Welcome back and an extra big bienvenue to the influx of new subscribers the past two weeks, it’s lovely to have you here!

For any new subscribers interested in more context, I’d direct you as follows:

Let’s begin!

Aletheax

Sixteen and a half months ago, I applied to ANTS (the French equivalent of the RDW, DVLA, DMW etc) to swap my Dutch driving licence for a French one. A simple, straightforward EU-to-EU accompanied by all the correct documents. The new licence has just arrived, neatly demonstrating that the much-maligned snail’s pace of French bureaucracy is indeed absolutely alive and well. 

The mind boggles as to how an uncomplicated licence swap can take over a year and half 🤔 For contrast, in the Netherlands the turnaround is between 5-10 days. Regardless, I’m delighted to finally be properly road-legal again. 

With old friends visiting, I happily tagged along to Chateau des Milandes, the last home of Josephine Baker. With a five-year-old in tow, the birds of prey show was non-negotiable but as someone generally allergic to organised fun or lengthy guided tours my expectations for ‘the show’ were low. However, it was brilliant, we had a great experience and I’d highly recommend it for both small people and grown-ups. 

Josephine Baker’s life story is incredible, clearly a remarkable woman, and the chateau is a great mix of traditional and glam. The gardens are lovely too, and after this second visit it’s now on my ‘definite recommendation’ list for visitors. 

Some exciting media bits are brewing on both sides of the pond, so I’m hoping to add to the media section soon so this Martha Stewart piece isn’t lonely! 

And for those who kindly asked, Miss Romy is recovering well and has started tail-wagging again 😃

Finally, a big shout-out to Lara, who so kindly illustrates my silly stories 😄All her illustrations are brilliant, but I do think this week’s ‘fabric girl’ is particularly fun, merci!

Looking for an Autumn escape in the French countryside? This place is ideal…

In 2026 Domaine Les Plonges (in its entirety) will be available for a limited number of weeks for exclusive private vacation rental.

If you’d be interested in staying and would like to be notified of this limited availability, please register your interest via the button below.

One of the best things to do in this area, whether it’s your first visit or you’re a seasoned regular, is to kayak on the Dordogne. It’s a quickfire way to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land, and tick off a bunch of major sights in one go.

In Summer, the river is mostly shallow and gently fast-flowing, so there’s no need for serious kayaking skill or effort. A bit of steering, the odd gabarre (tour boats) and the occasional near-miss with another kayak is about as demanding as it gets. Easy-peasy, the Dordogne is no white-water rushing Zambezi!

“Get out of the kayak, it’s not deep” But N’s advice fell on deaf ears. L and I were consumed by uncontrollable laughter at the lunacy of the previous 30 seconds. Our kayak was being steadily consumed by the river with us flailing and snorting inelegantly within.

Moments earlier we’d been happily gassing away, occasionally dipping an oar in the water to follow the line of the others ahead. We were far more interested in the dramatic cliffs, distant chateau and catching up on life and were paying little attention to the river itself.  

So, we didn’t notice the tiny patch of white water until our kayak spun sideways in the current. Later, L and I would refer to it exclusively as “the rapids”, a rather grand name for what was essentially a ripple. Still, it took us both unawares and off-balance just enough for water to flood into the kayak.

By the time we gathered ourselves enough to get out, the kayak was fully submerged and aground. Soaked through, now standing in knee-deep water, and with the giggling fit punctured occasionally with a repetitive series of: “We hit the rapids”, “I cannot believe we sunk”, “Oh my God, how embarrassing!”

Our amusement was not shared to quite the same degree by the remaining three members of our party. Their initial laughter becoming replaced by frustration at the giggling incompetence before them.

N had been reiterating the depth issue from the opposite bank several times as he made his way over to rescue us. Meanwhile, T had raced ahead after his new Hoka trainers, as well as the car keys, phones and other gubbins in the waterproof barrels. All of which were now bobbing independently along the Dordogne. By now the mortal embarrassment of the scene had become too much for thirteen-year-old H and she’d retreated to a safe ‘I don’t know these people’ distance.   

Lifting the kayak from the riverbed was a strenuous four-person effort, with assistance from other helpful passing kayakers, but once drained and our composure regained, we were able to continue on our way.

The original plan was to switch paddling partners at each stop, but funnily enough no-one was willing to take turns with either L or I at any further stage of the river. The rest of the journey passed without incident, save for some red faces when the kids snitched on us to the kayak rental team, who informed us, with some amusement, that they usually only see one capsize per year. Oops!

Since this first attempt, my Dordogne kayaking track record has been spotless barring complaints from my nephews, aged eight and nine, for “not going fast enough”. Clearly, the entire debacle was L’s fault, haha, obviously!!

