The Medallion

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

This story reminds me of that faucet commercial on television. You know the one where the couple goes into a renowned Architect’s office and after showing them all the magnificent buildings that he had designed; he asked them what he could do for them. The woman sits a faucet on his desk and says “design a house around this”? This is the same scenario that I presented to the DH when I showed him a $ 3.00 picture frame and told him to “build me a fireplace surround around it”.

The farmhouse has a double-sided fireplace that opens up into the Living room and into the Master bedroom. The living room side of the fireplace, at some point in time, was bricked over and replaced with a gas heater. We installed a central heating and air system to eliminate the use of propane gas, so during this remodeling project the DH had to use a crowbar to dismantle a stone riser that the heater sat on. That is a story in itself, but not the type that needs to be told to the outside world. Both of us should still be on our knees in prayer asking for forgiveness or holding up a giant silver cross to ward off demonic entities. Yeah—it was THAT bad. But, now that the holes in the floor are patched and the marble tile is down, no one needs to know anything about that monstrosity away. Looking back on the whole ordeal, it was kinda funny seeing as how I wasn’t the one that lost the thumbnail, slit a gash out of my leg or had to pick wood splinters out of my knees for a week.

Back to the story…..the only request that I made for the surround design was that I wanted it curvy and I wanted to use the picture frame as a center medallion. I envisioned it finished--painted stark white with a pearlescent glaze, topped off with a black mantle and the “piece de resistance”—a center medallion with a scripted “W” initial. I had no scaled drawings, only the finished width and height. I didn’t really care if it was not “standard issue” with plinth blocks and pilasters. In fact, it took me over a year to decide to add those elements. I have found that with time, Campagne Maison tells me what she wants, so many of the remodeling projects have evolved and they are always subject to change. A woman’s prerogative, you know!

Tomorrow, part II…….

Please leave a comment so I will know that you visited the farmhouse today.

Au revoir,