Saturday 6 October 2012

An accidental collection

The work on our house is nearing the end, can't believe I'm saying that after all these years! The foundations were laid for the extension 7 years ago and my "to do" list at the time was -
build extension
decorate and furnish new rooms
decorate the rest of the house
and to re-do some of the things we did when we renovated the house the first time around,
20 years ago.
 
The first time we renovated the house it was to convert 2 almost derelict cottages into 1 three bedroom house, we were on a very tight budget and some of the things we'd have liked to have done were just too expensive. So we (and by that I mean I) started to make a list of things we could tackle the second time around. Unfortunately during that 20 year period, 3 children arrived and I began to work part time (for a while not work at all) so money became tighter and life generally got in the way a bit!
 
After we'd finished the house the second time I thought we'd tackle the garden which is very messy (neither of us have even 1 green finger between us!) and then lay a nice cobble driveway and then live happily ever after - the whole lot should take about a  year shouldn't it?

So 20 years after we started and 7 years after phase 2 we're actually seeing light at the end of the tunnel! And it's looking good. The laundry room now has a replica pamment floor, we re-installed the belfast sink but now with a solid wood worktop which I'm in love with. There's a new fridge freezer which dispenses ice - probably the best toy the kids have ever had! and the 200 year floor bricks we'd stored outside for the past 20 years have been cleaned and laid at the entrance to the extension.


a little niche in the wall we found




please excuse the washing hanging up!
It's a little hard to photograph as it's a long narrow room, but I'm really pleased with the results.
There are still a few more things to do - put the cupboard door on, finish the painting, oil the worktop etc - that's my weekend sorted!

I also unpacked my old bottle collection and arranged them in the entrance
 
 


 

my favourite conical shaped Schweppes bottle


 
This is not an intentional collection, I try not to collect anything as I think I may have an obsessive tendency and wouldn't stop until I had a full set of anything! These are all bottles we dug up in our garden, and there were many more than just these ones too! We have quite a long garden and along the left hand side is a row of farm cottages who's gardens back onto our boundary. It appears that many moons ago everyone buried their rubbish, and mostly they threw it over the fence into our undergrowth - that or the previous owners of our cottage like a drink or 10!

The bottles range from earthenware beer bottles from the local Steward and Patterson brewery to torpedo shaped glass bottles and my favourite is the conical Schweppes bottle shown in the last photo, I really ought to do a bit of research to learn more about them, I may have one worth millions!

Sorry for the random positioning of these photos, they seem to re-arrange themselves when I preview or publish, why is that?

Have a lovely weekend everyone - I'm trying to catch up with all your blogs as we're 2 missing this weekend. The builder is away on a music (read drinking) weekend and number 2 son is on an RAF cadet weekend sleeping in a tree most probably. I'm off to the cinema with number 1 and Little Miss later, feeling very guilty that my other child is sleeping rough for 2 nights wearing heavy and probably damp army issue clothing and only armed with a pot noodle for sustenance!!




15 comments:

  1. Your kitchen looks lovely it takes time to decorate especially if you want it doing right. It looks so cosy. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take a break. Tracy x

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  2. Looks good and the bottle collection is a nice touch.

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  3. Your bottle collection is brilliant. What luck to find them in the garden. The laundry room is looking good. I bet your son has a great time camping. xx

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  4. I bet your son is having the most fab time with bis pot noodle!
    What a lot of great finds you had in your garden.
    Love your laundry room, the tiles are just the most lovely shape. And that sink! Wow!!
    Lisa x

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    1. Thanks Lisa. He did have a good time although sleeping rough & eating pot noodle doesn't really do it for me!
      The tiles were quite cheap Topps tiles, we didn't need too many either - I am pleased with the results.

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  5. I'm so pleased you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and can live happily ever after! Your laundry room looks great and I love your bottle collection. I have about 5 bottles but have tried to restrain myself to just a few. I haven't seen a Schweppes bottle like that, what a lovely shape.
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
    Sarah x

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  6. The army cadet thing sounds horrific - my idea of hell! Love the bottle and jar collection - can't believe you found all those in your garden!

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    1. My idea of hell too, he seemed to like it though despite the rain!

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  7. Fab utility room - I made sure we had one included in the build when we had our kitchen extension built and it's a great way of closing the door on tons of junk. We also found loads of old bottles during that build - what was it with the Victorians and their littering tendencies?!

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  8. Gorgeous utility room and sink, and the bottles are great. Nice that they are part of the history of your home. Good luck to the boys with the trials.
    Liz x

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  9. good for you!! progress!
    the bottle history is pretty amazing..my boys always dig for things in hope of finding buried treasure..and your bottle collection would count as that.

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    1. Well your boys are welcome to come dig over the garden in the hope of finding "treasure"!

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  10. Its funny how the practical things are what give you the most pleasure. Love our wee laundry room and that it's tucked away. Your bottle collection is so charming...

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  11. oooo, I love the laundry room! I wish my 'laundry room' (read: corner of the garage where the washing machine and tumble drier live with a piece of leftover work surface balanced on top) looked so good. It must (almost) be a pleasure to do the chores!
    And the bottle collection is fantastic; can't believe you dug that many (and more) up from your garden. You should get along to the Antiques Roadshow!

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  12. Thanks Justine - it was far worse than any of the pictures show before we started! No cupboard door, water stained walls from a recent flood (recent as in 8 years before!)with worktop that had absorbed water and changed shape completely!I do love it now, and yes I should do something about the bottles I could be looking at a fortune!

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