La Cressonnière: Halfbath

I want to share more of the details that make this house so interesting. But there are so many! Too many to share all at once, so I’ll start small. With the tiniest room in the house. A little halfbath on the main floor located under the staircase.

la cressonniere half bathla cressonniere halfbath

The first thing I noticed was a row of little metal plates nailed to the door. I’m not sure what these plates were originally used for, but I think they’re so pretty. Do you know? I’m guessing some kind of printing.

la cressonniere halfbath

There are a couple more metal plates on a little paneling ledge on the wall. See the gorgeous wallpaper? It’s actually not paper at all — the pattern is painted on!

la cressonniere halfbath

This is a funny little knocker on the outside of the door.

la cressonniere halfbath

And this is how the door latches closed — like a little gate.

By the way, I’ve said it before but it deserves saying repeatedly. I am very aware how lucky we were to find this beautiful home. It truly feels like a gift that we get to live here. I write these posts about La Cressonnière partly because I know readers are curious, and partly because I want to acknowledge and appreciate our good fortune. Thanks for reading along!

Update: Here is more info from the homeowners. “Those little metal plates are actually from Greece. They are called ‘tamata’ and we have collected them passing through Athens over the years on our many holidays to the Greek Islands (where my father lives). These wonderful symbols convey wishes for many purposes: the new house, the healthy baby, the new love (the heart symbol is a wonderful Valentine at any time of the year!), the successful operation, the watchful eye. Tamata are similar to Milagros in the Latin tradition. The Greeks buy these tamata then take them to the church of their choice and tie it with a ribbon to a horizontal pole under the icon or painting of their chosen saint. I’ve read that hey can also be used as holiday tree decorations.”

You clever readers, you guessed exactly right! : )

62 thoughts on “La Cressonnière: Halfbath”

  1. How interesting! I don’t believe they were for printing but are like (perhaps a French version of) Mexican milagros, little tokens that are made when praying for a miracle or made and left as a token at a shrine or church after receipt of an answer to prayer. I received something very similar in the mail recently from the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, same size and style, but with a picture of Mary stamped on it. The ear would be for a prayer of healing for hearing loss or ear infection, the baby for health of baby or healthy pregnancy or healing of infertility, etc. An interesting and unique decoration for a bathroom!

      1. this is exactly what they are… we have this tradition here in Greece, only we usually leave them inside churches, next to icons of the saint we are asking for the miracle…

        a wonderful house, can’t wait to see the rest!

  2. Oh…I’m in love with your house!!!! Thanks for sharing and I’m looking forward to seeing more and more and more. Enjoy the gift you’ve been given in that wonderful place. I have one of those little plates from Germany from when my husband was there doing an internship. It was sold as an ornament with a red ribbon on it. I love it. Au revoir :)

  3. It is so lovely. You are a very gracious person and communicate your gratefulness for your blessings very well. Keep posting pics of this lovely place!

  4. I agree with the milagros. I’ve also seen them in churches in Greece – offerings and requests for the saints. They are beautiful. Congrats on your new French adventure!

  5. First – thank you for letting us be lucky through you. I love all the little bits of La Cressonniere you are sharing.

    Second – if they are milagros, how funny that they’re in a bathroom! Who are we leaving offerings/requests to in there? : ) Either way they are beautiful and fun to look at. And I love that knocker.

  6. Well … now I’m going to have to go hand paint some wallpaper — I won’t be able to stop thinking about it until I do! How beautiful! Having grown up in Colorado, I feel like Europe is a special place where people do things that simply aren’t done here anymore. I guess my imagination is about right because that hand painted wallpaper is amazing! Thanks for sharing pictures!

  7. Just wanted to say that I love these posts about your move to France! I hope there will be many more to come. Best of luck!

  8. Please keep the pictures/stories about this charming house coming! And the small details are especially interesting. Now I’m curious about the interesting family whose home this is!

  9. I love that you’re posting about details and your great perspective. Many might see it as a home with no reliable door locks! So glad you recognize it’s beauty and charm.

  10. I was going to say they looked like they could be molds for chocolates…like the tops on the Le Petit Écolier cookies. But, the no one would want the ear cookie, and the milagros theory makes much more sense:)

  11. Please do share! I am fascinated by most everything in Europe and love the opportunity to live vicariously through you this year. I hope others aren’t accusing you of boasting. I admire that you guys made this decision and made it work for your family. I would fully expect you to enjoy every nook and cranny of your home, as well as every fresh pastry you eat, or historical site you get to visit!

