French Laundry

French Laundry

 

French Husband came home with a twinkle in his eye, handing me a note that had the name and phone number of someone I didn't know.

"A certain Monsieur wants you to decorate his home on the French Rivera, and possibly other properties he owns! He wants you to call him today." Saying this his face beamed brighter than the moon on the Mediterranean! He added, "At a meeting today I told him about you, and he was intrigued and told me to have you call him."

French Husband is my biggest fan. He believes I could redecorate Versailles. He believes my fingers are golden. He thinks way too much of how I can fold fitted bedsheets and put the linens away.

 

French Laundry, Corey Amaro

 

I looked over at him and then back at note. I licked my lips wondering what this was about.

"Call him now!" French Husband said as he nearly shoves the phone down my throat with excitement.

Words stumble through my head in French, my heart beats faster, my fingers wiggled, I awkwardly smiled at the plunge I was about to take.

Dialing the number a woman's voice greeted me. Introducing myself my American accent gave more than I wanted it too. Silence lingered… I swallowed doubt, a thought raced through my head, "HANG UP!!" I stayed on the line chasing nonsense out of my desire. Finally after ages of silence that occurred in a split second, that only mathematicians can explain, the woman barked at me,"WHAT!!! What, what??? Who are you??? What has my Husband done??? WHAT??? NO! Oh no no no no!! Certainly not!"

 

French Laundry

 

I wanted to say I am not his mistress. Somehow that is what I think she thought.

Folding fitted sheets and putting the linens away is a simple art for my bedroom closet. One man's admiration is enough. I wonder what I said? I wonder if even mentioned it to his wife? I wonder what she found in her laundry?

Side Note:

To this day I do not know the real story. But this much is true. The guy was probably being nice, and over admiring Husband took teh guy's words for real. Either way it made a good story.

 



Comments

37 responses to “French Laundry”

  1. Merisi in Vienna

    “Let’s have lunch”, the French way! 😉
    Love your artful laundry stack, and each and every picture of it!
    And let me tell you, I am convinced you are so much better off not having to work with someone who apparently does not have the slightest sense of humor. If you had called me, of course, you’d be sitting on a plane to cold Vienna right now. *giggles*

  2. Chris Wittmann

    Corey that lady missed a chance at having a very talented American decorate her home! Her tough luck I’d say and I agree with Merisi in Vienna…who wants to work for someone who has no sense of humor?? I love that pile of linen… 🙂

  3. Too funny, Corey. And I got so caught up in the story, I had to go back, after reading the comments, to look at the pictures. That gal sure missed out.

  4. Rachel Schindler

    I love this story and love even more, your husband’s enthusiasm for you.

  5. So funny! If you called my house I would say please come right over if I didn’t know about the conversation. Oh how I would love you to take my little house and make it beautiful. I can see you fold French linens just beautifully!

  6. Shelley Noble

    You absolutely should be paid handsomely for decorating fine properties. Mais OUI!

  7. penny Willoughby

    Hi Corey, Seeing your laundry has inspired me to do a load or two of some pretty vintage pieces I’ve picked up along the way. What a opportunity missed, you are an amazing decorator! Love, Penny

  8. Oh what beautiful linens. I’d collect linens but I despise ironing as much as your mother loves it.
    The lady snob really missed out on having beautiful Corey decorated homes.

  9. Diogenes

    Corey, I know you.
    You could redecorate Versailles. And I’d do it with you. 😉 Then we could start on Vaux-le-Vicomte, LOL.

  10. She certainly missed out! You could decorate anything. Wish you could decorate mine! What a cute story.

  11. Lana Kloch

    what a wonderful story to relate to us. i love the part especially that yann is your biggest fan. how great is that. you two have created something special that no two can duplicate.
    again, i say, write a non fiction book about your lives together.. it will make many smile with happiness.

  12. Nancy in Solana Beach

    I agree with everyone. That woman has missed the biggest opportunity ever!!!

