Today I am very excited to announce that MFCH has been invited to curate the Home Decor collection for the American company Soft Surroundings.
If you live in the USA or Canada, then I am sure you already know Soft Surroundings, but for me, living in Europe , it was not a familiar name, until I accidentally met the founder Robin Sheldon, while hunting for brocante in the south of France.
I was at a fair, searching for some shutters, and as I moved around from stand to stand, I kept crossing paths with a dapper American lady, who seemed to be buying the same sort of stuff as me.
We started chatting, and ended up getting a coffee together. I loved everything that she had bought, and I was curious to know more about her, and what she was buying for. It turned out she knew the blog already, so we had plenty to chat about. We even share a love of dogs!
Robin explained how she founded Soft Surroundings in 1998, and how it has grown beyond a mail order catalogue, to a successful on-line company with new stores being opened each year.
She loves to come to France regularly to buy brocante and antique furniture. She brings a team with her, and instead of putting everyone in a fancy hotel, she rents a lovely big house, and encourages the team to shop at the local markets and cook in the house. She tries to make each buying trip to France an opportunity to integrate into the local scene, and get a real taste for French living.
This attention to detail really pays off. There is no substitute for personal experience and I can attest to how carefully and wisely they buy their furniture and other pieces, not only choosing them for their style and patina but also being sure to find out some of the history of each piece.
Once home, Robin uses her beautiful finds and the memories of each visit to inspire the Soft Surroundings home collection, and some of the brocante treasure even finds it way onto the on-line store.
The follow-up to our encounter came some time later, when Robin suggested we could work together in some way, and our collaboration was formed.
I am thrilled to be curating the Soft Surroundings home collection. It is elegant, chic, and would quite easily fit in to my own home. I love the soft tones of grey and blue, so typical of traditional French homes that I know here in Normandy. Thanks to Robin’s sure eye, there is a distinctive French feel to the collection, that not many achieve.
For the curated collection I have picked out my favourite items for you to browse. I chose the pieces that speak the most to me personally, that look the most French.
The collection is divided into sections to make for easier browsing, I hope you’ll click HERE
softsurroundings.com/myfrenchcountryhome
and take a look, and that you enjoy browsing MFCH’s very first curated collection!
softsurroundings.com/myfrenchcountryhome
44 comments
How absolutely fantastic! All your vignettes are so very, very “you”. Life is just getting more and more and more exciting. It’s wonderful when one with such talent and taste is recognised in wider and wider circles.
Congratulations.
You’re a rock star! You are. You are.
xoxo,
Tish
This is so exciting Sharon! I am thrilled for you! I love Soft Surroundings and am hoping to have a store open up near me very soon
I often buy from Soft Surroundings and am always pleased with my purchases, but now to have the MFCH stamp of approval is just the cherry on the cake!
Thank you Sharon!
Carolynn
Oh how I would have loved to be in on that conversation at the fair!! You do live the life!
How exciting. ..no wonder I love Soft Surroundings so much. The merchandise really does have that look of France that some of us in the states love so much! They do have a style that reminds me MFCH! Congrats Sharon.
Congratulations Sharon!!! How exciting for you and exciting for me as two of my favorite resources are now working together.
I know Soft Surroundings well. I purchased one of the treasures in my home from them – a rusty bistro table that graced the sidewalks of Paris in a former life.
On my bucket list is a trip to France to be a part of one of your brocante tours!!
All the best,
Jan
Sharon, Congratulations!! I love Soft Surroundings and especially their stunning Home Collection! Your pieces are a fabulous addition!!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena New Feature
FABULOUS! Sharon you have such a MAGICAL touch! Your style is my style…In fact, I have a couple of pieces you’ve shown and facimilies of a few others. Thank you for sharing your talents with your readers…At least I know how I will be spending my day! DREAMING!
What a great combo! Love this style of decorating!
Congratulations Sharon! I am so glad that it worked out. It all looks lovely!
Soft Surroundings…what a perfect fit for you and for us. I love following you so I forwarded your blog to my granddaughter who advised “I’m very familiar with Sharon’s blog- in fact it’s one of the blogs I have listed on my website homepage under ‘Blogs I Love’ with a link to her site. That’s so cool that she’s friends with Aunt Nona! I love her blog- always inspiring!” Her blog…Meet me by the Oak Tree – reminds me of you. FYI Shiva is Rachel’s Aunt Nona.
That’s so exciting — for all of us!!! 🙂
So happy for you – they are lucky to have you on their team!
Sharon, such fun for you and a great partnership for Soft Surroundings to have found you! I am an interior designer and have used several pieces from Soft Surroundings for my clients. I am currently interested in the corner cupboard, just added to their collection, for my daughter’s new home! Can’t wait to see what new items they have found on their trip.
Their clothing is fun also. Have a great weekend, Mary Ellen
#dreamjob, good for you. I love all of the soft grays, blues and greens you’ve selected. I love stories about how opportunities like this come about….
Now I love Soft Surroundings even more. We used to get this magazine in the office all the time. It was always fun to go through it and look at all the beautiful things. What fun and what serendipity for you to meet her!
Congratulations!
Your beautiful vignettes and narratives are a joy to so many.
