Table of contents for French Cottage 2015 in Victoria

Don’t Forget For even more inspiration for gracious living and gardening, visit our website, victoriamag.com. You’ll find photos, tips, and how-tos on our social media sites, so follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. P.S. Make sure to visit my blog, theribboninmyjournal.com. I have long been enchanted with the lifestyle of France. Even when my travels don’t spirit me away to that land, whenever I seek French inspiration, I refer to my magazine and book collection that focuses on its people, décor, and food. This special Victoria Classics edition is designed to allow our readers to peek into homes and shops filled with the tasteful furnishings and charming accessories we associate with Gallic culture. History is ever present in the residences showcased in these pages. Coupled with homes chosen…

Captivating storytellers, toile patterns have been adored the world over for their romantic imagery featuring flowers, fauna, and idyllic scenes of genteel country life. The craze began quickly when the first printed cottons were imported to France from India in the sixteenth century. Lightweight and washable, these wildly colorful blockprinted indiennes were met with an exuberant fervor that virtually paralyzed the French fabric industry. So imminent was this threat of competition that, in 1686, King Louis XIV commanded an embargo on the importation of all cottons and issued a decree to arrest anyone who violated the ban. Despite these deterrents, the quest continued to flourish in secret. When the ban was lifted in 1759, the coveted printed cottons eventually rebounded from their scandalous beginnings, and French factories regrouped in hopes…

At the heart of the French aesthetic is an appreciation of simple beauty, and the wares found at French General perfectly illustrate this principle. It’s easy to see why owner Kaari Meng says she collects many of the items she sells. The shop is a rainbow of vibrant buttons, beads, and spools of velvety ribbon. Tiny stuffed birds and bees alight on silk flowers, and imported textiles—everything from nubby wheat-colored hemp aprons to soft, scarlet-hued cotton towels— are casually displayed. “When I walk into [the shop], I usually feel like I am at home, surrounded by small bits and pieces that were left behind,” she says. “I am simply taking care of them while I am here.” Kaari and her sister, Molly, first opened French General in a barn…

Following the introduction of European Meissen porcelain in the eighteenth century, sets of china tableware became highly sought after by anyone who could afford them. Sometimes comprising more than two thousand pieces, porcelain dinner services were a symbol of wealth and power—Catherine the Great, of Russia, was said to have owned several sets, each with enough pieces to serve sixty guests. At a regal European dinner feast, especially in France, it was not uncommon to see twenty or thirty dishes for each of seven or eight courses. Among these courses was consommé, a rich reduction of the stock from a roast, served in individual pots à jus—tiny, lidded cups with a single handle. The lid kept the broth hot, while the handle allowed diners to drink directly from the cup.…

“A guest never forgets the host who had treated him kindly“. —HOMER…

Shawn Stucker, the owner of Louisville, Kentucky’s renowned European Antique Market— the largest importer of French antiquities in the state—is a natural storyteller. “It all began,” says Shawn, “with a woman who had a passion for French patina, who was aspiring to enrich her life—a dream that eventually led her to France in search of treasures … but what she found was something much greater.” While working a corporate job in merchandising and operations, the entrepreneur began collecting and selling antiques as a hobby in the early 1980s. “It was a very conscious effort,” she recalls, “because I knew that eventually this is what I wanted to do.” Her endeavors then led to the purchase of an old farmhouse she could use for stocking her wares, and she acquired a…

After Brigitte de Luz and her husband, Jan, vacationed in picturesque Carmel, California, nineteen years ago, even their native France couldn’t keep them away from the seaside paradise. They packed up their family and returned to stay, bringing a delightful Gallic sensibility with them. Jan’s career as a retailer of fine woven linens included launching France’s first écomusée—a museum celebrating Basque weaving, history, and crafts. Now, that same style and heritage infuse the couple’s three eponymous California shops, Jan de Luz, in the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, in Carmel Valley, and in Saint Helena in the Napa Valley. The Carmel village boutique brims with authentic French antiques and accessories featuring that je ne sais quoi—an understated charm possessed by timeless discoveries beautifully preserved—and handmade luxuries for the kitchen, bed, and bath.…

“An apple is an excellent thing—until you have tried a peach.” —GEORGE DU MAURIER See Recipe Index, page 105, for recipe information.…

For expatriate Corey Amaro, her life story thus far has been an offbeat sort of fairy tale—American girl falls in love with French boy, moves to France, and lands on foreign soil with only two suitcases. French boy becomes French Husband, and twentyseven years later, the intercontinental couple and their two beautiful children continue to live happily ever after. Of course, as fairy tales are wont to be, that’s a bit of gloss-over. French Husband (which Corey actually calls him) is Yann, and French Children are daughter Chelsea and son Sacha. French House is hidden off an alley in a one-thousand-year-old fishing village so anchored in history, it boasts roads built by ancient Roman engineers. It is filled with French antiques, pieces Corey carefully chose and arranged just so to…

When she spotted the feed sacks at an antiques market, Brenda DeWitt knew she had found the centerpiece for Chelsea Cottage. “I wanted the space to be beautiful and durable. I wanted guests with children and dogs to feel comfortable,” she says. “That is why I love feed sacks—they are sturdy yet inviting.” “For me, a cottage should be a sanctuary. When the outside world is crazy, we need somewhere peaceful to go.” —BRENDA DEWITT Repurposed as curtains, pillowcases, and lamp shades and used in the dog bed that Brenda created, they are just one example of her eye for the possible. After she and her husband, Tim, purchased their 1940s bungalow, they tore down a dilapidated detached garage in the backyard to make room for a guest cottage and…

CELEBRATING THE COZY FOODS OF ALSACE Begins on page 91 Coq au Riesling p.93 Makes 4 servings ½ pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch-wide strips 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken-leg quarters 1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 1 large leek, well washed and sliced 1 fennel bulb, core removed and roughly chopped 1 pound parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened with the side of a knife 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups dry Riesling 3 cups chicken stock 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 (10-ounce) package pearl onions, blanched and peeled ½ cup heavy cream 1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until golden and mostly crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan, and…