Once Upon A Time... in 'Si Petite'

Once upon a time..there stood a house, on the sunny hills of Southern California.
It was called 'Si Petite'.
It was like no other...built with inspiration from France, it brought
the warmth and passion of the french countryside to this little corner of the world.



It proved to be a home with the fondest of memories. Mr H. travelled there frequently to visit his grandmother as a child. Many years later, visits from Mr. H and I whilst dating and another trip to spend the first few days of our honeymoon. Over the years we visited with our children where we lingered by gardenia bushes, lemon trees and soaked up the essence of this special house.



Every detail was attended to.... the woman who designed this home knew what she liked.
I recently mentioned her in another post, here.



One step thru the front door and you looked straight thru 
the courtyard and living area out to the sea.



These pictures were taken many years ago 
and I am thankful that I took them. 
Somewhere....
I have a video recording of the house 
inside and out. Someday...I will find it :)







Memories of first birthdays and first steps for
Miss Claire who turns 18 this summer.


Every once and a while you come across a special place, the 
kind of place that you never forget.





'Si Petite' was that special place for me. 
It is never far from our thoughts, yet sadly, 
the house was altered significantly when it was sold, 
making way for a modern californian mansion. 
It makes these few photos so very special 
and when I find that video...
I will be happiest of all. :)

The End :)

Best wishes to one and all for a wonderful week!

Jeanne xxx

Images~me
taken around 1994

Comments

  1. What a beautiful place! It makes me sad to think about buyers who tear down a house with soul...

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  2. I had hoped you were returning to that gorgeous house for a wedding or another of life's happy transitions. I felt a pit in my stomach when I read what happened. The builders killed a soul.

    When I look at Architectural Digest these days I'm no longer lost in a certain beauty. (I almost didn'g renew my subscription.) I don't want to say I'm against moderinistic houses - there's a place for everything. It's just there's no soul in most of these houses, just expensive stuff placed just right in the perfect light. After I turn a few pages, none of the stuff remains with me. Just another copycat house.

    I hope you find the video!

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  3. Jeanne - this is sooo beautiful, I can almost smell the sea breeze! Leigh

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  4. Lovely memories Jeanne of a special place....hope you manage to lay your hands on the video! x

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  5. Beautiful home, beautiful children and wonderful memories. Sad to read that it was torn down. Hope you enjoyed the wedding celebrations.

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  6. Jeanne,

    What a beautiful spot to have lived...
    Your former home has a great design and could be a star in Veranda magazine!

    What a pretty coastline too....such a lovely spot to have lived and raised your family.

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  7. Thank goodness you have pictures and film. What a shame. I will never understand how someone could tear down a beautiful house like that, rather than restore it. Lana www.lifeatwildberrycottage.com

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  8. As I viewed the photos I kept thinking I love everything about this house, then I read it had been torn down to build a modern California Mansion. I have to say I gasped out loud. Hugs! Bonnie

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  9. What a beautiful dwelling Si Petite was and how wonderful that you have photo's plus a video to revitalise your treasured memories.

    To destroy such a warm building is a total disgrace and says volumes about the mentality of the perpetrators.

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  10. Hi all, I stand corrected...I did a little extra searching and found that the house is still there but has been modernized inside and out and has lost all of it's original character. There is always that fine line for people. I would have voted for keeping the integrity of the original house. From what I can see, they went for modern chateau... :(

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  11. no one can ever take your precious memories... xoxo

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  12. Beautiful home!,amaizing flowers

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  13. Oh, so sad that a mighty mansion took its place on the California coast. This dimunuitive bit of Tudor-ish architecture is truly a landmark of another era.

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  14. that makes me sad that it was revised.
    i really get upset when homes with great charm are torn down and
    'monkey mansions' replace them.

    xx you are a lucky lady to have spent time there.

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  15. Oh Jeanne, that's such a shame. It looked perfect and enchanting just the way it was. How wonderful you and your family were able to enjoy it.

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  16. What a stunning house. I wish they had left it as it was. It looked so welcoming and charming.

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  17. What a beauty and what a location....perfection in my
    book! Perhaps some interior updating was necessary,
    but I would NEVER alter that glorious exterior!!!

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  18. Oh Jeanne,
    How sad that someone has taken the life out of ' Si Petite '. I hate that. Still, at least the memories remain.
    Thanks so much for your lovely comment today. It was lovely to go and see the flowers at the Abbey. It felt as if we had shared in the wedding a little bit !! The weather has indeed been glorious and I always wonder why our weather gets such a bad press. I think that it's because it's not very reliable. When talking to the two Canadian ladies in the queue, I told them that, we are never suprised if, it's sunny and warm one moment and then snowing the next !!
    Sorry that I've been away for so long and haven't commented for a while. Blogger had obviously sent me to Coventry for a while but seem's to have become my friend again. I am not holding my breath though!! haha XXXX

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  19. What wonderful memories these photos hold for you . They are gorgeous, the blue door is to die for, and the shutters on the windows...Nice!

    The house, the views, the gardens just magical. Thanks so much for caring.

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  20. What an enchanting place that must have been.
    Why do people have to go and change something so magical? I suppose we all have different tastes and want to leave our mark. But still...

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  21. That house looks exquisite!! How could anyone tear it down? Argh.
    Thank goodness you have your pictures -- and memories.

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  22. So sad to see this part of history being destroyed for another faceless mega mansion. What can we do? I feel we must protest as much as possible to local councils, politicans and attend city planning meetings and not allow builders get variances.
    You have the beautiful memories in your heart
    Helen Tilston painter

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  23. Jeanne, I cannot believe how wonderful your husband's grandmother's home was. When I read of spectacular homes being severely altered/torn down it makes me ill. What terrific memories your family must have of times spent there. Truly a thrill to see! What a great woman she must have been?

    xx Deb

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  24. Such a beautiful home full of love and character! It's such a shame it's been stripped of its charm! I never understand why people feel the need to do that. I hope you found that video. What wonderful memories you must have of its beauty. Thanks for linking me to see this. I love good character in homes and people! xoJennifer

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  25. SO< MISTER H grew up there?I was there in 1977.......last year of high school.How old is HE?I might just toss a few names his way!!!!!!XO

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  26. I forgot to say I remember the house from the OUTSIDE!!!!!!

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