May this be a successful venture for you.
We live in St. Louis where Robin opened her first store. I visit Soft Surrounding very often as I do your beautiful blog! What a magical partnership! Congratulations!
lets hear it for sharon & soft surroundings! + love them & you! + congratulations. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
First off the LINK WORKS……YES,I was called to try it OUT.
Second,I have bought from their catalog for YEARS!SHE HAS TALL……………………!!!!!!!
Third I have been following HER on IN…….not realizing who it was until recently……she goes under a “CODE NAME” there!
Fourth…….how GREAT you TWO bumped into each other at a FLEA and took a coffee together…………..of course SHE ALREADY KNEW YOU!
This PLUS YOUR BOOK is ALMOST TOO much EXCITEMENT for this BIG CONTESSA!!!
What a WONDERFUL opportunity………….you certainly have made the TRANSITION from SUPER MAMA to WORKING BEE!!!!CONGRATULATIONS……………it’s all SO WONDERFUL!XOXO
There is no way I could express my happiness and enthusiasm better than our Contessa did! Bravo, bravo Sharon!!! I am so thrilled for you as you keep moving onwards and upwards…
xo
H
Oh what fun! I had noticed some of their things not long ago, thought they looked truly French….
You are awesome….
Nancy
Oh Dear I love this mood, and I could have just blended right in on your conversation, I could take all your home vignettes and mixed it right into my home with a perfect blend, I too love a French home of calm, weathered, and aged with soft surroundings.
Is it not so inspiring to chat with like buyers who shortly feel like long time friends 🙂
What an enlightened day to have a crossing of minds.
Xx
Bisous
Doré
This is so exciting for me! I just recently became a subscriber to your blog and with my first update you are talking about one of my favorite catalog stores! I love Soft Surroundings! I was initially drawn to their beautiful clothing and then one day decided to check out their furnishings. I was immediately impressed and the first word that entered my mind when I saw the collection was “France.” The style was unmistakeable! Robins’ love for the distinct culture and classic style of all things French is clearly reflected in her companys’ offerings! So glad to know that you are involved in this enterprise. I am a cooking show hostess in America and I will be keenly interested in all things related to the French kitchen as I often explore french cooking in my shows as well as in my personal life. So happy to be onboard with you and wishing you much success in your new endeavor!
Such a perfect fit! Your selections are divine; your descriptions lovely. They are authentic, sincere, and most of all knowledgeable… from someone who lives in France and is an authority on French Brocante. I hope to see this as a regular feature. The only thing I would add are the names of the paint colors. Congratulations!!!
Congratulations – a wonderful new direction for you. I love some of the items on this site which I had never seen before, especially the armoires and chests. But, like you I live in Europe (UK) so of course I can’t buy any. I am very jealous!
How wonderful! Your vignettes are absolutely enchanting.
Oh, this is very good news. Congratulations!
Hi Sharon, Congratulations I’m am so excited for you. Celebrations for us I know we are going to see even more beautiful things from you (no pressure). I had never heard of this place, so from me a HUGE thank for sharing. Till next time. Regards Esther from Sydney.
I read your blog regularly but haven’t commented until now. I love how you have curated the categories!! Gorgeous layout and the choices you made are so much my taste. Never heard of the company but I live in southern Germany (near the French border). I’m interested in a brocante afternoon tour with you and plan to contact you soon — we just bought a villetta in northern Italy and it needs help! Congratulations on your exciting opportunity!
How funny, after I clicked “confirm” on my Soft Surroundings order, I opened my favorite blog, yours, only to find you writing about them! I had to give a gasp over the coincidence. I’m a repeat customer, I think their things are wonderful. Congratulations on your new collaboration.
I’ve not heard of Soft Surroundings but their items are beautiful. Love the greys and blues and whites. How fun to meet at the brocante. Congratulations on a new partnership.
Nothing happens by change…it was a randevous just waiting to happen; maybe you will put some of Soft Surroundings in MFCH’s kitchen update. Love all the soft colours and styles you showed us on this post.
Congradulations,
Congratulations! I love Soft Surroundings. That would be a dream job for me. Can’t wait to take a look at it all.
A match made in heaven….love every single mood board, just dreamy! Congrats Sharon.
What wonderful news! I really admire you for grabbing life with both hands. Go Girl!!!
love your taste, those slip covers look like they are made from towels.
Any way I am snowed in and checking on some of my blogs that haven’t posted for a while. Be well and safe.
yvonne
ps love the puppy.
How absolutely wonderful Sharon! Congratulations with this new venture. I love Soft Surroundings & actually used to get their catalog often but not as of late. I will subscribe to them again. A certain stroke of fortune for you to meet like this. I’m thrilled for you as it does show above how everyone else is as well. Beautiful collection you have there!!! X
Fantastic! The collection is beautiful! So excited to have this source.
Love Soft Surroundings and so happy you joined them! I’m so excited for you! You are really becoming famous and I’m so glad your awesome talents are being recognized!
Very nice!
I often look for similar furniture in my city. It’s really hard to find something like this with a French accent. Recently, I even called the local store when I found the UPLIFT Desk phone number to find out if they do custom orders.
Thanks for this article.