Wednesday 21 May 2014

Favourite Corners Of My Home, again

I thought I'd occasionally do these posts as, by nature, I am a very nosy person and I'm thinking that maybe I'm not the only one - I'm not am I?
 
It also makes me look at my home in a slightly different light as usually I stare at all the unfinished bits and get a little down in the dumps. We started renovating and rebuilding our home in 1993 and if I'd have known it would take so long I probably wouldn't have done it. Don't get me wrong it's not been a constant 21 years, we have finished it a couple of times and then decided to extend a little more. I always think of it in terms of how much is left to do (before we decide to retire and downsize!) when I really should think more in terms of how far we've come and how much we've achieved. It has all been done with grit and determination, scrimping and saving and sheer hard work - we never had much money to throw at the house nor much help!

Anyway it started life like this....


A pair of thatched cottages built pre-1800, we have no other information about when they were built although we did inherit the ancient deeds which are fascinating.

At present it looks like this..
 
 
 
Unfortunately we couldn't keep the thatch or in fact any of the roof and it was far too expensive to re-thatch as the Builder couldn't do that himself. It was actually a pair of cottages downstairs but all one upstairs - quite bizarre!
 
Anyway this was about corners of my home, I'll leave the renovation story
for when I have a week to spare!
 
The extravagant curtain rope with huge "diamond" was an ebay purchase, originally from Laura Ashley if I remember correctly.

 
The seagull on the window sill was from a stallholder at a craft fair I organised some years ago, I've never been able to track her down since, she had such lovely stuff.

Two hatboxes, one containing all my wedding souvenirs and a Little Brown Bag, a gift from Number 1 son's trip to New York

My wardrobe door handle,
 on old reclaimed door given to us for free
A trio of my babies, they could pass for identical triplets!



. 
A picture we bought on our honeymoon in Sydney, the artist signed it and asked if we'd like a list of food to put out to attract these birds to our garden - we thought it would take a bit more than birdseed to get a wild parakeet in the garden at home!
 
One of the many cram-packed book shelves in our house, I find it hard to part with any!
 

A special photo which hangs above Number 1 son's bed, playing cricket against his Dad.
Dad wicket keeping to son batting, a moment which probably will never happen again. I believe Number 1 was about 13-14 years old at the time.


 
Not a very exciting spot and not exactly a corner but it sums us up quite well. Another bookcase, but also containing a display of miniature, signed cricket bats. And three little embroidered wild flower pictures done for my by my Grandma, they will always have pride of place in any house I'm in. Just out of shot is a framed, signed photo of Freddie Flintoff!
 
So that's a little bit of my home, I'll post photos of the unfinished corners and cracks another day!
 
Have a great week.
 

26 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the corners, I understand about all the bookcases, I think my books breed at night. Shame you couldn't keep the thatch.

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    1. I love books all around me, I'm not good at getting rid of them.
      The thatch had to go, it would have taken specialists to re roof and re thatch and we were on a tight budget!

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  2. Your cottage looks so sweet, and such commitment! I've just stayed in a lovely little cottage so feel quite jealous!!! :) xxx

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  3. What a great idea for a post! Your cottage is beautiful, and the end result looks like it was worth all the hard work of fixing it up over the years.

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    1. Thank you, I expect I'll say it's worth it if we ever actually finish!

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  4. I want your cottage! Really!!! :) Everything is just perfect. The exterior as well as the interior... Can`t wait to see more! :) Well done with the building work! Well worth it!

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    1. Hi Debbie, thank you for the lovely comment. I've been reading your blog but seem to have lost the comment button! Not sure what I'm doing wrong.....
      I've looked all over the posts but can't find it - although I am computer illiterate!

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  5. Your home is really beautiful.....love the floor in the 'not exactly a corner'....and your handsome boys!

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    1. Thank you Libby, of course I only photographed the good bits! The floor is original although the builder painstakingly took up every tile and cleaned it by hand before relaxing them on a proper base rather than the soil they were on!

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  6. No you are not the only one that is nosy! I enjoyed the walk around your lovely home and seeing your treasured processions.. The transformation of you home is wonderful even it has taken so many years! Did you see any cricket on honeymoon in Australia?

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  7. I am almost certainly the most noisy person ever. I love posts where I can get a glimpse of other people's homes. I have been known to go jogging in Winter, just before people close their curtains but the lights are on just to see how other people live.... I am green with envy now that I have seen your house. I live in a 1920s semi-detached pebble dash house. Oh well, it is nice on the inside. Thank you for sharing your favourite corners, I very much enjoyed my visit. I am going to pick up this idea for a blog post one day soon. x

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  8. What a beautiful home you have, all of that hard work has really paid off. And of course, you're not the only one who likes to have a little nose around. I've loved seeing some of the corners of your house, and the lovely and interesting things you've collected.

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  9. I don't think you ever 'finish' when you take on an old house. It's looking beautiful so far though, totally transformed but lots of character retained. A lovely home.

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  10. I loved the peek at your house, I would love to live in a older home with character. Just imagine all the people who have lived there.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  11. What a lovely home you have Jay :o)
    I understand the book thing totally!
    Sending a {{hug}}
    Rose H
    xx

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  12. Thanks for inviting us in for a peek not your lovely home, and enjoyed the nose around. We are book worms too, can't bear to part with any so the shelves are sagging under the strain.
    Patricia x

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  13. ooh thank you for the peek through the keyhole !

    I'm going to visit a lady up the road to look at shop fittings & vintage ware. She & her husband bought my friend's house so I can't wait to see what they've done !!!

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  15. Oh I love nosing through peoples homes!!

    I'd love to buy a home and completely renovate although I'm sure the reality is somewhat different to the fantasy!

    Victoria
    FlorenceandMary.com

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  16. You've got a beautiful home, though I don't envy you all the renovation you've done over the years, we extended our house once and I said never again so I take my hat off to you. Love the photo of your son playing cricket against his dad. Mick always wanted Daniel to play alongside him, and he does, though he's now playing for his uni team, something I'm sure your son will be doing when he goes this year.

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  17. Your home is gorgeous! So much history and character. I love your Honeymoon picture and no surprises there is cricket paraphernalia dotted around :-) Thanks for sharing...Mel x

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  18. What a difference on the exterior! Beautiful!
    There are a few pics missing...will look forward to the next instalment!
    Enjoy your weekend..
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Oh dear I don't know what happened to those photos - hopefully they're back now!

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  19. I think we're all a bit nosy. Your cottage is lovely!

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  20. You have done an incredible job with renovating your house - it looks great. Thank you for letting us have nosey around!
    Caz xx

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