This post is a work in progress. I will add pictures and details over time. Starting in 2008 we conducted major projects to repair, restore, and upgrade VSJ. This post documents these efforts
2008
2008 was largely a year of repairs. Most rooms were painted. My study was created from the barn. The pantry was completely redone. Most of the murals were removed. A window was opened in the upper level of the entry way. Heaters were upgraded. New furniture was added
Room
Item
Paid
Remaining
Total
Notes
Office
Macon
$17,155
$0
$17,155
Floor
$4,100
$0
$4,100
31-Mar
Electric
$5,763
$0
$5,763
10-Apr
Heaters
$800
$0
$800
10-Apr
Loveseat
$1,260
$0
$1,260
30-Apr
chairs
$630
$0
$630
Bookcase
$2,000
$2,000
17-May
Window
$0
Wall sconces
$171
$0
$171
Attic Door
$225
$0
$225
15-Mar
Area Rug
$239
$0
$239
Coffee Table
$200
$0
$200
end tables
$170
$0
$170
Lamps
$115
$0
$115
Desk and Chair
$420
$0
$420
Desk Lamp
$25
$25
Kitchen Annex
Heater
$400
$0
$400
10-Apr
Base for Cupboard
$0
$420
1-May
Doors
$522
$0
$522
lights
$50
$50
Kitchen
1-Apr
New Cabinet
$600
$600
1-May
Heater
$400
$0
$400
1-Apr
Stove Vent
378
$0
$378
25-Mar
dryer
$590
$590
TV Room
Shelves
$253
$0
$253
15-Mar
Cushions
$1,200
$0
$1,200
30-Mar
Lighting
$75
$0
$75
Dining Room
Lamshades
$36
$0
$36
Other Furniture
as needed
Entry Hall
Chandelier
$40
$0
$40
Lampshades
$36
$0
$36
Spots
$40
$0
$40
Living Room
Spots
$60
$60
shelves 129
$0
$129
31-Mar
Rug
$1,000
$0
$1,000
15-Apr
Master Bedroom
Closet Doors
$443
$0
$443
20-Mar
Baskets
$180
$0
$180
Spots
$8
$0
$8
Stairwell
window
$1,000
$0
$1,000
Sconces
$50
$0
$50
Summer Dining Room
Volets
$800
$0
$800
Other
Dry Cleaning
$691
$0
$691
Hemming
$156
$0
$156
Paint
$23,821
$0
$23,821
T&T
$20,279
$13,681
$33,960
extra electric everywhere
hall, bedroom, intercom, etc etc
$2,140
$2,140
cleaning
TOTAL
$85,921
$16,281
$102,201
Exterior
Fix gutters
Pave side by street in front (Rue Haute)
Façade review
Fix roof leak into study
Garage door options
Terrace
Pool pipes/repair options (Provence Piscine)
Loggia
Trompe l’oeil
New pots for plants
Shutter and windows
Clear coat/protect shutters
Finish new shutter
Finish new window in hall
Clear coat/protect window frames on back of house
Replace two cracked pieces of glass
Lighting/Electrical/Plumbing
Overhead dining room light does not work
Fix switches that don’t work anything
Add plug next to circuit breaker box in laundry room
Better lighting in summer dining room
Look into option for a water softener
Doors
Fix door in study so that it can lock
Fix door in dining room to loggia so it can consistently be locked
Plane door to living room so it doesn’t scrape
Plane doors to terrace from summer living room so that they don’t scrape
Summer kitchen – complete chaux job
2009
2009 saw a project to expand the garden from the two neighboring cottage ruins.
In 2009 we also added trompe l’oel the Loggia
2010
2010 saw a small project to fix pool leaks turn unto a large project to shore up the pool. On the outside lower level a new wooden door was added.
20111
In 2011 we upgraded interior doors and bought a new stove
Paint summer dining room exterior doors white
Fix light on pergola and add dimmer
Fix light in wine cave
Fix light in Daniel’s study
Re-stain outdoor furniture include folding sling chairs
Paint door frame around summer kitchen door white
Paint door frame around downstairs bath (off summer kitchen) white
Fix door to cave off summer dining room so it closes
Touch up shutters where paint is chipping off (inside of shutters mostly)
Paint new interior doors in guest rooms (green?)
