A new place to call home… painting new tales onto old walls in Ménilmontant, Paris…
Before…
Yes, I do make cutouts of furniture from paper to see what will fit where (I am a patternmaker, afterall!!)
The Magic Team Stories Movers (hijacked friends)…
A light at the top…
Those now famed 5 flights up- no lift…
And finally, furnished and familiar…
A little home baking to make it truly home (Apricot and pistachio cake)
A place to write new tales…
Home Sweet Home, all decoration, photographs & hard climbing by Damien B. Donnelly
Damien B. Donnelly 
You’ve totally transformed it! We both think it looks lovely! Amazing! Wonderful to see the pics! No elevator?
Thank you Liz. Feels good to be finally in and organized but my legs are still in recovery- no- no lift! But I think my butt is now higher than before!! Weekend greetings to you both
Nice photos Damien – I’m feeling a little shattered after seeing all those stairs though! 😀
Two 10meter van loads down one flight at the old place and up those spiraling and very old and uneven 5 flights in the new place. There was a new name for sweating last Saturday between 10am and death!! 😳🤕😂
I can imagine!
Lovely. (K)
Thank you My dear xx
Congratulations on your new home, Damien! I’ve been wondering if you were moved in. It looks very cozy. I like your teddy bear and writing nook and the green accents.
I hope your moving team got a bonus for those stairs. 🙂
Teddy is Sebastian- he only speaks French but adores cuddles from all nationalities! The team got a lot of love and eternal gratitude (one of them even got a wedding dress) and they all dropped a dress size!! Big hugs xx
Oh, of course his name is Sebastian. I suspect he understands other languages, but only speaks French. 🙂 Our younger daughter’s Ahh Bear is living with us because she’s afraid their dog will eat him, and then she’d be traumatized for life. So she visits him when she comes here. Love, gratitude, a wedding dress, and dropped dress sizes sound good.
Better a bear for life than a trauma 😂🤗
🙂
How do you do it???? After ten years in a place ours will still look as though we’re in the throes of converting into a charity shop. This is gorgeous and you’ve only just moved it! I love the tomettes—you must be up in the servant’s quarters. It’s a lovely apartment, Damien, and I am green with envy at your style 🙂
Well I am half dead! Moved from 10am till 7pm on Saturday and for some reason, when the others all left that night, I decided to make it home and worked till Monday morning so it could look like this! Crazy lives somewhere within my energy levels! Saturday I had breakfast at 23.00 as I had been running on adrenaline all day, and mostly laughter!
It is the former servants quarters- I feel like Les Femmes du 6eme étage, only less womanly and even less Spanish! The tomettes are very charming although with the beams- the owner bought the place and pulled up the floor to find the tiles and pulled down the ceiling to find the roof windows, beams and extra mezzanine space!
I am sure your charity-shop-chic will be utterly charming!! Hugs hugs 🤗
Charity shop bordel, not chic! I had hoped we’d be parting company with some of the junk, like the peloton of bicycles, spare doors, windows, wine cases (empty) etc etc and the new place would be spartan, rustic simplicity. Not a chance. We’ve made three trips installing the junk, so it will be already there, waiting, when the proper furniture arrives. Oh, joy!
😂😂😂😂😂 good luck my dear lady
We (husband) are doing running repairs on the plumbing now, hoping the whole lot won’t give up the ghost before next month.
Congratulations on your new home! I’m jealous (not of the five story walk-up), there’s so much light! Many happy times ahead for you, dear friend! ❤️
Thank you Dorinda- i just keep telling myself that my ass will get higher with each climb- tough to remember that though when you forget the milk! Hugs and greetings xx
LOL Nothing better for the glutes! Hugs to you, too! 🙂
Having just come home from the EU last night, I already miss everything. Had a really disgusting croissant for breakfast, and decided to see what you are up to. It has been a very long time, and I have been on a writing hiatus, of sorts. Trying to muster the courage…
Your new place is fabulous. Very hard to imagine empty but you found inspiration in ever corner and detail. I love how you made use of it all, and only wish we could have seen it last week while we were in Champs-sur Marne. La prochaine fois!
Bon, felicitations! I am certain your bum will get in line in no time at all. (Not really sure how you managed that move last week in that horrendous heat. I told Frank that I lost 20 lbs on the trip, from all the sweating!)
Best to you in this new place!
Bisous bisous!
Hello Maribeth and thanks for the greeting! We will definitely catch a drink and raise a toast next time you’re on this side of the world! I’m not sure either how the move was managed but sweat was certainly a prominent factor! I hope you had a great EU adventure, despite the heat!!
Looking forward to the end of your writing hiatus and reading your thoughts again!
Big hugs and best wishes Dami xx
Your place looks and feels so lovely! There is so much to discover on the images of your appartment. I imagine to pop by for tea, cake and long conversations and I know I would love it, there. Also, I truly admire you and your friends for carrying everything up those stairs!
The cuddly friends in our place got all excited when they saw your cute teddy Sebastian on the bed. 🐻 I believe, in this household I am the only one who speaks French and that rather rudimentary but we have a few furry people here who speak bear. We are waving at both of you from Hamburg, Germany!
Much Love and big hugs,
Steffi
Lovely place