I was so fortunate to be able to write about my amazing and sweet friend, Victoria Hayden, for the September issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. I hope you enjoy her story as much I enjoyed writing it. Click the link to follow Victoria’s amazing Instagram feed, @the.frenchmade.home.
As you look out any window in Victoria Hayden’s Colorado home, your eyes are met with sprawling views of the Pikes Peak Mountain range and the Colorado Springs valley below. The views inside, however, are decidedly French Cottage, thanks to Victoria’s skills at styling along with her large collection of vintage French accessories.
Victoria and her husband, Walter, bought their home four years ago and were met with a builder-grade family room that had bright and glorious views from four large picture windows surrounded by 18-foot-high ceilings. Rather than cover these windows with heavy drapes, Victoria chose to let the light shine in and emphasize her love of all things French. “I have always been drawn to everything French and cottage since I can remember,” she says.
Throughout her many years of treasure hunting, Victoria has amassed a wonderful collection of French enamelware. “What once was used for everyday life is now highly collectible by many,” she says. One of her favorite ways to display her enamelware is to add fresh flowers in a variety of colors. “I like to think about who might have used it and what their life might have been like,” she says.
To balance out the large space above her fireplace, Victoria and her husband designed a French Trumeau mirror. “I am the dreamer and visionary, and my husband is the logician and craftsman,” she says. With a few pieces of molding, a base and her ingenuity, (as well as a little help from Walter), she crafted the gorgeous mirror that now adorns the area above her fireplace.
Victoria fills her light-infused home with pops of her signature colors: red, pink and turquoise. These colors add a bright touch, yet appear subtle and soft when paired with her white sofas, natural woods and gold highlights. She prefers to accessorize with vintage items as opposed to purchasing newer accessories. “I would rather buy something for my home that is old and has character. To me, vintage and antique pieces tell a romantic story,” says Victoria. She adds “It is very important to me to fill my home with only things that I love.”
Victoria will be coming out with her own blog, online store and her very own fabric line later this year. For now, you can view her gorgeous home and follow her DIY projects on her Instagram, @the.frenchmade.home.
