COMMENT OF THE DAY: KEEPIN’ IT FRENCH “If a buyer does not appreciate authentic French construction or understand the architecture and passion involved to complete a showplace like this, keep moving. The basic bones are French and a crime to strip the beauty from it. . . . French rooms are meant to be ornate, lots of specialized woodwork, and rooms always separated from others. I know I just sold my parents authentic French home that took 4 years to build and 4 years on the drawing board. Every detail was studied and nothing too small to compromise the integrity of the house. They enjoyed the home for 15 years. I was privileged to live there and watch the delight on people’s faces as they toured the home. My point, a true French home only shines when it is in it’s original state. renovation of course. My parents loved Jerry Moore’s petite chateau. Keep it french.” [Meredith, commenting on On Second Thought, Nevermind: The $5 Million Gut-and-Flip of Jerry J. Moore’s Little French Castle in Houston]
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Is it authentic “French” construction if built in Houston? Wouldn’t that make it authentic Houston construction, in the Frensh style? This is a real question.
A true French home is in France. Whatever has been built here is a facsimile of one particular style of construction and decor found within a country that spans a large range of geography and climate. To claim that there is single “French” style in a country that includes everything from Breton fishing villages to Alpine chalets to Parisian extravangance is like saying all American homes should look like the Alamo.
but every one of those styles you mention is certainly un-american and decidably french. you can’t escape generalizations no matter how hard you try.