1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 400 Bohemian Rhapsody

The decision to renovate the house was made quite suddenly; according to the previous plan, we would have to wait a while longer before we could start.

This resulted in Ronan's family having nothing but wood and leftover stone from building their studio.

Ronan said he wanted to install the bathroom on the second floor of the studio first, so that it would be convenient when working in the woodworking workshop, otherwise he would have to go home.

Zoe thought he would at least have to go out to buy some things before he could start the renovation, but to her surprise, the next morning he didn't go anywhere. He simply called a few farmers to move furniture and remove tiles.

"Theo, find a few people to move all the things in the living room to the second floor of the studio, and then move them back after the renovation is finished."

"No problem, I'll go get someone right away."

"Henry, you're in charge of my bedroom area on the second floor. Take a few brothers and move the furniture from my bedroom there as well."

"Yes, Mr. Ronan, I will definitely complete it!"

These renovated areas need to be completely cleared out, so Ronan will stay in the guest rooms for a while.

After arranging the furniture moving, Ronan took Cornell to the master bathroom.

"Are we really going to tear it down?" Cornell asked reluctantly, holding the hammer.

These items were all purchased last year!
"Take it apart, take it apart, take it apart." Ronan waved his hand. "But don't damage the hardware and stone sink while you're taking it apart. I'm going to install them in the studio later."

Zoe stood at the bathroom door, arms crossed:

"Are we just keeping the hardware and stone? We won't use the rest?"

There's still nothing there.
Ronan smiled and led Zoe out of the dusty area:

"I also need a small cabinet. I wonder if you have time to make one for me?"

Zoe excitedly ran downstairs:

"Finally, we can turn on those machines!"

Ronan went to the studio's bathroom to take measurements and asked Zoe to make a small washbasin cabinet based on the data he provided. After repeatedly reminding her to be careful when using the machine, he left the studio and disappeared.

About 20 minutes later, Ronan appeared pushing a small cart full of the remaining stone materials from building the studio.

"Are we going to use these leftover stones to renovate the bathroom?" Zoe turned off the mechanical switch and unplugged the power cord.

Ronan pushed the stone to the top of the stairs:

"Our theme today is 'environmental protection,' and everything we use is recycled waste materials, such as unused stone, old hardware, and a leftover bucket of waterproof paint. That's about it."

Last night, Zoe did some cramming, but she couldn't find any information about 'primitive style' in the decorating magazines.

"Is the 'primitive style' a decorating style you invented yourself? Is stone the main element?"

Ronan stopped and caught his breath:

"No, then let me use a different adjective to describe this style."

"What?" Zoe asked curiously.

Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead:

"Bohemian style".

Zoe's expression became even more puzzled:
"I've never heard of this kind of decorating style before."

Ronan smiled and shrugged.

Of course you haven't heard of it, darling.
The Bohemian style of decoration was only formally proposed after 2000.

"You mean Ronan wants to renovate the upstairs bathroom in a bohemian style?" Vivian's eyebrows shot up at the same time, and her mouth dropped open.

Since the studio was completed, Zoe's sisters have become even happier.

Zoe is rich and never looks at the price when she buys things.

As Zoe's sisters, they shopped and strategized with her, which felt like playing a management game with characters in a video game—it was incredibly fun.

To make things even happier, they would come over together whenever Zoe came to the studio.

Normally, when a group of girls gather here, they would be talking about 'what else they should buy,' but today the topic has changed.

French artists are no strangers to the term 'Bohemian,' and Ronan's restaurant often hosts discussions on this topic.

Because the term 'Bohemian style' was coined by the French.

In the mid-19th century, Bohemians greatly influenced the development of art in Europe.

These Bohemians from Central Europe excelled in the arts, such as literature, painting, and music. Their free-spirited and unconventional lifestyle was described by the Parisian art world as 'wandering aesthetics'.

In that era, the Bohemian style represented individuality, nature, and rebellion against traditional constraints.

During the European revolutions of 1848, impoverished artists gathered in Montmartre, Paris, to protest against bourgeois aesthetics with "worn-out velvet and fringed shawls," forming a group of "bohemians."

Bohemians have been described in many bestselling literary works since then.

For example, Henry Muger's "Scenes from the Life of the Bohemians" portrays this group as a symbol of 'poor but free'; the description of Daisy's fringed dress and pearl necklace in "The Great Gatsby" marks Bohemia as a rebellious declaration of the Jazz Age.

In the French art world of 1987, Bohemianism was a symbol of anti-war sentiment, the women's liberation movement, artistic atmosphere, and the pursuit of freedom and unbridled spirit.

The girls were very surprised when they heard that Ronan wanted to design the bathroom in a 'bohemian' style.

Can interior design really be related to art?
Cotillard was more impressed with bohemian style than the other girls because it had recently gained traction in the music scene she was familiar with.

She excitedly asked Zoe:
"Is Ronan a Queen fan? There's a 'bohemian' trend going on in the American hippie scene right now."

Zoe shook her head:

"Ronan hasn't listened to any songs lately, so it shouldn't be related to that."

Ronan spends every day with her, so Zoe would definitely know if Ronan had been exposed to anything. This is the first time she has heard the word 'Bohemian' in a while.

