About US
It was sometime in the late 90s, and an American château-obsessed Europhile met a handsome Englishman. It sounds like a fairytale, and in many ways it was.
That’s how Simon and I met, and it has been quite an adventure ever since! After a few years together in Edinburgh and London, we couldn’t resist the lure of France. We bought a small place in Paris, and then we took a huge plunge and bought our first chateau in the Loire Valley.
It was a huge renovation/ interior design project and giant money-pit for two young, naïve, and starry-eyed lovers, but it also started a whole new life of dreams in the French countryside.
Meanwhile, I somehow still found the time to exhibit my paintings and do other design work, but we had found a whole new creative passion: renovating historic castles. After 18 years, we sold our first chateau and bought a smaller one, also in the Loire Valley. During the pandemic, I started a YouTube channel called “Chateau Love”, celebrating our love for France, chateau renovations, other castles, friends, and - of course - each other.
It has been a lovely way to showcase talented artists such as Simon (I’m not at all biased) and share my love of the artistry of antiques. Some of my favorites are unique pieces of antique jewelry, each one telling a story about the artist, the period it was created, and the wearer.
Jewelry dates back thousands of years, expressing joy, love, loss, secret longings, assignations, and the telling of huge stories in tiny symbolic pieces of wearable art. A few years ago, I fell in love with the weird, beautiful, and wonderful pieces that were prevalent in the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Eras. Occasionally, I also see vintage pieces from the 40s - 70s that are so interesting. Collecting these, telling their stories, and then passing them on to you is a pleasure and a privilege.
I also have designed a range of gift items for those who also love castles, French chateaux, and historic interiors. Whether it’s a happy mug or tote bag to remind you of your inner chatelain/e, or some beautiful art for your walls, I hope you enjoy perusing my “chateau shop” as much as I have delighted in its creation!
Sending you so much “Chateau Love” from my castle to yours,
Vivienne