Breton decoration

[ty ar mor]

I need some feedback and opinions.  Our holiday home on the Southern Breton coast is a typical stone built cottage with a dark wood interior.  The floor boards, beams and ceilings are all very dark wood and, as far as I am concerned, typically Breton, which I love.  However, painting the boards between the ceilinng beams white would massively enhance the light and airy feel of the place, as it is quite dark, despite light, but sympathetic furnishings.  I am so torn between a need to keep the place as it is meant to be and making it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for us.  Any thoughts.......? 

 

[Bugsy]

Your comments sound like the sort of person that keeps the plastic covers on the seats of a new car, so that it'll be nice for the next owner, [:D]  get the paintbrushes out and brighten up your place. You won't believe the difference.

[Beryl]

Yes brighten it up.

Too many old Breton houses are dark and gloomy, they are of their time but a bit of modernising never hurt anyone.[:)] You might start a trend!

[Teamedup]

I just cannot believe any home was 'meant' to be dark and gloomy. Get it as you want to live in it.

[Miki]

My thoughts on the dark wood and furniture in Brittany, is simply so the fly spit don't show [:)]

[Dick Smith]

So you are suggesting specky paint, Miki?

I'd certainly paint anywhere. We have some massive beams, and we painted them, as without it was like sitting in a cave.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="ty ar mor"]  However, painting the boards between the ceilinng beams white would massively enhance the light and airy feel of the place, as it is quite dark, despite light, but sympathetic furnishings.  I am so torn between a need to keep the place as it is meant to be and making it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for us.  Any thoughts.......?  [/quote]

Yes.

Paint between the beams.

Immediately. [:D]

Not necessarily white - a cream or ivory would be a gentler option... with the added benefit (if you get the colour right) of making it look vaguely Gitane-stained. Always an authentic look.

"...I am so torn between a need to keep the place as it is meant to be..."

If dark and dreary isn't how you want it then that isn't how it is meant to be any more. I don't think you need to feel bad about changing it. It's not as if you're contemplating ripping out a granite fireplace. Er. Are you??

One other thought: just in case you're thinking of insulating between the beams, come to that decision before you do the paint thing. [;-)]

[TWINKLE]

 

If everything else is still authentic it won't spoil the overall effect.  I'll take this off tomorrow 'cos' it's not my house and I didn't take the photo.

[Catalpa]

Yes, that looks good, doesn't it? The ceiling would feel much lower if it were still dark wood between the beams. If anything, it makes the beams more of a focal point.

[suein56]

[quote user="ty ar mor"]

The floor boards, beams and ceilings are all very dark wood ...  it is quite dark, despite light, but sympathetic furnishings.  I am so torn between a need to keep the place as it is meant to be and making it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for us.  Any thoughts.......?  [/quote]

This sounds just like the gite we rented when we first came to Brittany - during a few bad weather winter months the lack of light due to the dark ceilings and beams drove us nearly mad. The place we have now is white, white, white - too bright say our neighbours, almost perfect say my OH and I, sighing happily. So slap on the paint - make it light and cheerful, I really believe you wont regret it.

Sue

[Val_2]

Our Breton house is 400 years old and typical of the poster's description. However, once the spaces between the ceiling beams have been plasterboarded and then painted either white or cream you will be amazed at how much brighter the room becomes. The secret of these old places is to keep everything simple and white where its extremely dark and the typical longère only has windows in the front to protect against the gales with window recesses of a good metre.

[ty ar mor]

Okay, that convinced me!!  I did not expect such a response from so many people. I guess I am just the kind of person that believes we are simply the keeper of a house for the future - and I definitely do not keep the plastic covers on car seats etc - wrong idea!!  I am not in the slightest bit "precious" but have a very strong sense of respect for the Breton tradition.

Thank you for the photo - I get the picture!!

[Dick Smith]

I should say that our beams were already painted in that nasty caca brown colour, which just wouldn't come off. This is a pic halfway through decorating (ie no flooring yet).

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/91.jpg[/IMG]

[Russethouse]

 Where are you ?  Why not take your decorative cue from the sea - look at the triskel: earth, water and air. There are many contemporary designers, perhaps looking at their work will inspire you. Philippe Lalys, Olivier Lapicque, the Tabuburets etc.

