Style In Toulouse

Who are any of us to dictate style to another person ?

Go into any bookshop, browse any number of sites on the Internet and someone somewhere is telling us how to create style. I personally don’t follow any style ‘guru’. To me style is black or white, you either love it or you don’t. Style is creating what you feel comfortable with and this weekend I visited two sites in Toulouse which were in complete stark contrast to each other.

Tallulah and I decided we would treat ourselves to a weekend of galleries in Toulouse. We started off at the Muséé des Augustins a Medieval monastery boasting wonderful examples of southern Gothic architecture. It houses over four thousand works built up around a core seized during the French revolution, the collection of the old Royal Academy of Paintings and Sculpture of Toulouse, works from religious buildings, acquisitions, bequests and donations. It is a feast for the eye’s with every room or gallery leaving you marvelling at the skill of the artists.

We then went onto Les Abattoirs, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary art. Les Abattoirs is the city’s former abattoir. It served as an abattoir for more than 150 years and was converted in 2000 into the current gallery space. As well as holding touring exhibitions it has a collection of installations, sculptures, graphic arts and painting from the second half of the 20th century. It is true to say that some of the exhibitions were certainly thought-provoking.

Both venues were each offering totally different perspectives into style and its interpretation of the word.
It was clear that different objects or paintings represented various meanings to the two of us and we both had our firm favourites. However when we reflected on it afterwards gazing out over the banks of the River Garonne we agreed that style should be fun. It should be an extension of your personality.

Tallulah stood next to the work of art above. The words and the layout are pleasing to the eye. They don’t however mean anything.

Which I think sums up style beautifully.

Something someone who made full use of my home and husband whilst I was away will never have.

Taken from my diary Home.Design.Image