As a skilled art dealer, Cotillard has a keener sense of trends than most, and this little renovation incident at Zoe's house provided her with an inspiration:
“Actually, art, music, and fashion are interconnected. Some tourists may not understand art, but they may have heard songs and might also have some knowledge of fashion. For example, someone like me who knows ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ would be very interested in a decorative style called Bohemian and wonder if it has anything to do with what I know. I was thinking, could the artists in Lourmarin also use this psychology to their advantage?” Paulette asked naively.

"You mean, get artists to do something about 'Bohemian' too?"

Zoe removed her protective gear and said to Paulette:

“I guess Cotillard meant not just ‘bohemian,’ but any popular trend.”

She looked at Cotillard:

"As we've discussed many times before, the artists in Lourmaran are getting ready for this year's travel season."

Lourmaran has more than 30 artists, as well as many newly opened galleries, art shops and craft workshops, all aiming to make more money when the tourist season arrives.

As the agent for these 30-plus artists, Cotillard has been worrying about this for some time now.

The artists of Lourmaran did achieve some success and applause at Gold in January, but that was focused on Ronan, Zoe, and Batty.

What about everyone else?
Even Ronan, Zoe, and Batty can't guarantee that tourists will buy their stuff, because not everyone understands art.

Getting tourists from all over the world to spend money in Lourmaran requires some thought.

It's already late March, and tourists will start arriving in Provence in early April. Easter at the end of April marks the official start of this year's travel season.

During this month, the artists of Lourmaran must work hard to prepare.

Codia looked at Zoe:
"That's right, I've been thinking about that. Do you have any good ideas?"

Gotia only had a vague idea, without any concrete plan.

Zoe smiled and shook her head:

"No, but we can go up and ask Ronan. He has a lot of ideas, and my cabinet is finished. Let's go see what a bohemian-style bathroom looks like."

When Zoe and the others went upstairs, Ronan was building a bathtub out of stone in the bathroom.

As Ronan said, the bathroom continues the overall style of the studio, focusing on being close to nature. Not only were the walls left untreated, but more shapes were also made with rough stone.

The girls couldn't describe or comment on what Bohemian decorating style looked like, because they didn't know much about it, but the appearance of this bathtub was truly unexpected for them.

"Does the studio need a bathtub?" Vivian asked Ronan. "I mean, is it necessary to take a bath here?"

Do you really consider this your home?
“Of course we need to,” Zoe replied.

Zoe said matter-of-factly:

"The work downstairs generates a lot of dust, it's so dirty, how can I work with Ronan like that?"

Vivian: ?

Sure enough, women change once they fall in love!

Covered in powder dust, unable to work with Ronan, yet able to drink and chat happily with us sisters?

“You’re being so biased!” Pollyt protested.

“How could that be?” Zoe laughed and hugged Polly’s arm. “You’re my best friends. Even if I’m being biased, it’s still towards you!”

“Honey, are you free now? I need help,” Ronan called from outside the bathroom.

Zoe immediately dropped Pollyt's arm and jogged over:
"I'm coming!"

Pollyt, Vivian, and Cotillard:
"."

The bathroom features a wet and dry separation design, with the sink located outside.

Ronan moved the stone sink and other items from the original master bedroom here, brought in two woven lamps, and added the cabinets that Zoe had just finished making. That completed the decoration of this area.

"Once the toilet is installed here this afternoon, everything will be done," Ronan said to Zoe with a smile. "Wonderfully, isn't that quick?"

Zoe stood a few meters behind Ronan, carefully examining the area:

"You know what, this bohemian style actually goes quite well with your woven lamp."

Ronan shrugged:

"The essence of Bohemian style is the vintage, handmade feel."

Rattan furniture and bohemian style go perfectly together; it's a core element.

The price of rattan furniture is expected to rise further as the Bohemian style became popular worldwide after 2000.

At this point, Cotillard shared the ideas he had discussed with Zoe and the others downstairs, asking Ronan if he had any good suggestions:

"That's how it is; it's really become a 'Bohemian Rhapsody' now."

This is a reflection sparked by Bohemia!
Ronan believes that Cotillard's idea has some merit:
"While preserving the characteristics of Provence, incorporating some trendy elements is indeed a direction worth exploring, but wouldn't it be too chaotic to spread them across different places? That would disrupt the original character of each place. Should we apply to the government for an empty house and turn it into a unique art market, existing as an attraction in Lourmarin? Here, works designed based on special 'trendy' elements can be displayed separately."

Gotia thought about it seriously:
“It is possible, but artists don’t have the same strong production and hands-on skills as you and Zoe. I’m afraid it would be very difficult for us to build this market on our own.”

Cotillard understood what Ronan meant by a distinctive arts market; she had seen them in other villages, but those required setup and decoration.

The problem isn't that we can chip in the money, but where can we find workers?

It's peak season for home renovations in Provence again!

Ronan smiled and pointed outside:
"Aren't the people already readily available?"

Gotia glanced back at the farmers outside the bathroom, who were moving furniture and fooling around, and a bitter look appeared on his face:

“We don’t know these farmers very well.”

Ronan chuckled and smacked his lips.

That's precisely why we need to get to know each other quickly!
(End of this chapter)