That last statement is famously untrue, I know full well that it’s a team effort! Together, L and I have a long and well-documented history of transport-themed fiascos: circling the Arc de Triomphe in her Renault 5, aged 18, screaming and wholly unable to exit that terrifying roundabout; missing flights while actually inside the airport; or boarding the wrong boat – multiple times.

So really, what did we expect?! A smooth kayaking trip would have been the surprise. Transport and scrapes, our tradition and enduring double-act 😀

So far, the Snapshots series include: Let’s talk renovation; Les P business creation; and general Life at les P. To find specific ones in the archive, just click on the relevant tag : )

More Snapshots of the Domaine Les Plonges ‘journey’ every edition.

Possibly you found your way here via Instagram? @domainelesplonges? If so, an extra Bienvenue! You’ll already know I love a good visual. So here I’ll share others and a little more context behind the images…

Whether it’s discovering unique work by artists and designers from near and far or rummaging through vide greniers, brocantes, and hidden treasure troves, I’m always on the lookout! I’ll be sharing my favourite artists, designers and sourcing spots here 😄

As I mentioned in the last edition, bold, colourful, patterned fabrics, wallpapers and tiles are very much my thing when it comes to interiors. I’ve already talked a bit about my tile finds in previous editions (bespoke tiles at reasonable prices for The Folly, and the Warehouse Bonanza for Fired Earth tiles) so let’s move on to fabrics! 

Borrowing fabric books from a local interiors shop isn’t really an option when you’re based in the middle of rural France. So, when I first bought Les P and was still living in The Hague, I’d generally browse in shops there and then order samples online or contact the design houses directly (Charlotte Gaisford being one example) and take the samples with me on my next visit. I found both Wallpaperdirect (which also does fabrics) and Jane Clayton really useful. Not only do they carry a wide variety of brands but they deliver fast and EU-wide.

For many months, windows and walls were dotted with taped up samples. In fact, some still are –the main bedroom curtains remain unresolved. The bags of samples have since been shared with friends, and I know I’ll return to them for future projects.

With some rooms I had very clear ideas and colour schemes from the outset (the main living room), others worked perfectly with fabrics I already owned and had been itching to use (bedroom four, main hallway, one living room), or were chosen to complement upholstered headboards (various bedrooms). It took a long time to find the right design for the dining room and of course, the main bedroom is still in a blank fabric state.

Now, while I do own a sewing machine, and used to be relatively capable in using it, making up curtains and blinds is a tad beyond my skillset – those lie more in the simple square cushion cover area. Luckily, I was introduced to an amazing local seamstress, Caroline, and we spent a few hours together at the start measuring for every single window and door in the property. She then worked out all the metre square requirements, factored in pattern widths and repeat options, and thus I was furnished with a handy excel spreadsheet of all the measurements for each window and door. I cannot recommend this enough.

That spreadsheet meant that whenever I found a fabric I loved, often, as you’ll see, in a sale, I knew immediately if there was enough for the room I had in mind. Caroline has since made every single curtain and blind for this property (bar a few reused ones form previous homes) and she’s done so beautifully.

When looking at fabric, the design and material are always what I fall for first. And somehow, very unintentionally, the ones I become obsessed with often end up sitting at the pricier end of the scale. Helaas pindakaas!

So, I’ll admit to initially being a little overwhelmed at the thought, and expense, of sourcing curtains and blinds for this property. There are 28 windows and doors, not including the future needs of the two Grange renovations to come. According to the spreadsheet I needed 109.3m2 of fabric, plus 89.5m2 of lining and 78.5m2 of interlining materials. Yikes. I honestly can’t imagine the fabric requirements of someone doing up a huge chateau…

So, finding fabric I loved but that wasn’t exorbitantly expensive became my mission!

I’m no fabric sourcing guru, and I’m sure plenty of others know far more, but since I’ve been asked, I’m happy to share where I found some of my favourites and some favourite deals! ⬇  

Vlisco - African Wax

One of the best things about having Vlisco as a client a few years ago, aside from the fun comms projects we did with designers across Africa, was, of course.. the discount on those fabrics. I stocked up on some end of line designs at their factory shop in Eindhoven for peanuts, knowing I’d find a use for them someday. Et voila, a splash of African-inspired design now features in the blinds for the main hallway and bedroom four. I still have some more bundles of these for future projects : )

Bugs and butterflies

I’d stumbled across the Royal Botanical Garden Scarab Blue fabric during a scroll of Haines Collection. Sadly, they only had two metres in stock so I emailed the manufacturer, Ivo Textiles, to see if I could track down more. Jackpot: not only did they have it but it was on clearance. Plus, they also had the Mariposa Butterfly in the same colourway. Both at €25 per metre as opposed to the already 40% discounted €55 on Haines. So now, La Petite Maison is decked out in a mishmash of beetles and butterflies.