Redo flashing/roof over Daniel’s study and loggia
Fix closet door in MBR
Pigeon proof roof on loggia and the inset off of attic above MBR bath window
Put screening over attic windows so pigeons don’t get in when opened
Cement/stone repair (crack in sills of MBR and living room windows, repair broken top stone in bac, fill couple of divots in terrace, cement the stand on heavy stone bench)
Top of fence in garden is falling over; need to secure to wall; many ties installed by Christophe have broken
New stove, Falcon Toledo 90, double or triple couronne wok burner, color: canon de fusil
New refrigerator for summer kitchen. Smaller than existing, but with separate freezer and refrigerator shelves with capacity to hold trays of food.
Remove chain in loggia
2012
For 2012 we added a new shower in the guest bath as well as a new cabinet. Michele completely redecorated the small guest room.
New shower, closet upstairs guest bathroom (close-in pipes by toilet)
Paint and upgrade doors on guest room amoires
Remove tile picture in Daniel’s bath
Weatherstripping on rue Haute guest room window and on the window in our bedroom
New cushions for terrace chairs that are washable
Drain and paint pool; put lower wattage bulb in pool lights
Replace cracked window above lower level entry with window that opens
Kitchen floor cleaning; darken grout?
New fireplace screen
Repair paint on lower walls and staircase; paint staircase going to bedroom floor
Repair gutter in front
Remove old iron fense
2013
For 2013 we tiled the pool and did major work in the chapel. A false wall was added at the back to deal with drainage issues. A new floor was put in with drains below. The wall were recovered and new lighting added.
Paint
Media room under banquettes
Stairs and entry peeling
Michele room ceiling and green back of door
Laundry room wire panel and behind door
Terrace planters and benches
Master bedroom around window
Lower front door
Other
Judith master bath project
Chapel project
Salon furniture install (move existing downstairs)
Remodeled the kitchen with new appliances, cabinets, lighting, and hood.
Before
and after:
2020 during the epidemic we upgraded the pool cover with electrical opener, added and automatic pool chemical system. We up in stair railings. We recrepieded the back side of the house and we had new shutters are.
2020 while we were kept out of France by the pandemic, we had the back facade redone, new shutters made, hand rails put in, a new pool cover made, and added an automatic pool chemical system.
2022 Repairs and update
We had significant repairs to pool and fixes to the crepe in the entry way, a new ceiling to the downstairs bath, and a new floor for the wine celar.
2023: Small projects: Clean and seal terrace having stones (5,000), remove kitchen door, replace pool heater and upgrade pool room wiring. misc painting and repair, replaced and upgrade house internet to fiber. We replaced three windows; two on the Rue Haute side and one in the stair well.
2024; Upgraded pool heater and replaced and upgraded main circuit box. Replaced three windows in front of house with double pane windows.
Aug 23 2016
Villa St. Joseph Remodel
This post is a work in progress. I will add pictures and details over time. Starting in 2008 we conducted major projects to repair, restore, and upgrade VSJ. This post documents these efforts
2008
2008 was largely a year of repairs. Most rooms were painted. My study was created from the barn. The pantry was completely redone. Most of the murals were removed. A window was opened in the upper level of the entry way. Heaters were upgraded. New furniture was added
Exterior
Fix gutters
Pave side by street in front (Rue Haute)
Façade review
Fix roof leak into study
Garage door options
Terrace
Pool pipes/repair options (Provence Piscine)
Loggia
Trompe l’oeil
New pots for plants
Shutter and windows
Clear coat/protect shutters
Finish new shutter
Finish new window in hall
Clear coat/protect window frames on back of house
Replace two cracked pieces of glass
Lighting/Electrical/Plumbing
Overhead dining room light does not work
Fix switches that don’t work anything
Add plug next to circuit breaker box in laundry room
Better lighting in summer dining room
Look into option for a water softener
Doors
Fix door in study so that it can lock
Fix door in dining room to loggia so it can consistently be locked
Plane door to living room so it doesn’t scrape
Plane doors to terrace from summer living room so that they don’t scrape
Summer kitchen – complete chaux job
2009
2009 saw a project to expand the garden from the two neighboring cottage ruins.
In 2009 we also added trompe l’oel the Loggia
2010
2010 saw a small project to fix pool leaks turn unto a large project to shore up the pool. On the outside lower level a new wooden door was added.
