Emmanuelle Fourrier
There is a corner of Southport that will remain forever French.
That is if French-born Emmanuelle Fourrier has anything to do with it.
Although it may be somewhat confusing to find out that the newly refurbished family-run guest house is called The New England Guest House.
"When we moved here in the summer the place was a dump and hadn't been lived in for a while. My vision was the calming pale colours of Rhode Island and New England was a place in America where all nations were embraced. As my background is quite cosmopolitan and we wanted to attract and embrace everyone we thought the name was perfect."
It is hard to believe that the beautifully restored Victorian building was derelict for so many years but when Emmanuelle reveals her artistic background it much easier to understand.
"I was born in Lille and studied History of Art at the Louvre Museum in Paris before moving to London and organising Party Nights in Paris."
After a stint in the South of France Emmanuelle moved back to London with her son Othello, 15 after meeting her partner, John Kelly.
The couple lived the media high life in trendy Islington where John was a Commercial Director and Emmanuelle worked as a television production co-ordinator.
However, after the birth of their daughter, Lulu, four ,and the death of John's mother who lived in Southport the couple decided to return to the resort to be closer to family.
"We were at a crossroads and didn't know what to do when the opportunity of opening a guest house came up. It was so different but when we thought about it, it was perfect. John had started to move into interior design and I was used to organising budgets and we both enjoyed meeting people."
The New England Guest House opened in July and has transformed the style of traditional B&Bs in the resort.
"This is our home after all and we wanted to run it as such. The house has nine en suite rooms available but it is also our house and the style is very much our own. We have tried to stay sympathetic to the structure of the building which is Victorian while embracing the comfort and style of the 21st Century."
The couple have utilised their talents too. Although the building work was carried out by professional builders the paintwork, tiling, artwork and soft furnishings have all been hand-crafted by Emmanuelle while John has concentrated on the interior design concepts.
The entrance hall has an antique table which provides a warm welcome into the living area with its comfortable, dark leather sofas and more antique. A period fireplace provides a focal point while the crystal chandeliers and hand-decorated rose provide a French elegance to the room.
The large dining room is open plan with elegant yellow walls, lifted by natural morning sunlight. A spacious slate grey kitchen with industrial range cooker, central island and white kitchen units would befit any stylish home. However, it is the winding staircase where the real surprises lie.
"We have researched the original Victorian colours which has helped us decide a distinct colour scheme to each room. We have blue, brown, purple, green but my favourite room has to be the red room, it is a real boudoir,"
reveals Emmanuelle.
And the colour scheme has been defined by dramatic shades of red and calming white walls. A huge canvas hangs over the bed which Emmanuelle has painted herself.
"I love being creative and this project has really given me the opportunity to make use of those skills.
We like to see ourselves a guest house with a difference. All our rooms can be adapted to use the dressing table as a desk and we have a wireless connection for guests to plug in their laptops. Very often we sit with our guests enjoying a glass of wine and occasionally John brings out his guitar.
We have met so many interesting people and every day is a new adventure."
The New England Guest House,
67 Bath Street,
Southport.
Tel: 01704 532 988