 Plenty of scope IMHO to modernize and yet keep a truly Breton 'feel'

[Dick Smith]

I take your point, Gay, but if I felt I had to decorate my home in the 'local' style I would rather hurl myself off a cliff into a shark-infested sea whilst listening to Cliff Richard singing religious ballads and poking myself in the eye with a sharp stick...

[Miki]

Are the tickets on sale yet Dick, I'll have a gross and Stan Flashman said he'll have the rest.

Cap Frehel is nice at this time of year and plenty of place to put the stands.

Spilt the proceeds 60/40 ?

Altogether now...

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

[:)] [:)][:)][;-)]

[Dick Smith]

Oh come on, you've never seen me blindly praising all things French, especially in terms of popular taste!

[Miki]

Agreed but I just wanted to make some money, after all, we are closed with no money coming in but money going out faster than the tide at Le Mont St Michel  [:)]

Couldn't you just go with the flow, so we can get a few Euros in, then change your mind after the dive ?

[nimportequoi]

[quote user="Miki"]My thoughts on the dark wood and furniture in Brittany, is simply so the fly spit don't show [:)]

[/quote]

Is that a mis-spelling in the word after fly??

You are right, those stains are sooo difficult to get rid of, especially from soft furnishings.

[LanguedocGal2]

My ideal colour scheme at the moment - white, white and more white. What did you use as flooring, Dick? I have a real flooring Dilemma, as another forum member will confirm. Bored her s***less with it the other week. Poor thing.[:D]

Strangely enough, like the original poster, I'm reluctant to destroy them as they (tiles) are part of the original 19th century features. However,  I absolutely hate them. Strange self-imposed restrictions for someone as flaky as I am.

Have any of the bricoleurs here ever painted over these old floor tiles?

[Russethouse]

 

Dick, LOL, but you are in Normandy, are you not ?

http://www.faience-de-quimper.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=42_43

http://www.brittanybyways.com/nuanciersBotanique_en.html

http://www.quellechance.com/

( I collect Marie Toulhoat)

http://www.ceramics-design.com/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/0915?opendocument&part=3

Breton culture is artistically diverse and also rich.

 

[ty ar mor]

If you don't mind me asking, -so why do you live there-?  You have all convinced me to go for white between the beams, okay?!  But I will keep the dark chestnut staircase and the upstairs floors.  The downstairs were replaced as "les merules" were miraculously (!) discovered after purchase and we have so far left them light anyway.  As far as contemporary goes, no can do.....if I wanted that I would go for a modern house, there are enough of them being built.... it would be a shame to waste a traditional one for the sake of my taste!  Don't mean to be rude though. Very much appreciate the comments and the discussion that has followed...

[Dick Smith]

Norman (at least rural) vernacular decor is a bit - how shall we say? Heavy? Dark? Dull? Rubbish?

Why do I want to live here - because I like the country, not in order to slavishly copy the fairly revolting taste of the majority of the locals. I don't think I've 'wasted' a house at all, I've modernised it and brought it into the century of the fruitbat. I'm not objecting to your taste, please don't have the temerity to question mine without knowing a lot more about it!

Gay - if I saw anything like that in any house round our way I'd fall over backwards. There must be some, but they aren't obvious! In local villages the big thing is net curtains with 18th century milkmaids woven in...

[Russethouse]

There was a period in Quimper pottery where a special 'line' was produced and marked VB - these are all Norman decors. In addition there was a faiencerie at Caen but although there are known pieces of pottery, research about it (by Millicent Mali) is ongoing.

There was also a range known as 'Mathilde' which features stylised decors from the Bayeux Tapestry - unremitting brown I'm afraid.

[ty ar mor]

Dick - I am sorry you have taken offence - I was not, in fact, referring to you or your photo!  Read back to some of the other messages.  I only put the original question out there to get some feedback and all opinions on the subject are personal.  The responses I have had have helped me make a decision that I was finding hard to make, partly because our house was built by the family of our neighbour.  Most of the people around us speak Breton as their first language and are incredibly proud of their roots - I am equally as concerned about upsetting them as I am about making the house right for us.  I hope you can all understand that without feeling I have upset anyone!