He’s Franco, she’s American and together they’re remodeling their American colonial inspired house with a bit of French sensibility.

Bonjour!

We’re Heather and Mickael Fonteneau and after buying our first home in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2012 we’re (finally!) renovating our saltbox-inspired colonial. Our remodeling plan is a mix of DIY and DI-Buy hi/low projects that draw inspiration on our love for traditional American and French interior design. While we're not afraid to pick up a perfectly good chair from the sidewalk trash pile, we also understand the importance of splurging when we need to, to get exactly what we want. We hope that by chronicling our renovation ups and downs and sharing, costs, tips and how-tos pulled from Mickael's industry experience we can help other like minded homeowners.

Heather is a long-time lover of interesting interiors and a closeted home design magazine addict. A human resource professional by day, she spends her free time trolling antique shops and retail stores alike on the hunt for finds to use at home. She one time lied to Mickael about her love for the French pop star Patrick Bruel in order to go on a second date.

Mickael is originally from the Loire Valley in France and is a guild-trained cabinet and furniture maker. He came to the USA in 2007 and after marrying Heather and moving to Virginia, opened his custom woodworking shop Atelier Fonteneau. Mickael believes in building things the right way the first time and the importance of continuing traditional wood working techniques. He tolerates it when Heather eats in front of the television.