  13. Loved the story! No doubt she will soon be realizing that she is missing out on you . . .

  14. LauraInSeattle

    I LOVE this story! I am laughing and thinking of similar phone call experiences…why is speaking on the phone in another language so terrifying?!
    However, FH is right – you COULD redecorate Versailles!!!

  15. Nancy, let’s do coffee
    at the Leaping Lotus
    and shop Cedros
    some time soon.
    Maybe we can channel
    Corey’s brocante spirit !

  16. Ed in Willows

    I think FH should call him and set things straight. I could turn out to be a great opportunity.

  17. Oh Corey, one of those blush-making moments that you make funny in the re-telling! I hate making phone calls anyway, so would have crumbled at that one!

  18. Perhaps the husband knows his wife’s taste and poor decorating skills and thought he could avoid a confrontation by hiring you? He knew that she would put purple and lime floral sheets on the bed instead of your gorgeous linens. 🙂

  19. France Forever 24/7

    It is an amusing story – at least you were brave enough to make that phone call – Bravo!

  20. Marie-Noëlle

    Trying to guess what that lady had on her mind…
    Has she taken that little lapse of time to add up decorating hours (a LOT of hours if her house is huge and moreover if her artistic sense is very poor) + flight fare from the US (from your US accent, as you mentioned it) … + … ??!?
    Now I wonder what her husband said to FH the next day …

  21. jend’isère

    Oooh la & la!

  22. It means a lot to have someone by your side, right?

  23. ☆¨´`’*°☆.¸.☆¨´`’*°☆.
    (: ․☆´`’*¸.☆¨´`’*°☆.․:)
    `☆.. ♥♥ HUGS ♥♥~ ¸☆
    ․ ․`’☆.¨´¸☆¨¸.¸.☆¨
    Happy Friday and Rabbit Rabbit
    Smile ♥
    (\__/)
    (>’.’<) (")_(")♥•.¸¸. ´´¯`•♥

  24. A delightful story – it played as a movie in my head!

  25. Jill Flory

    LOL! A great story! It would have been a great story if it HAD worked out too!

  26. Making a fool of ourselves occasionally is a necessity.

  27. Guy talk – “my wife is a better decorator than yours – oh really… then have her call me and…” You did the right thing in hanging up beacuse in my mind this was just guy talk. Doesn’t matter since you are too busy with your own Paris apt. and lots of other wonderful, fulfilling venues.

  28. Jillayne

    Too bad for her is all I can say – she missed a chance to possibly look at her world in a new way.
    P.S. if that’s laundry, I wish I had a great stack of my own!

  29. I’m just wondering what the woman said to her husband…?

  30. Laurie SF

    Oh, those linens. Swaddled in your guest bed linens.
    The layers, corners, tucks and folds.
    Dreamy..
    You must give a tutorial on how you do it.

  31. “Auntie”

    Awwwwwwww, such a cute happening…
    “Auntie”

  32. Franca Bollo

    I thought you told FH that you weren’t participating in a ménage à trois anymore? I guess you can’t blame a man for trying.

  33. Peggy Braswell

    How great was that story? So happy FH thinks you can decorate anything(you can, you know!) + women without a sense of humor are hard to work with, rather like a rusty ole screw in a piece of wood. Have a wonderful weekend. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

  34. Brenda L. from TN.

    LOL! How funny!
    I DO think FH should call his new friend and ask “what the h*** is going on? My wife calls and a crazy woman answers? Do you need a talented decorator or not?”
    Bravo to FH for believing in your brillant talent and taste!!

  35. Oh my! Who was more obnoxious, the husband who did not bother to clue his spouse in on his interior decoratoring schemes or the wife bristling so rudely on the phone?

  36. Nancy in Solana Beach

    Janet,
    Sure, when do you want to meet? Next week I am booked except for Monday.
    Just give me a time and I will be there.
    Nancy

  37. peggy aplSEEDS

    how amusing! yes, that is a good story!

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