Sitting Room Makeover

A few years back when I spending time planning a new home, I had my mind set on having a stove. Then the idea slipped away from me. Last week, I was in a shop and saw an electric stove and thought "Oh! I could have this for my current home." 

After flicking through a catalogue, we decided we rather like the look of the one pictured above. This morning, I decided to gather together images of the things I would like to have in my sitting room, and whilst looking for the stove, I saw there was a 25% sale as it is being discontinued. 

The plan had been to buy a stove in July or August, but instead, we raced off to the shop and bought it today.

Gloucester Docks

We have been staying at the Barge Arm in Gloucester Docks again whilst visiting with Lilo and Stitch. I love this apartment, and I love the Docks area. The apartment is a really decent size for a holiday, and the kitchen is superbly stocked with cookware. I could easily see myself living in such a space. One of the huge benefits of this apartment over the first one we stayed in it the parking space. In such a busy place, having your own parking space is glorious!

One improvement to the area would be the planting of trees, and other vegetation. The public spaces are very large, and the noise bounces around like crazy. Some trees and shrubs would be an excellent addition.

It's been fascinating trying to work out how we might live in this apartment full-time (like that's going to happen!). One of the first things to go would be the dishwasher. We don't use one, and it's using up 1/6th of the space in a small kitchen. The next thing I'd investigate would be installing baseboard drawer. The space under the cupboards in kitchens is normally wasted. These 'forgotten spaces' would be excellent for storing things like bakeware, cake decorating supplies, and even things like extension cords, fabric gift bags etc.

One of the biggest changes would be in relation to crafting. There would not be space to store multiple unfinished projects, or materials for new ones. I'd have to work on a very strict system of having one knitting project, and one quilting project on the go at any one time. Although, when there's yarn and fabric shops within very easy access, the yarn and fabric can be stored in the shops and just bough when needed. This is a lesson I need to learn and apply to my life back home!

My Fantasy Workroom

This photograph makes me so happy! The giant balls of merino yarn make the place look like the set of the Borrowers.

But, the most wonderful part of it is it's clean, it's clear, it's clutter-free, there's good light, and lots of room to work! 

The lovely light is great, and the sofa looks so inviting. Very quickly the floor could be cleared to create a large space to lay out quilts, or lots of other larger projects. I like the kitchen area off to the side.

In my imagination, the area beyond the kitchen is a laundry room -  a place for a washer, dryer, brooms, cleaning supplies etc. You can set things running and then close the door.  I would like this in the house I am vaguely designing. I'd be happy for the space to be a corridor between the car entrance and the workroom. I'd also like a smaller, cosier space to sit at night.

Air Flow in a House

The sizes of the windows in the diagram are wrong for a house in the north of the northern hemisphere. We need large windows on the south side for the passive solar gain, and small windows on the north to minimise solar loss.

But, there is a definite need for passive cooling through airflow in a house, especially this summer. It's the warmest, extended period I can remember. The walls of our house are big, thick and solid. It is significantly cooler inside than out, and the airflow from the south to the north is producing a wonderfully cool alley through the house. Da Hound has discovered how fantastic it is to lie on the ceramic tiles by the front door and just let a cool breeze waft over you.

Some lessons for a future house are to have small windows on the north, large on the south, Plant deciduous trees eg apples to the south to give shade in the summer, but allow sunlight and warmth to get into the house in the winter. Make sure there's going to be an airflow through the house, and that the doors can be effectively held open to prevent banging.

Polishing Old Gems

Whilst my house was in a state of chaos and clutter, all I could think of was a new house, well designed and clutter-free.  And now that half of my current house is clutter-free, I'm looking at this house with new eyes. I'm seeing what can be done here to make a more beautiful house, and better place to live. Some of the rooms have been untouched since we moved in 10 years ago.

The kitchen was one of the first rooms to be decluttered. Since the arrival of the new fridge, I'll looking at it with new eyes. The leaner and more pared back the kitchen becomes, the more I like it.

The plan is to break down the kitchen make-over into many simple, easily contained projects. This will hopefully enable the kitchen never to look a mess.

• wash the front wall
• paint the front wall white
• add a clock to the front wall
• remove the plate and mug rack
• wash the back wall
• paint the back wall white
• erect open shelves for mugs, glasses and plates
• remove glasses cabinet
• remove wire hanging mesh on side wall
• wash side wall
• paint side wall
• put up magnetic knife strip
• put up utensil bar and hooks

Then things get a smidge bigger in scale. The white and exposed wood is to be painted with gloss, and the cabinet doors and drawers to be painted dark brown (Java gel stain). The last step will be to put down new flooring.

