Charlotte Baring Design

Exciting new build project in Provence using traditional stone wall building methods. The stairs were all gathered by hand from the property so they couldn’t have been more locally sourced. The traditional reclaimed terracotta roof tiles and Génoise are the next thing to go up.

One of the most characteristic architectural features of houses in the Provence is the “génoise”. Génoise defines the architectural design under the eaves of the roof. This decorative row of tiles separates the wall from the roof, bringing the roof-tiles out further away from the wall to keep rain off.
A génoise often consists of one row of tiles per floor level. It is also said that the wealthier you are, the more rows you have!

The style dates back the middle of the 17th century and possibly originating in Italy, used by the masons from Genoa. .

Exciting newbuild project coming together in Provence using traditional stone wall building methods. The stones have been gathered by hand on the property so this couldn’t be sourced more locally. Reclaimed terracotta tiles and lovely genoises going up soon. Génoises are a decorative and protective architectural cornice often found under the eaves of roofs on Mediterranean, Italian, and French Provençale houses. Traditional goes that the more rows you have the wealthier you are.

The kitchen at Copse Farm is finished and the sun is shining in today so I thought it really merited a few photos.

I’ve imagined putting a red island in a kitchen for a long time and here it is enfin!

I sourced the island worktop from .hardwoods near Hungerford. I loved the process of choosing the planks from entire sawn trees stocked floor to ceiling high in a giant warehouse. It’s exciting choosing materials in their raw form and seeing what they then become. You also tune your eye into things you don’t always notice, like the pretty medullary rays which are flecked across the wood in quarter sawn planks.

I asked our very talented kitchen maker Simon to keep the waney (live) edges along the sides of the boards to retain a rustic character. Simon also cleverly joined the boards together using the traditional method of putting in bowtie keys in to stop the wood moving too much. These have turned out brilliantly and give added charm to the worktop.

These curtains are kept simple in order not to take away too much focus from the lovely cristal style doors and windows but the simple red ties add a bit of colour and interest to these.

The Mexican tiles make a good backdrop for the dark blue-grey Aga.

Love love love this kitchen ❤️.

More colours and shapes and patterns than I could have imagined at this wonderful small artisanal tile manufacturer in Salernes. All handmade made, hand-painted and glazed There are a hundred places I could imagine putting them all. Salernes has been famous for its terracotta since the early 19th Century but the art of terracotta making has been around for thousands of years.

The little study in Copse Farm Cottage ready for Airbnb. Now just need to get on with the rest of the house.

Working on sprucing up a lovely game lodge in South Africa. I thought it would be a nice idea to try and stick to local brands and am so excited to have discovered so many lovely fabrics and great local companies.

Peeping through the archway into the drawing room the Domaine Saint Joseph near Cotignac in Provence. Soft plain linen curtains with a deep red trim to give them a note of colour and dry the eye in. The lamp shade is made with antique ikat silk from Uzbekistan on a recycled lamp found in an old cellar. Design by Charlotte Baring Design.

A quiet corner . Recycled curtains made of the most gorgeous GPJ Baker fabric. Antique chair in plain linen and Suzani style cushion brought back from Uzbekistan

Getting ready to launch in SA