If you’ve been following the blog for some time, you will know all about my love of Paris. Up until several years before the pandemic, I travelled to Paris almost annually…and I miss it. I’m not going this year, and for sure not next year (the Olympics), so Paris is coming to me!
What started as a summer outdoor dining area, a place to avoid the wasps and mosquitos, has become my take on a Paris bistro…I’m calling it “Le Bar Glasserie“.
***Meghann's suggestion, and I loved it!
Decorating the interior was the easy part…I already had everything I needed.
***I’m not suggesting this is a replica of a real Paris bistro…it’s just a collection of decor pieces that remind me of the special moments I’ve experienced.
I have repurposed the island I had in my kitchen before I replaced it with the banquette. A fresh coat of paint and voila…it’s now the bar. The drawers are convenient for placements and napkins, and the cupboards hold candles and candleholders.
The gold and black mirror was tucked away in my closet. Before the bathroom renovation, it was the mirror over the sink.
This photo, by Gray Malin, called Jardin de Tuileries, Paris, is propped up against the mirror. I’ve renamed it “Charlie and her friends go to Paris”. (See her sitting second from the right!).
***Sitting in one of Paris’s iconic green garden chairs around a pond in the Tuileries Gardens around 5 PM is one of my favourite pastimes…ever! It’s a beautiful place to relax after hours of walking the city streets, to read a book, or watch children play with toy sailboats, and see the world go by.
This hurricane candleholder and candle are past CC on Whyte finds. The glass is etched with “Cafe Brasserie Colbert”, as is the candle. The Le Grand Colbert restaurant is a must-go-to when in Paris. If you saw the movie “Somethings Gotta Give”, you will remember it as the location of the last scenes in the movie. Now if I could only cook the roast chicken half as well as the one on the menu, I would be all set!
This anduze pot from Provence is also from CC on Whyte...many years ago. It had been hidden in the garage holding the hedge clippers and leaf blower. Unfortunately, it was left outside over a winter long ago and had cracked badly. I was ready to dispose of it, but my mom meticulously glued it back together. Now it holds a palm…another nod to Le Grand Colbert.
The marble table, until recently, was my kitchen table. When I did the “table shuffle, (blog post, “The Snowball Effect, Jan. 26), I knew it would be perfect for this room. The bistro chairs I’ve had for several years.
This side table was originally a plant stand. I spray-painted the base black and topped it with a couple of old marble cutting boards that have been cluttering up the pantry. The ice bucket is an extra and has been collecting dust in the dining room, and the Glittery Eiffel Tower, a Christmas ornament, has always been central to my Eiffel Tower collection.
The “34” vase is actually an empty Diptyque candle holder of the combined scent (from the all the scented candles) in their boutique at 34 Blvd. St. Germain, in the 6th arrondissement, the area I stay when I’m in Paris.
This oversized canvas of the Eiffel Tower was a gift from my son on one of those milestone birthdays. It has always hung outside on the brick wall because it was too big for the inside. Now it hangs in “Le Bar Glasserie“, and who wouldn’t want a view of the Eiffel Tower when they’re having dinner?
At one time, I loved all the fancy, potent cocktails and have to say their effect contributed to many good times! Unfortunately, I no longer have a tolerance for them, but I’ve been looking for a summer cocktail special. I really like the sounds of this one…it sounds more like dessert than a drink.
I’m signing off for the summer. I’ll have the drone photos of the garden for the spring season soon, and I will share them with you, but truthfully, I’m all talked out. I can talk all day long about gardening, but I also know many of you are not gardeners, so I’ll give you a break!
Wishing you sunny days ahead, although the rain today is glorious…see you in September.
xox Judy❤️
Special thanks to those who contributed to my “Ode to Paris”
Jesse (Forge 53), who took my thoughts (and his) and designed the room. Adam (Forge 53), who built the structure. Meghann (Re-Plenish), who designed the computer program for the floor pattern. Xi (Re-Plenish), who started painting the floor and laid out the pattern so I could finish it.
Your outdoor room is stunning!! xo
Thank you Joanne…have a wonderful summer. xox Judy❤️
Mangnifique!
Merci beaucoup, Diane! xox Judy❤️
Oh my gosh Judy, “Le Bar Glasserie” is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and I love EVERYTHING about it. I have books and magazines full of photos and ideas that don’t come anywhere close to this! You’ve decorated it perfectly with the furniture pieces (I’m drooling over the “island”!) and accessories (love “Charlie’s'” painting🐶😂) with everything going together beautifully. The floor is an absolute MASTERPIECE….seriously!! I can’t stop looking at it!!!!! I feel transported to Paris just looking at your photos. Kudos also to Meghann, Xi, Jesse and Adam! I can’t think of a more beautiful place to sit in and enjoy the sound of this rain. Enjoy your beautiful “Ode To Paris” and the rest of the summer…you deserve it. I’ll look forward to your posts and updates again in September. Take care and big hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, do you know how much I will miss your glowing comments? Thank you so much. Wishing you a fabulous summer too, xox Judy❤️
Oh Judy it looks so fabulous!! You and I both share this extreme fondness for Paris, so wonderful that you’ve created this slice of it right in your backyard ❤️
Thank you Catherine, I know you will understand the “bringing home Paris to you” concept. Enjoy your beautiful rooftop garden this summer with all it’s French touches! xox Judy❤️
Enjoy your beautiful space! Looking forward to reading your posts when they resume and have a very happy summer/gardening season!
Thank you Cathy, I hope you have a lovely summer too! xox Judy❤️
I’m so glad you posted this update. It answered some of my questions. Like what’s going on with your Paris bistro? What happened to the island that was replaced with your banquette? Beautifully done! I’ve only been fortunate enough to spend one weekend in Paris but it made such an impression. Seeing everything you’ve done with your yard completely transports me back to a very glorious time. I love hearing about your trips, the decor you’ve recreated and yes, all of your gardening experiences. You’re a very inspirational woman. I can hardly wait to see where things go after summer. Get out and enjoy the fruits of your designs and labour. I envy the wonderful accomplices you have!
Hi Joyce, I have no doubt that everything is looking fabulous in your garden and any projects that you have been working on. Is there anything you can’t do? The bistro structure is still not completely done but I wanted to do an update before the summer. It will be done soon and I look forward to spending quality time in there this summer…but you know how all that goes…there is always more work to be done first. I bought another 20 plants this morning for heaven’s sake!!! The island was looking pretty grim as it was sitting outside on the patio all last winter but, thankfully, the fresh paint job enabled it to live another day. Have a wonderful summer Joyce, xox Judy❤️
Congratulations on Le Bar Glasserie Judy! So many lovely pieces that give it that very French, yet personal flare. I love how pieces have a significance to you, and are a collection of items that you perhaps hung on to for a special purpose. They have come together beautifully. The photo of Charlie sitting with her friends in the famed green chairs in the Jardin des Tuileries is the piece de resistance! I am looking forward to trying out that recipe, when the rain stops and I can sit out on my patio again with family and friends. I will miss your blog until September. Have a glorious summer Judy!
Thank you Karen, I will miss you over the summer too…and all your wonderful comments. If only Charlie could go to Paris with me… It’s hard to believe we were so desperate for rain just a week ago and now we can almost float away! Have a wonderful summer, Karen xox Judy❤️
Judy, what a wonderful place you have created. Beautiful feeling of being in Paris.
Thank you Eva, you are probably missing Paris as much as I am! xox Judy❤️