Hygge

A lot has been said in social media about 'hygge'. It's a Norwegian/Danish concept that encompasses cosiness, charm, happiness, contentment, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness. It's being at home, snug and warm, with a mug of hot chocolate when the rain is lashing down. It's fun and laughter over dinner when family and friends comes to visit. It's about having a warm, cosy place where you know you belong and are accepted for who you are. And candles.

Yes, candles. Even around the summer solstice when sunset is around 10pm, and there is no true night, only astronomical twilight. The soft flickering light draws you in to the now, draws you into the warm, cosy place. It brings me contentment.

My candles are sitting on a long piece of slate, on top of my dark wooden coffee table/chest. These things bring me joy. (The slate is half a roof slate that was left over from when a neighbour was having their roof replaced. I've used some Velcro dots, the fuzzy sides, not the hooks, on the underside of the slate. This prevents it from scratching the coffee table.)

I'm appreciating more the little things in life, wood, slate, soft light. Too often we are busy, moving from one thing on to the next, and not stopping to enjoy the present moment.

Thinking about Bathrooms

I've been thinking about bathrooms, and how my bathroom might look in the house I'm designing. My conclusion is I don't want a bathroom. I don't like baths. Showers are so much more pleasing to me. One of the things I love about our current shower room is the shower is not above a bath. When my joints are painful, negotiating a bath can be tricky. Love showers, hate baths.

One of the current trends is to have a large shower stall; they fit in the same sort of area as a bath. Rather like this one:

It is enclosed and has an extremely low step into the cubicle.This would be utterly brilliant for bad joint days. However, I've just noticed the tiles in the photograph, I'm not so keen. A non-porous, grout-free surface would be my choice. However, I do love the clean lines, the natural colours, the white, and the chrome. Those things really bring peace to me.

The other things I would want in my shower room will be a loo and sink, both in clean, simple white, a squatty potty, a mirror at my eye level and a loo brush. There will be minimal things on counters/surfaces. These will include tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, loo roll and towels. There will storage for extra loo rolls. This will be able to be accessed whilst sitting on the loo! Storage will be available for spare towels, spare shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.

It is only now I'm considering under sink storage. It's always been free-standing pedestal sinks I've had, but now I'm looking at their effectiveness with regards to storage. This is one image I rather like, it's too big, but I like the general feel of it:

It would look great with a mahogany coloured loo seat, and a lush green plant on one side. 

There will be a window - so very much needed for ventilation - with a catch that means the window can be left open, but secured when people are not home. Also a heated towel rail/radiator to allow the towels to dry and be ready for their next use.

One last thing I really want, but for guests, is a mitzvah box of sanitary products. I have a little wicker basket on top of my loo, and in that basket are individually wrapped tampons and pads. It looks like little gifts, all wrapped up, but they really are a blessing (a mitzvah) if someone should find themselves in need. They are sitting out, ready to be used. This can be be wonderful for young females, and also those approaching the menopause, both times when periods often don't come along on a predictable schedule.

Open Plan Living and Minimalism

Open plan living in a minimal way requires constant tidying. When an item has been used, put it away. If you don't do this, it gets cluttered and messy so very quickly. It takes a bit of practise to get into this way of living, and it's easy to think 'I'll do it later', but when later comes there's a huge pile of stuff needing to be dealt with.

Little routines can mean a person can retrain themselves to act on auto-pilot, and after time, you don't notice you are doing it. Things just happen, good things, things that bring benefit. I must take this moment of enlightenment back home with me, and use it in my un-minimal house.

My brain is currently trying to work out how my life could be squeezed into a space like this. One of the things lacking here is wardrobe space/drawer space for clothing. That would need to be remedied. We would also need a Ben-cave, a place for him to play games and have the option of working from home.

For me, the biggest things could be getting rid of stashes: books, DVDs, yarn and fabric. With books, I have already turned my back on dead tree based reading, and only now buy books for my Kindle. This makes me wonder, do I need my paper books anymore? I am slowly buying electronic copies of the books I already have, want to read again, but are in paper. I wonder how long it will be until we cross over into streaming services for films? And my crafting supplies have reduced considerably.  This year, they will be reduced even further. (That being said, I'm off to buy another pack of fat quarters for a baby quilt I want to make.)

Re-think on the House Design

Staying at The Docks has opened my eyes to a number of aspects of house design. This apartment ticks many boxes regarding design. It's clean, crisp and neutral. It feels spacious enough for three people to holiday in it (one bedroom, and a sofa bed in the sitting area), and it would be great for two minimalists to live in all year.