Parrots and stripes

Possibly my biggest discounted find were these two Christopher Farr Cloth fabrics. I love their designs, but in my view, they are ridiculously overpriced quality-wise. So, I wouldn’t have touched them without a hefty discount.

Fairs, one-off events, brocante and vide-greniers

I’m a total sucker for a cushion-sized offcut and have amassed a decent collection from all of the above over the years. Some of them have even made it into cushion covers, haha, while the rest patiently await their turn.  

Re-use

My abstract floral curtains (Romo) have now clocked up four different addresses. Originally made for the tall Georgian windows of my apartment in Bath, they’ve since done the rounds at two different properties in The Hague and have now found their latest home here in France : )

I also have a set of blinds ready and waiting for the future Grand Grange renovation, another re-purposing from my Dutch days.

Travel

What’s not to love about stumbling upon some great fabric on your travels? Usually when you’re not looking and in places you’d least expect it. Over the years, I’ve picked up some lovely heavy-duty fabrics from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco, Greece and Spain. 

A special mention here for Amatuli, possibly my favourite store in Jo’Burg. Filled with every conceivable craft from across the continent, plus a fantastic selection of original, handcrafted textiles.

Online

Online there’s a whole universe of deadstock sales platforms, although to date I’ve never had any luck finding a specific fabric on these. I also find the sheer number of sites a little overwhelming. Typically, I’ve found the best deals online via one of these approaches ⬇

My favourite fabric? Probably of all of these it’s a tie between the Waterlilies Ikat (Jim Thompson) on the headboard in the main bedroom, the Vlisco pink and blue on the main door or the Suzuri (Designer’s Guild) curtains in the dining room, er, or wait, maybe the dragonflies (Clarke & Clarke) in the kitchen… actually, scratch that, they’re all my favourite : )

➡ Do share any brilliant fabric sources you may have – wherever in the world they may be.

With AI being ubiquitous, I’ve been investigating how to best use it to simplify those repetitive tasks - both for work, work (useful for project plans) and for Les Plonges 2026 scheduling (helpful in quickly creating wall charts etc). As a Gen Xer I’m not as au fait with new technology as younger generations, but I’m determined not to be that ‘oldie’ who can’t operate the proverbial ‘remote control’!

My view is that the AI genie is very firmly out of the bottle and it’s up to all of us to try and harness it for the best. I’ve been trialling Hubspot for work (hence I’ve included that ad this week), Evernote for research clippings, and Chat GPT for website trawling but crikey, there’s a ton of AI tech out there. So, my question this week:

Whenever I’ve mentioned F&F (family & friends) in these stories, you’ll have noticed I’ve taken to using initial-only names except where it’s been important to ask for express permission, for example in the Boks story or in describing Andy’s rugby antics. However, it’s been brought to my attention that this can make the copy a bit stilted. So, I’m now going to attempt to give my entire F&F ecosystem pseudonyms over time… bear with me!!

Simply put, for two key reasons:

There are free and paid subscription options: With a free subscription, you’ll receive a bi-monthly newsletter- just like this one, but different (obvs!) - every other Thursday. With a paid subscription, it’s not just more of the same, you’ll also receive a long list of additional stuff. More details here.

Whichever way you subscribe, I’m delighted to have you along for the adventure - thank you 💛

If you’re interested in the tech I’m using for this, it’s Beehiiv. I did a LOT of research on platforms and I’m happy to explain why etc in more detail, just ask. They’ve also given me a partner link, and this gives anyone using the link a 30-day free trial and 20% off your first three months on any paid plan. Note, it’s an affiliate link and I may receive commission on any purchases made through it.

ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly.

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Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI.

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Even in these early days, this newsletter receives a fair number of advertising opportunities. Most of which I reject because they simply don’t fit. However, where I’ve liked the brand and thought it may be of interest to others (ie, you lovely people!) I’ve said yes.

Adverts such as these also pay this newsletter for any clicks which in turn helps me pay for the software (and time involved!) in creating this newsletter. So, if you’re even vaguely interested, please do click through on an advert and have a look - there are no requirements to subscribe, shop or register any details - and you may just find something of interest as well as helping Adventures & Ateliers along the way!

Occasionally, I will also have the odd affiliate link - for example, in this edition, for Wallpaperdirect. Again, I’ll only include these if it’s something I was going to mention anyway. Affiliate links simply mean that I may receive commission on any purchases made through it.