In the quest to optimize and tweak our current space before seriously considering moving onto the next, I spend tremendous amounts of time trolling the nebulous world of home décor and DIY websites. My “la maison” board on Pinterest, while beautiful, mostly serves to remind me of what little space I have to work with and how largely inaccessible most of the pieces are here in France. But some stories give me hope – amazing things are possible! Perhaps the most inspiring example of home renewal and adaptive reuse is Dutch graphic designer Judith de Graaf’s home in the Oise, 50k north of Paris.
Several years ago, Judith and her husband bought an abandoned industrial building from the 1960’s and spent well over a year renovating it into a habitable space. They did everything themselves, from electricity to plumbing, and designed their home from scratch -something I never would have had the courage or patience to do. In addition to being featured on Design*Sponge and in the Ikea Family magazine, Studio Sapique, as Judith calls the place, has its own permanent focus on her blog Joelix where you can scroll through the entire transformation.
Over ten years in France and she couldn’t imagine life any other way – she has more space than one could ever hope for in Paris, brilliant light, and a region she has thoroughly enjoyed exploring and writing about.
Describe what you love about France in three words.
gourmandise • home • pride
Something you’ve learned about yourself/life from the French?
To be patient. It’s actually an ongoing process and I’m still not very good at it. French bureaucracy is very inefficient and it can be so frustrating to wait for simple paperwork to get done. I also learned to never be early for an appointment. I was 20 minutes early for my first job interview and the lady at the front desk asked me “what are you doing here?”. In Holland it’s very appreciated if you arrive on time or even a bit early so that the meeting can start right away. Subtle differences…
Favorite sources for design inspiration in Paris?
Like in any city, I love wandering around, spotting beautiful typography (for my Typography of Travel series) and discovering new boutiques or galleries. My favorite shop in Paris is La Galérie Végétale in the rue des Vinaigriers in the 10th. In this former carpentry workshop you’ll find lush greenery, beautiful planters and goodies, such as tableware and stationary, all inspired by nature. It smells really nice too!
The one thing you always bring your family from France?
La Tisanière tea. My family is addicted to these fruity herbal teas that you can get at any supermarché. For me though, I’m just really glad we finally have Dutch HEMA stores in France (our thank you gift to the French!). It was the one thing I truly missed after moving here.
Most amusing interaction with the French?
A few months after we settled in France, in 2002, some new French friends invited themselves over for “déjeuner” (lunch). My husband is a real “cordon bleu” (great chef) and they were very curious about his talents. Somehow we both understood that they meant “petit déjeuner” (breakfast). So we prepared a table with croissants, chouquettes, toast, jam, cheeses, eggs, fresh juices… I remember they were a little reluctant when we invited them over at 10AM. We had a good laugh about it and enjoyed a nice Sunday brunch together. We’ve learned a lot since then!
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Follow Judith’s adventures at home and around Paris on her blog Joelix and on Twitter: @Joelix. And don’t miss her video tour of Studio Sapique!
