In the apartment of … Brune: “after the divorce I started from scratch”

For those who have known Madmoizelle for a while, remember our section “In the apartment of …” ? Stopped in 2017, it is back in service now.

For this eleventh episode, we will visit Brune’s apartment, which gives us a good morale boost.

In … Brune’s apartment

• What is your name and your age?

My name is Marine, but you can call me Brune, it’s my nickname often on the net. My name is pretty… good right now, I don’t really like wearing it as far as French political life is concerned!

• What do you do for a living ?

I am a professor of Modern Literature, in college, I love my job!

• What is the pedigree of your apartment? (location, how many square meters, monthly fee or purchase price)

My apartment has been mine (at least for the moment, it belongs to the Banque Populaire, because I repay it) for two years, and I divorced three and a half years ago. It measures 105 m², because my tribe arrives every two weeks! I bought it in full imprisonment, 187,000 euros, a great deal!

It belonged to a very, very old lady who kept it very well (in zero dust countess mode, parquet floor skates) but the furniture was completely dated (euphemism to say vomit, tapestries on the ceiling and dark corridor of the kitchen, etc.)

Life brought me a beautiful Quebec lover 3 years ago (we’re getting married this fall, but shhhh my mom doesn’t know yet) and it turns out this lover can do EVERYTHING with his hands (yeah yeah, everything, but we’re here to talk about DIY) and that he completely refurbished the apartment, with the exception of the bathroom, which I have kept in its original condition (somewhat tame art deco juice now).

• You live alone?

I have four lives: I live with my 3 children every other week, Louis, 15, a gothic teenager whose bedroom you will see, Jeanne, 13, in love with life, and Auguste, an extraordinary kid (quite severe genetic syndrome). At home we talk with our hands!

My 2nd life starts on Friday night when the kids are with their dad, there, I become single again in meal mode in front of the TV with a mask on my hair, face and feet.

Then the 3rd life begins – the most beautiful, shhhh don’t tell the kids, with my lover living in the house he built entirely with his own hands 100km away. There we alternate, either at my house to enjoy the city, the bars and more, or at his house in the Oise countryside (he lives in a hamlet of 14 inhabitants, where we are renovating the chapel, but that’s another story) .

And 4ᵉ life is when the 5 of us are together and happy as hell (okay, we hate the rules).

• If you had to give a word or phrase to describe your accommodation, what would it be?

My apartment is therefore the image of my life, bright, colorful and full!

• If you were to interview your apartment, what would be its positive and negative aspects?

The good points: super bright, functional, everyone has their place!

The negative points: I struggled to find it! It’s too hot in the bathrooms and Louis’s room is tiny, less than 9 m², we made up for it by giving him a nice balcony to read in the sun or welcome his friends!

• Can you show us one (or more) objects that we can only find at home? An object found, manufactured, inherited …

First there is the solid oak coffee table my lover designed and made by himself from a very rustic table which wasn’t pretty, it’s a very 60’s style shape.

There is also my Lussan guinea fowl, teal, which is in my kitchen, I like its roundness and it comes from my mother’s region, the Cévennes.

There is also a painting drawn by a friend artist, the tree represents the torments of infidelity and impossible love.

I also love my Norman wardrobe in the hallway, mottled. I started from scratch 3 years ago and I love the decor. I also searched an online flea market for my little Scandinavian design sofa, which I love too.

• Do you have a decoration idea, not too expensive or even DIY that you are too proud of and want to share?

In my room I wanted to keep an old lady tapestry wall, with white walls and white ceiling, I like it. The bed is also mottled.

• IS that you had a big cracked wallet for something in your house?

For the big crack, it’s a mirror of 1.60 in diameter… for 400 euros. Until the end, I was afraid that I made a big mistake. Finally, it is the centerpiece of the living room, enormously enlarging the space.

• What are your decorative quirks?

One of my decorating fads is combining Scandinavian, Berber (I’m working on my kitchen floor project here), Art Deco (like my green and brass blown glass lamp in the living room) without worrying about any continuity.

In the bathroom, which is rather art deco, I recycled a Scandinavian style sideboard. The painting above is my young mother taking a bath! I also need wood everywhere.

And I have 2 spaces of creative freedom in chalkboard painting (Auguste’s kitchen and bedroom).

• Where do you feel most at home?

I feel good everywhere, I love my open living room, and my favorite place is the balcony to read in the sun and above all to sunbathe, my guilty passion of existence!

• What is the music that plays most often in your home?

The music turns in a continuous cycle, according to everyone’s mood, gothic metal (for Louis), committed punk (Jeanne), bouncy rock (Auguste), Quebec songs, fiery Cow-Boys for example or roommates (highly recommend) , trance when I do housework … in short, things have to move!

• Do you have work or decoration projects?

Renovate the kitchen floor with a Moroccan concrete-like tile.

Thanks to Brune for this nice visit!