  12. I love painted “wallpaper” like that. It’s very popular in Eastern Europe and when I lived there I found it incredibly charming. My friends thought I was nuts since it’s considered cheap, common, and somewhat declasse there. For anyone interested in creating the effect it’s done with patterned rollers (similar to this http://rollerwall.com/howitworks.html). All it takes is the will – the technique is easy.

    A side note: a Hungarian artist friend of mine used an old roller to paint the backgrounds in a series of pencil drawings he did. The effect is absolutely lovely and it’s one of my favorite pieces of art that we own.

    1. I had forgotten all about the patterend rollers until I read your post. This is something my Father did back in the late 50’s to our bedrooms. Thaks for bring back the memory and the thought that perhaps I will atemp this on a smaller scale in our 1/2 bath!

  13. I love reading your posts! I loved seeing the treehouse and now this little half bath. I’m amazed at the detail of every tiny thing, but also how you notice the detail. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in life that we tend to gloss over the tiny, beautiful things. Like the heart in the treehouse…I never would have noticed until you pointed it out and as soon as you did I loved it and I was so glad to see it. It’s made me wonder what beautfiul details I may be missing in my own world. I thought about the door handles in my house…nope, not nearly as interesting as the gate hook on your half bath door. Still, I’m sure there are things I’m missing that I want to start paying more attention to. Thanks for sharing all the details of your journey…somehow I feel that I might be able to experience this adventure through you!

  14. It does seem like such a special place! More like a custom B&B than a house they rent out. Makes me wonder about the owners, did they live there and see to all the details, or was it built and maintained primarily as a vacation spot, etc. Tell us all about it! I promise, we want to know. :)

  15. I love that you are sharing La Cressonniere and all the wonderful details… Thank you so much. Please continue to share. I smiled when I saw the funny door knocker. We have the same exact one on our guest bedroom door!

  16. You’re very gracious to share your experiences with us. I appreciate it very much. Your sensitive attention to detail is awesome!

  17. It’s the tiniest details that make a home a home, don’t you think? Please keep sharing–I’m loving these posts about La Cressonniere. Thanks for bringing us along!

  18. I am so excited for you and your family to be on this adventure and I LOVE hearing about it! The house is absloutly charming! You have inspired my husband and me to take a vacation to Paris.

  19. The hand knocker is a traditional Hand of Fatima (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter) door knocker, which is a north African Muslim symbol that gives the occupier of the house protection from the “evil eye”. The left hand is either for doing evil things, or to protect from the evil eye.

  20. How can you not write about La Cressonnière?!! I imagine you must look around and think wow am I really here? What a blessing for your family!! I wish my husband could work abroad. You never know what the future can bring!! I`m keeping my fingers crossed for one day. Please keep the France posts coming. Actually this post is to short!! MORE MORE MORE peas!! as my 1.5 year old says

  21. I am completely enchanted, as I’m sure you all are! I can only imagine how magical it must be for your children to explore and discover all of these little treasures around the house – this is an experience you will all surely remember forever, and I am so happy to follow along! xo Laura

  22. I was only told about you just after your big move to France, and you are just making my day every day at the moment. I spent last September traveling round France with my husband and 5yr old daughter Remi; and you are fueling my own desire to live there. Looking forward to every post! Thank You!!

  23. When I was visiting Greece several years ago I came across these same “plates” and it was explained to me that they were used for prayer purposes in hopes of being used as a healing mechanism. So for instance, let’s say you have a friend, uncle, anyone, who has an ailing foot-you would purchase one of these plates that has a foot on it and use it as a prayer offering in hopes of healing their foot. It’s interesting that the plates are in your home as I only came across them in churches during my visit to Greece. I actually purchased several of the plates, brought them home with me and placed them in a shadowbox frame, adhering them with interesting stones that I also found during my visit…instant art!

  24. I love reading and seeing all the pictures of your new life in France! It’s the first thing I do when I turn on the computer each day. After you, I then go directly to Jordan’s blog! Keep it coming….. <3

  25. And thank you for sharing! What a delightful little half bath. How is the plumbing? Is it much different from America? How old is La Cressonnière? My husband travels to London with his work. I’ve yet to go with him but he takes lots of photographs for me to see. I’ve noticed the plumbing is on the outside of the older buildings. Is it like that in France too?

  26. I love this house. LOVE! Please show us every inch. I can’t wait for the next surprise.

    Also, thank you so much for documenting this adventure. For years my husband has dreamed of taking the kids out of school for a year and sailing (almost) around the world. I have begged off, just completely daunted by the prospect of it all. Your posts are making me see little ways to begin thinking realistically about our own family adventure. So, again, thank you.

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