Formerly running a BnB. Currently renovating a ruin to give its splendour again. New project. New adventure. Muito obrigada !
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03/04/2025
These original tiles come from my roof, they are simply stunning, each one with a different tone. You can see that they lasted through the seasons for more years than my own life.
I had to make a choice between ‘looks’ and ‘practicality’, but also cost-effectiveness. That’s one of the decisions I compromised on and opted for some new ones. Clearly, they don’t look as authentic, but you can’t actually see them, what helped in the decision.
I am glad these beauties have found a recycled life with a new owner. Hopefully for another century.
✨☀️🗝️
20/03/2025
I decided to build-in all the inside elements and the furnitures. You can imagine all the details to be thought, the measures, height, width, depth, thickness, the layout. Everything has a domino effect, also with the electricity, plumbing, heating, the tiling, sofa and the household appliances. And all needs to fit in a small space that is not always straight…
Some do a puzzle for fun, I do a renovation haha. Do I doubt sometimes? Of course. Am I worn out ? let’s say I’ll be happy when it’s finished, very happy.
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11/03/2025
There’s an open-air junk dealer in the area. An unsympathetic, grumpy man who smokes fag after fag, still with some teeth (you get the picture). With my big smile and my best Portuguese, I managed to strike up a conversation and even got a smile out of him. I asked if he happened to have any old door knocker and handles. He went off to the back of his bazaar and came back with these unique brass pieces.
Today I went to the only remaining craftsman in Loulé who works with these materials and he said ‘yes, no problem’, I can clean them and restore their splendor.
They’ll find a new home on my old-styled, custom-made wooden door. What a happy little story.
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27/02/2025
The tiles were cleaned and are ready to start their second life. While things are cooking inside, I let you enjoy this hypnotic view.
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25/02/2025
Tubes, wires, red, blue, grey, long, thin, large, a real web !
Another job that has to be well pondered from the start, following your wants and needs. Once it’s in the walls or floors, you don’t want to have second thoughts, or not enough plugs and lights. You definitely don’t want to move the toilet!
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20/02/2025
When you do a renovation or a construction, you try to think of everything, you make decisions on plans and then the reality takes form, and uups... theory on paper is not reality on site.
One day I came in and oh noooo this wall is too wide and eats way too much space ! Little panic. Back to the architect, think out of the box, look inspiration on Pinterest, change the bathroom layout, undo to redo, 1 or 2 weeks lost and an extra bill. I think it was the right call.
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18/02/2025
Yes! The steel frame of the mezzanine and the stairs are being built. It’s taking shape and it gets exciting.
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04/02/2025
Yessss the walls are finished, prepared for the final coat, the isolation and finally the painting, hopefully for spring.
Look at the view…
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30/01/2025
So now the big task was happening, a new roof was being built before anything else, and certainly before the rainy season (fortunately because it is pouring a lot this winter!). Beams, cement blocks, waterproofing, thermal insulation, tiles, etc etc etc bla bla bla
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28/01/2025
It’s important to bare the walls and prepare them for isolation and a new coating, as well as reinforce the structure and straighten a bit more those crooked lines. Not a quick job, nor sexy, and a lot more rubble than we can expect. But I wouldn’t do it differently ! Impossible for me to destroy the legacy of those centenary walls.
✨☀️🗝️
21/01/2025
Here we are, in September, with the breaking down of the big 60 cm handmade stone wall which stands in the middle of the house. Quite some work !
What respect I have for our ancestors who built walls stone by stone, and I mean biiiig stones. Without machines back then, that goes without saying. You didn’t have to go to the gym in those days to get strong ! I still admire men and women who renovate and build with their own hands. So rewarding ! Bravo !
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14/01/2025
I often say that the most important I want to insure in my life is to have a roof of mine. Not rented, not under mortgage, not from another familiar. If you have a roof that is yours, you know you are safe whatever happens. For me, it’s an invaluable peace of mind.
But before building a new one, we have to take down this traditional roof made of eucalyptus beams and canes. I will do my best to combine the effectiveness of a new built roof and the charm & warmth of the old Portuguese type. Let’s see what you will think about the end result.
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09/01/2025
Once the easy part of the cleaning up was done, I had to make sure we had electricity before starting the heavy works. And what a blessing it was this time to have a power pole right behind the house, so all we had to do was to connect it. Well… it wasn’t that simple, of course, and it took 2 weeks, but ‘light was shed’.
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15/12/2024
The big building, the ugly duck, facing this wonderful and peaceful view, will become my home.
But first some administration needs to be done. Of course, otherwise it wouldn’t be fun, right ;-) Step 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, in my case. Nine months later, I’m at stage 4 ; the project has been submitted last week to the council. I’m hopeful we can start the works mid 2025.
