The trampled spirit of Sarah Selme has taken her around the world for work, travel and life, at 50 settling into family life in the Béarn region of France.
Salim and her husband in 2015 bought an old mansion with land and a barn and set out to build a basic home for her children who were in a UK boarding school where the couple – both Australian – bounced around Europe and Central Asia for his business.
Their house dates back to the 19th century, so it needed a lot of expensive work. But it was also full of treasures, from old oil paintings and antiques to cupboards full of linens.
The first year she lived in the house, Salim called “proper camping” and the rest of her family moved in with electricity, plumbing, a sturdy roof and doors that could lock.
She was working at home for a while when her boyfriend told an editor at Thames & Hudson publisher about her project, which led to a book contract. Now, the mansion is the main residence of Salem, her husband who splits his time between London and Paris and their children, Hugo, 22, Annabelle, 19, and Toby, 16.
Her book “How to French Country” chronicles her efforts to revitalize an aging home and get a guest house out of its fold. Readers learn about antiques, colors, and French style along the way.
French country style tips
Colors: The colors of the French countryside are all muted tones and differ with each region of rural France. Great paint options are: Benjamin Moore Putnam Ivory, Georgetown Pink Beige, Yellow Brick Road, Philipsburg Blue, Ashley Gray, Stonington Gray, Sherwood Green, Southfied Green, Jamestown Blue; and Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster, Hague Blue, Light Blue, Oval Blue Room, Vert de Terre and Skylight. For neutrals, consider the same as Farrow & Ball Mole, Ammonite, Strong White, Purbeck Stone, or Cornforth White.
furniture: If you are going to paint it, chalk paint is a great option.
Building: You’re going for a natural feel, even if you’re putting a coat of something on brick or stone. Stick to lime wash paint for a more natural look.
Mix with Swedish: Swedish antiques – often called “Gustavian” – blend well with French country style and are often in light, washed colors.
Source: Sarah Slim and “How to French Country”
Written in four parts—her home, the barn, the basics of design, and finally, recipes for foods as they will be eaten there, seasonally—the book is a guide for anyone wishing to do French country style in their home.
Salim recently spoke with The Chronicle about her book, her trip to France, and more.
Q: Were you interested in French country decor before you moved to Béarn?
a: To be perfectly honest, I’m not a fan of Francophile – I’m a fan of the world. I love the culture, I love the people and I delve into whatever part of the world I am in.
We were living in Kazakhstan and looking for a house to call home because our kids were in boarding school and they needed a house to make memories in instead of a hotel room. I could have easily chosen somewhere in Italy or Greece. We were in an Irish pub in Kazakhstan eating curries, not the locals, and this English friend of ours was talking about where to buy a house. He suggested the Béarn region of France because he had owned a home there for a decade.
It’s in the middle of nowhere, and that’s the exciting thing. Everyone knows Provence, but it wasn’t until Peter Mayle wrote “A Year in Provence.” It was as if Béarn was now a rural area. This is like getting a secret. It is a part of France that no one knows about.
Q: In the book, you talk about color, style, and the things that make up French country style. What is the most important component to getting it right?
a: Start with color. It is transformative and will have a profound effect on the way you feel emotionally in your home. Dig into questions about color and what makes you feel good. No matter what color you like, there is a French country equivalent.
I went to all the local villages and painted the shutters and doors the same color. When you visit France and fall in love with colors, what you really love is a color that can’t really be recreated. I created my color palettes using an international paint system, NCS (National Color System), which is used by commercial interior designers. You can take this NCS code to a paint company and mix it up. I give readers a chance to take a little piece of France with them.
I narrow it down to a fail-proof list. You can take it to anyone and put one or more into the house, and it is guaranteed, like a small choir, in perfect harmony.
Q: In your book, you can even distinguish between different color palettes for each region. I had no idea there would be so much difference.
a: It was also a big surprise to me, actually. I am in the Béarn region of France and the next village behind my country is in Pays Basque, where a house can only be one of four colours. The house is white, the roof is terracotta and the shutters are blue, red, green or brown and that’s it. They are sold in hardware stores and there is no difference in the color blue. It’s basque blue and that’s it. You see blue more around the sea and in the countryside it’s green, brown or red, that’s it.
Q: What about the furniture?
a: King Gustav III of Sweden quickly moved to Versailles and took the palette to Sweden and painted it gray. Those colors are French colors. In terms of furniture, what I enjoyed most about the book was realizing solutions for every budget. French country style is not a palace style, it is comfortable and practical. The more they get hit, the better it really is.
I’ve focused on buying vintage pieces, which aren’t necessarily great value, but pieces from local brocantes (outdoor flea markets).
You don’t want your house to be made of too much wood. The wood is nice and I have natural pieces, but it’s nice to bring color across the furniture. The lime-based paint has a beautiful smooth chalky finish and is finished with a layer of wax for everyday wear and tear. It’s a great way to weave more color into your furniture.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in your 200-year-old home?
a: The house is perhaps a small house by French standards. It is old for me. Australians don’t have homes that age. Part of the roof had collapsed and everything was so old that it had to be replaced, electricity, boiler and plumbing system. They are very expensive items that must be completed before you can get to the beautiful things. The first year, this was where our budget went and after that, we looked at the furniture.
My greatest home furnishing tip is to not get caught up in the temptation of owning a show home where you will have everything in place after a month. Wait and find the perfect piece with a story to tell, and then it becomes a part of your life.
Q: What are your favorite items in the house?
a: I love the exposed stone walls. Its color is beautiful, white limestone with gray and fawn beige. It is very comfortable, and I love it.
I also like the old packages, although I didn’t like them in their original condition. It was majestic and dark, so I painted it gray and painted between it white so that it was beautiful and new. Even in new construction, you can have faux beams you create to instill the same sense of rustic charm.
