napoleon + Josephine silhouettes recently gifted to me (merci Amy), along with the vintage brass swans I acquired in LA. There’s not really room for much more in there…less is more in this case!

 

powder-room-details

 

As you can see, it’s a tiny space just inside the front door of our loft. It makes me so happy to see those speckled dots peeking through from the bathroom doorway – it’s the perfect accent. Small spaces are the perfect place to make a bold statement, and I especially love using wallpaper in powder rooms (no shower/tub means hardly any humidity, which is not a friend of wallpaper). Pro tip: prints also make perfect camouflage for quirky spaces. Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you have to give up on wallpaper – check out all the amazing (removable) options on the Chasing Paper site!

 

fleurishing-loft-powder-room

 

resources: wallpaper | mirror | light | dog hook | shoe cabinet | all other items vintage

wallpaper c/o chasing paper, all words and opinions are my own.

the tower and a tease

eiffel-tower-trocadero-steps

 

I’m back mes amis, coucou! My trip to Paris was such a whirlwind, whew – I’m still catching my breath. It was an exhilarating and exhausting eight days, but worth every second. I missed my family fiercely (it’s the longest I’ve ever been away from them), but returned home refreshed and excited! Soon I’ll be sharing posts about my adventures, my apartment in Montmartre, and more. But for now…I have a very special announcement to share with you! While I can’t reveal it fully just yet, I’ll soon be launching a new venture that has been in the works for some time now (and on my brain for even longer). I’m honored and thrilled to be joined by and collaborating with my incredibly talented friends and fellow Francophiles, Kirsten Alana + Lindsey Tramuta. We cannot wait to share our news with you…stay tuned!!

a day in paris with kids

I’ve been saving this video for a while now–words cannot even express how much I/we treasure it. Last year, during our family trip, we had the good fortune of being in Paris at the same time as Jenner Brown. Having admired his work for years, I had reached out to him beforehand with my wish of capturing a day in Paris with Henry and Marie, and thankfully, he agreed to participate. I like to think that fate played a big part in everything aligning to make it a reality. Jenner joined us as we visited many kid-friendly places…we were a tad limited by the stamina of the kids at age two-and-a-half, otherwise we might have seen more that day. Regardless, we accomplished a lot and had so much fun while doing so. Sharing my love for Paris with my children has been one of my life’s greatest joys, and this video ensures those memories are treasured forever. I can’t think of a better way to commemorate our family trip (exactly one year ago).

a film by jenner brown