I don't know if I've ever told you how much I love those low, low, provincial English houses with large wooden beamsweather-blackened, easily bumped into by a tall person, with all sorts of furniture crammed into the corners. I like them so much that I re-watched "The Midsomer Murders" every time it was rerun (and that's no mean feat) just to analyze all the details as best I could. 🙂 The one I've decided to share with you is called Faerie Door Cottage, and it looks as if fairies and goblins live on the other side of the door.
The house is in the small village of West Overton in the county of Wiltshire and was built through the 17th century. It has all the period features of the period - stone, small windows, wooden beams, fireplace, narrow stairs leading upstairs, white, whitewashed, veined, not quite straight walls. All these elements were retained when the house was renovated, with modern comforts added.
The wooden beams, old and weathered by time, decay and damp, have been preserved wherever possible and integrated perfectly into the atmosphere of the house.
The light-colored and elegant furniture offsets the amount of light coming through the small windows. The doors have also been kept to their old size, even if they seem a little heavier to use. The new is placed alongside the old with great care, with a clear desire not to disturb it.
In the living room the place of the fireplace is preserved, but the fire is made in a modern fireplace that protects the room from the fire. Small pieces of cream furniture with rounded lines sit next to the heavy armchairs and sofas on which colorful cushions are draped. The old ceiling beam is stained walnut to make it stand out even more. In all this decor, despite the small space, you don't immediately spot the generously sized TV, also set against the wall like the several mirrors.
Also in the living room, a discreet secretaire invites you to compose romantic letters or....read emails.
I guess the kitchen is where I should have started because it's directly outside. The rustic furnishings are light in color and the cabinets seem cramped between the floor and ceiling.
Again beams, in relief or buried in the wall, simple wooden doors, white walls. From here you go upstairs via 2 narrow staircases on either side of the room.
One staircase leads to the master bedroom.
And the other in the guest room.
Between them is the shared bathroom, through which you can also pass from one side to the other.
The surroundings are not to be neglected either. The house is surrounded by flowers and greenery, and if you want to go for a stroll, a pony is not out of the question.
What I found extraordinary about this house, apart from that air of history, is the way all the old elements, everything that really represented the value of the house, have been saved and interwoven with new elements, bringing comfort. How they managed to move forward without abandoning their roots.
Source: uniquehomestays.com
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Good morning!
I enjoyed the Wiltshire house immensely, I admired both the succinct presentation and the accuracy and precision of the photographs. I hope you will present more specific houses from past eras, both in England and in other countries: France, Italy, etc.
I'd be interested in the architectural plan of this splendid little house, both ground floor and first floor. Of course, a rough sketch, not a detailed one. I would like to design a "cottage" in much the same way, and this English house suggests unusual elements that I can use. Interesting is the placement of the bathroom between the two bedrooms. If I understand the upstairs, I am not clear about the downstairs and its plan is not very clear to me.
Thank you in advance. I could use a sketch.
Yours, Prof. I. Modiga
Good evening,
Thank you for your appreciation.
Unfortunately I don't have a sketch of the house. But you can find more photos here.
There are 2 entrances in the house, on the side, in the middle of the living room and at the end. If you look at the overall picture of the house you will see the awnings over the entrances. Looking through the front entrance, at the opposite end is the living room. Also there is one of the staircases going upstairs. The kitchen (table, cupboards, appliances) is centrally located. The other staircase is right next to the entrance. There is a service bathroom. That would be the whole ground floor.
All the best!