SONY DSCDesire to Inspire, one of my favorite blogs, featured our apartments! We are so excited to be part of such a collection of gorgeous interiors and exteriors. Desire to Inspire lives up to its name. All the pretty things. A cornucopia of eye candy. Beautiful homes and work spaces from around the world.SONY DSCThey even did two posts. They chose our best photos, of course, so click over to see them. The back apartment, aka L’ancienne Tannerie on Airbnb, is here. The front apartment, aka La Suite Barbès on Airbnb, is here.

Here are some other shots, professionally done by Paul Catoir, who runs Clic Clac photography in Charleroi, Belgium.

We’ll start with L’ancienne Tannerie.

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Yes, we ate the delicious pastries after the photo session.
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The ceilings are so high it’s hard to include the chandeliers. And the crystal one in this room is so pretty. Desire to Inspire used a great shot with the chandelier, mirror and the moldings.

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Back apt living mantle
Mantle detail.

On to my favorite room, the kitchen.

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We ate all that stuff, too. Yes, before the pastries.

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Every single renter has been crazy about the bathroom. Again, more shots on Desire to Inspire.SONY DSC

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The sauna.

The bedroom is exceptionally quiet and stays cool in the summer, thanks to all those two-foot-thick stone walls.SONY DSC

There’s also a small bedroom with a twin bed. It’s much cuter in person.SONY DSCSONY DSC

Now let’s cross the landing to la Suite Barbès. SONY DSCSONY DSCSONY DSCSONY DSC

The shot above is from the entry-slash-kitchen.

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The space above the kitchen is the “harnais,” which was used back in the day to store horse harnesses. Now it’s furniture limbo.
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Opposite direction.

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The bedroom is gigantic–35 square meters, or 376 square feet. You can see the before and after here.SONY DSCSONY DSCSONY DSC

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I love that mirror in the bathroom. And that pedestal sink. And the tile. 

And in the bathroom, another huge shower:SONY DSC

Check out Desire to Inspire on Instagram, too. We’re also on Instagram (although I’m mostly a weekend poster).

We have just gotten started renting out the apartments, and all the visitors have been so nice. It has turned out to be really fun to welcome people from around the world, and to give them a place to stay that is unmistakably French.

And the real reason to visit Carcassonne:

Carcassonne la Cité
La Cité from Pont Vieux

32 thoughts on “Desire to Inspire

  1. Félicitations… that is a great coup! I took a look at the articles and they are both excellent – so enthusiastic and peppered with fabulous photos. Yours is a triumph of a Reno X2 and I am certain that everyone who stays feels that they have lucked out and are a teeny bit privileged to be able to sample such beauteous living.

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  2. Congratulations are so well deserved because so much love, hard work, tears as well as joy have gone into making these two fabulous apartments. May the beds always be occupied.

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  3. You’ve done such a lovely job! You deserve these great compliments!
    I love your gray walls, definitely the color of the moment! It allows your furniture and art to show so well. Can you recall the name of that particular gray?
    We were in Carcassonne this past weekend, enjoying your lovely market. So many delicious-looking vegetables, fruits and cheeses. Hard to resist over-buying!
    Its a great city to spend time in.

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    1. Ha! The gray was dictated by the Bâtiments de France. The shutters had to be RAL3075. RAL is a European color standard, like Pantone. The walls were a darker shade of the same color, which was called Silex. I don’t remember which brand.
      And congratulations on the wedding!

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  4. Congratulations!!! The photos are excellent. I did see the article, but forgot to comment to you. The location is perfect. A guest would feel like an aristocrat staying there.
    Well done….

    Ali

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    1. The location is very good indeed. Carcassonne doesn’t have many pretty vacation rentals, and the ones that are similar to ours have other problems–street-level location or on a busy boulevard.

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  5. I have a clock like yours in my kitchen as well!I did not know you were doing AIR B&B!!!Thats because I was not getting your POSTS!But Now I am……….How exciting to be featured on another BLOG I will SKIP over and SEE MORE of your lovely PLACES!!!Question is how far away are you from these as I would want TO SEE YOU if I ever came over!XX

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  6. Wonderful pics, and what a coup. I’ve enjoyed your individual pictures of progress, but seeing it all together, completed, Wow!!
    Your use of Métro tiles inspired me to look for them here, planning to use them for a kitchen backsplash. They bounce light around much better than the flat tiles.

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    1. I have wondered about whether I will feel as if that trend has passed, but I think it will endure. When I see metro tile from the ’20s, it still looks great. That’s the idea. The fact that it’s in style now just means it’s not impossible to find it for sale. Good luck with your kitchen!!!

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      1. My Métro tile is coming from Lowe’s big-box. It was the least awful stuff they had, because some of the choices are ghastly and likely to be very short-lived in favor.

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      2. As a craftsman house restorer in San Diego, I had to get my subway tile from Dal Tile, a specialty contractor type shop. Lucky to get it now in Lowe’s. I never used the metro/subway style from France, don’t like those big beveled edges. Depending on your house, it will never be “out of style”.
        bonnie in Carpentras

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  7. Amazing job you did, they are both stunning. Bet shopping for the furnishings etc. was fun as well as work. I do a lot of brocantes, depot ventes, vide greniers, etc. and find far too much wonderful stuff. I think Carcassonne is really a great place to have rentals like these, they are surely in short supply. Makes me want to try it here (Carpentras) ….. no! no! not more work! Okay well maybe. I am devoured by high ceiling envy.
    bonnie in carpentras

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