20111
In 2011 we upgraded interior doors and bought a new stove
Paint summer dining room exterior doors white
Fix light on pergola and add dimmer
Fix light in wine cave
Fix light in Daniel’s study
Re-stain outdoor furniture include folding sling chairs
Paint door frame around summer kitchen door white
Paint door frame around downstairs bath (off summer kitchen) white
Fix door to cave off summer dining room so it closes
Touch up shutters where paint is chipping off (inside of shutters mostly)
Paint new interior doors in guest rooms (green?)
Redo flashing/roof over Daniel’s study and loggia
Fix closet door in MBR
Pigeon proof roof on loggia and the inset off of attic above MBR bath window
Put screening over attic windows so pigeons don’t get in when opened
Cement/stone repair (crack in sills of MBR and living room windows, repair broken top stone in bac, fill couple of divots in terrace, cement the stand on heavy stone bench)
Top of fence in garden is falling over; need to secure to wall; many ties installed by Christophe have broken
New stove, Falcon Toledo 90, double or triple couronne wok burner, color: canon de fusil
New refrigerator for summer kitchen. Smaller than existing, but with separate freezer and refrigerator shelves with capacity to hold trays of food.
Remove chain in loggia
2012
For 2012 we added a new shower in the guest bath as well as a new cabinet. Michele completely redecorated the small guest room.
New shower, closet upstairs guest bathroom (close-in pipes by toilet)
Paint and upgrade doors on guest room amoires
Remove tile picture in Daniel’s bath
Weatherstripping on rue Haute guest room window and on the window in our bedroom
New cushions for terrace chairs that are washable
Drain and paint pool; put lower wattage bulb in pool lights
Replace cracked window above lower level entry with window that opens
Kitchen floor cleaning; darken grout?
New fireplace screen
Repair paint on lower walls and staircase; paint staircase going to bedroom floor
Repair gutter in front
Remove old iron fense
2013
For 2013 we tiled the pool and did major work in the chapel. A false wall was added at the back to deal with drainage issues. A new floor was put in with drains below. The wall were recovered and new lighting added.
Paint
Media room under banquettes
Stairs and entry peeling
Michele room ceiling and green back of door
Laundry room wire panel and behind door
Terrace planters and benches
Master bedroom around window
Lower front door
Other
Judith master bath project
Chapel project
Salon furniture install (move existing downstairs)
Bac by pergola
Door bell (?)
Wiring
Hall chandelier wiring
Bac wiring
Terrace back light
Lights all around terrace
Drain extension off terrace
New doors handles
Refinish lower carved wood door
Fireplace screen
Pergola roof tile replacement
Paint lamps in salon
Paint table on loggia
Termites on front door
Chapel work 2013
2014
We bought new Italian modern furniture for the salon.
2015
Mane repairs for 2015
Door bell fix — bell works, intercom does not
Paint, repair shutters (Slightly darker shade of grey)
Guest bathroom wall repair
Shutter hold
Tops for terrace stone
clean terrace pavers
repair roof
hall, living room, media room paint repair
touch-up loggia chairs
Judith bath mirror frame paint
handles for new windows
clean-out attic
spot lights on Claudia piece
wax DF study floor
2016
A new dressing room off the main bedroom is the main 2016 project.
DressingRoomDevis
2018
Remodeled the kitchen with new appliances, cabinets, lighting, and hood.
Before
and after:
2020 during the epidemic we upgraded the pool cover with electrical opener, added and automatic pool chemical system. We up in stair railings. We recrepieded the back side of the house and we had new shutters are.
2020 while we were kept out of France by the pandemic, we had the back facade redone, new shutters made, hand rails put in, a new pool cover made, and added an automatic pool chemical system.
2022 Repairs and update
We had significant repairs to pool and fixes to the crepe in the entry way, a new ceiling to the downstairs bath, and a new floor for the wine celar.
2023: Small projects: Clean and seal terrace having stones (5,000), remove kitchen door, replace pool heater and upgrade pool room wiring. misc painting and repair, replaced and upgrade house internet to fiber. We replaced three windows; two on the Rue Haute side and one in the stair well.
2024; Upgraded pool heater and replaced and upgraded main circuit box. Replaced three windows in front of house with double pane windows.
By Daniel • France, Mane, Residence