It has made me re-consider the footprint of the house I'm designing. It's far too big! I had already suspected as much, but this visit has underlined this fact. Too big, too big, TOO BIG! The combined living space is about half the size of the great room I had planned. The open plan area 6x5m and the bedroom is 3x4m.

I love the cool. crisp, neutrals in the bedroom, white on white, with grey and cream, old beams stripped of paint, and exposed brickwork. It looks great. Whilst I like it here, I wouldn't want to have a new build with exposed brickwork. It would be substituted with a natural material. Anything added to the space needs to be considered as it makes a big difference to the look of the place. The limited palette gives a serenity to the place.

Another aspect of the serenity if the simplicity of the space. There's a bed, two 'bed side' drawers, a hanging rail and mirror. It feels cozy. It's interesting the difference not having clothes storage or bookcases has on the area. I like it. I am moving over to a system where the clothes are not in the bedroom, but there is a hanging rail to put the next day's clothing, and a couple of hooks for dressing gowns.

The Docks, Gloucester

We are down in Gloucester.  We are staying in The Docks, Gloucester. It was only expensive for the three of us to stay here than to stay at a Travelodge! 

The apartment is a short walk from the centre of town, and it's in a major shopping and restaurant area.  There's a fridge, freezer, dish washer, washing machine, television and wifi. It is an incredibly comfortable place to stay. I'm loving the light, and being beside the water. 

Here's what it looks like. 

Like it so far?  Here's more:

House: Porch and Hall

I'm thinking of the functionality we will require of the new house. Starting at the front door, we want to have the various meters outside, and accessible by meter readers. Whilst discussing things over the weekend, we decided we want a porch that will provide an 'air lock' (a place to trap warm air and act as a buffer to the outside. This will also be a place where delivery people can leave parcels. It will be unlocked most of the time, but can be locked when needed. Another function of the porch will be a place to store boots, wellies and umbrellas - the wet muddy things we don't want in the house.

The porch opens out into a hall. My norm is to take my shoes and coat off as soon as I enter the house. I would like this to be the norm for everyone who enters the house. A bench, with guest slippers and storage for shoes will be there, space to hang coats, and areas/boxes for hats, scarves and gloves. Oh, and a door to the sitting room and a stair case to the upper floor.

Dreaming of a Grand Design

Ideas are coming together for the house I am designing. I've started re-watching Grand Designs to encourage the flow. There's a drinking game based on the show. Some of the reasons to take a drink are:

• The owners get pregnant during the build
• The owners are depending on an unreliable supplier for a rare material
• Problems with expensive custom made windows
• There is partial collapse of a building
• There is incompetent use of heavy machinery
• Access to the site is difficult for some reason (such as steep gradients or narrow pathways

The first one isn't going to be a problem as I'll be 55+ by the time we are ready to start building. The rest of problems, and more, are being taken into consideration.

The plan is to have all the funding secured (by selling our current house) before we start. Professionals will be employed, including a quantity surveyor.  The build figures given by architects seem to bear almost no relation to the actual costs of building!

I don't want a fancy piece of architecture, I want a home that will meet our needs for the foreseeable future.  It has to be comfortable, easy to maintain, and with space for a downstairs bedroom (should we need it).  

Thankfully, there are lots of old Manx farm houses that are rectangular boxes with a triangular cross section roof.  These houses are very often white, or are made from Manx stone.  Both are elements I want in my house.  It's going to look like a modern version of a traditional Manx farm house.

Ideas for Sustainable/Eco Housing

For as long as I can remember I have been designing houses I would like to live in. At the Centre for Alternative Technology I came across a couple of ideas I really liked.

The first is using photovoltaic cells to form the roof of a cloister or corridor. On a bright summer's day it is rather like being under the dappled shade of a large tree. There's still significant amounts of light, and there's also shade too. Being photovoltaic, the roof also supplies electricity too. I had initially thought of it as being a way of creating a covered 'outdoor' space with good natural light, but this image from the University of Southampton has made me consider whether it would be possible to do this on the whole of the south-facing roof space. The big question would be whether it would be suitable in the winter.

A conservatory is a must. It provides additional living space in the summer, and in the winter it is an excellent thermal barrier, keeping the house itself a little bit warmer.

Cordwood construction struck me as a very low-tech way to build, whilst at the same time having visual interest and appeal. I'd love to try this for a garage or outbuilding. I'd prefer my house to be a bit sleeker, with clean lines.

In cordwood construction the "cordwood" or short pieces of debarked tree are laid on a bed of lime or cob mortar. The whole wall can be made this way, or an infill of a thermally insulating material can be used. The eaves of the building extend 30-40cms beyond the walls to throw off as much rain water as possible.