If you want to play with the rules, oh boy, hang in there.
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12/12/2024
When I first stepped in the house, the sun was brightening the entrance and those tiles just popped out. I was so happy to see those beauties. Of course I was going to keep them, clean them and reuse them for my floors.
New ones don’t have the same quality and look. I love that they are vintage, not perfect, and have already a story.
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07/12/2024
Billie. My sweet Billie. This little fur ball of 6kg and 9 years old is cute, funny, playful, loyal, gentle, loving, giver, listener, she adores dogs, cats, bunnies, geckos, guinea pigs and whatever has four legs. Billie is a fan of the beach, as I am. And when she looks at me with her eyes, I just melt. I could go on. Of course she is well trained ;-)
She forces me to go out for walks. And in the end I am grateful. I take some fresh air, it clears my mind, and my body is thankful.
Billie accompanies me nearly everywhere. And every day she amazes me how she adapts to my mood, the places we are, the people we meet, the environment. She knows exactly how to behave in each situation. I just love her.
And humans think they are a superior specie…. hhmmm
As a dear friend said : Billie for president haha
Please respect nature and animals.
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01/12/2024
I have to admit that I was afraid to plunge back into a project but at the same time I felt thrilled. My reason took over for once and I did the steps more calmly, with a cold spirit, but always with the conviction that life is well done, and if it’s for me, it will be.
3 months later, the house was still there waiting for me, I took a leap in faith, made an offer end of the day. The next day at around 11h, the deal was sealed. That was the 15th of February. The 6th of March I signed and I was the new owner.
✨☀️🗝️
29/11/2024
Last November (gosh time flies!), I asked the location of a ruin (yes I know, one more) and went to see it without much expectation. As I arrived, turned the corner of the house and saw this wide open view with afar the sea, oh wouaw, that is what I always wanted. I sat on a small wall and got inspired... stayed there for a while and my brain was already imagining. I knew by then that it was a ‘coup de coeur’
And you know when it’s the good one, when it feels right and it sticks into your head for days...
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Après avoir mis un terme à ma vie professionnelle dans le monde de la publicité, je suis partie deux mois en Thaïlande pour prendre le large et réfléchir au prochain tournant que je souhaitais prendre. J’y ai appris le massage thaï (que j’aimerais un jour reprendre et proposer à mes hôtes) et pendant ce temps-là, j’ai loué mon appartement à Bruxelles. De retour, j’ai continué à le louer occasionnellement. J’aimais bien accueillir ces personnes de passage et faire en sorte qu’ils se sentent chez moi comme chez eux. Entre-temps j’allais chez des amis, dans ma famille, et on partageait des moments privilégiés.
Depuis, petit à petit mon projet d’ouvrir un Bed & Breakfast a commencé à murir jusqu’à ce que j’ai eu un déclic, comme une évidence, c’était sur une des belles plages du Portugal. Une envie de changement de vie, de donner une nouvelle direction et un sens à ce que je faisais. Une aspiration à plus de simplicité, de douceur de vivre, à plus de nature, de petits plaisirs, à plus d’humanité, et surtout à moins de stress, moins de routine, et moins de grisaille. ‘Back to basics’, le soleil et les couleurs en prime.
J’ai alors très rapidement décidé de chercher une maison ici et de vendre mon appartement là-bas.
Un endroit surnaturel au coeur de la nature
Cela fait plus de 40 ans que ma famille vient en vacances en Algarve ou y a élu domicile pour un bout de vie. A chaque fois que j’atterris à Faro, je respire à fond, je ferme les yeux et je souris. J’aime ce pays, j’y suis sereine, le Portugal est mon pays de cœur. C’était donc tout naturel de me poser ici.
J’ai eu un coup de cœur absolu, d’abord sur photos ensuite sur place, pour cette maison qui ne ressemble à nulle autre, où aucun mur ou sol n’est droit, où chaque pièce est un univers à part, avec ses imperfections et ses créations qui lui confèrent tout son charme. Je m’y voyais déjà, tout était clair dans les transformations et la décoration à apporter. Cette maison, ce jardin, cette piscine et cette atmosphère résonnaient en moi comme le prolongement de ma personnalité. Quelques mois passent et me voilà propriétaire de cette maison unique, avec mes quelques valises.
La nouvelle aventure pouvait commencer ! Charlotte be my guest prit forme l’année d’après.
Aujourd’hui, je suis heureuse de pouvoir vous accueillir chez moi, en compagnie de Billie, ma petite chienne de 4 ans et 6 kg qui vous adore déjà.
