1860's millhouse

[Ginny]

Hello!

I am new to this forum and new to this topic of period properties. We are in the middle of a purchase of a house which is part new bungalow and part renovated mill house (1860's). Unfortunately, the renovation took the look of the 1990's when it was built (looking at it though I'd be tempted to say the 1970's) so outside of the beams in the ceiling, not much was kept or used to enhance what could be a really cool building. Of course, we can't go back and claim those original missing pieces and put them into the house but we are planning some changes to the property so in the course of these works, I'd like to incorporate some of the feel back into the property. Obviously prohibiting factors are not huge amounts of money after house purchase and necessary works but if I can incorporate small enhancements, I think it could improve it so much. So I am hoping that some experts on here might be able to suggest some period features - of the 1860's, things of the mill (but obviously now a home) and not going to cost the earth - that we might incorporate into our new home.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Feltwell]

Welcome Ginny! I may as well get in first and say that posting up some pictures of your new house always goes down well.

So the "mill" part of your property was always a house, not a working part of the mill?

Any clues as to how it looked originally? Any photographs, or past inhabitants who still live locally?

As I'm sure others on here will say, live with it for a while and take your time before making changes, because you will change your opinions as you get used to the house - I can pretty much guarantee it!

Personally, in a Victorian house, if the original mouldings and doors have been stripped out then I think reinstating those adds a good deal of the "character" back. But it's very subjective with no real rights or wrongs, only opinions, and it's very easy to "over-restore" and install fine details that would never have been there originally. The counter-argument to that is that it's your house, you're not removing anything of original value so if you like it then why not put (for example) a more ornate moulding in? Not my taste, but it may be yours.

Dressers have a good selection of both fairly plain and ornate mouldings if you do go down this route. Builders merchants usually only carry a small and dull selection of skirtings and architraves these days (half round and chamfered, ogee and torus).

http://www.dressermouldings.com/products/mouldings.html

 

[middi]

Hi
Obviously you like the ambience and being surrounded by period features. The trick is to define the period which you like to recreate and to complement the age of the property, as Feltwell suggested a Victorian theme would be appropriate.

The next step is to learn as much as you can about the period you wish to recreate and to fall within your budget.

It is a very personal choise and you have to live with it hence a bit difficult to interpret requirement to suit your needs.

Middi

 

[Penners]

The trick is to define the period which you like to recreate

I agree, and I would add that the original status of the house is also important. Just because it was built in the Victorian era, this doesn't mean it would necessarily have had the high status mouldings and features of - say - a wealthy London house of the same period.

Our cottage is Georgian, but it was (and still is!) a low status country dwelling. Picking up on the word "Georgian", the previous owners took infinite trouble to install cornice mouldings, picture rails, ceiling roses and all manner of Georgian stuff. And it looks entirely wrong.

It may be that, if your mill house was just the home of a simple country miller, you need do nothing other than ensuring that your essential elements - doors, windows, etc - are true to the period.

But, as already mentioned above, pictures would help enormously, as would an indication of where you're located. You don't need to be too specific if you don't want to. But an indication such as "Sussex rural" would be very helpful.

Incidentally, welcome to the forum!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Very good posts above. I'm slightly upping the status of my Georgian cottage but as it's original purpose is either estate manager/ ganekeeper's house or possibly somewhere for parties from the Hall to ride to, have picnics, admire the views, I think I just about get away with it.

So much of the mood can be created with things that don't alter the building - like lovely curtains, or wall coverings in the style you like. Adding causes much less distress to an old building than taking away.

But it sounds like this is a house that was a mill, which has been converted into a modern home with increased living space provided by the attached bungalow. If all the interesting parts of the working mill have gone, and what's left is a completely modern home in the exterior walls of a mill, it might be better to stick with contemporary design.

 

[Penners]

my Georgian cottage but as it's original purpose is...somewhere for parties from the Hall to ride to, have picnics, admire the views...

...sneak off to with the chamber maid...

 

[Ginny]

Wow - thanks for all the welcome and responses! Sorry for any vague descriptions that I've provided. From what I understand the house was a former mill - in West Yorkshire. Now this is harder to explain but the mill itself is split into two properties (so that is the semi-detached aspect of the property) but attached to either side of the mill are bungalows (built in the 1990's). So imagine a U shape, the bottom piece is the mill (split into two) and either leg are the bungalows. So one person owns one half of this equation and we will own the other half. I have attached a couple of pics (hope I've done this right!) which shows the ground floor of the annex (so the older part of our home). There is a galleried bedroom upstairs with a spiral staircase down to the ground floor. So yes, I think Victorian is the age we need to go with but since it was a working mill, then we'd like to incorporate something in that style but keeping the idea that this is a home so nothing too industrial!

 

[Feltwell]

I suspect Ginny that if that room was part of a working mill then it would have been entirely functional and devoid of any ornateness (is that a word?) at all. As the building has been hacked about so much, I think the answer is - do what you want to do!

Personally, I like plain and simple and am not a fan of the ornate unless it is in a setting that can really carry it off. If what you have there is a fairly rustic plain building then I would utter the terrible cliche "less is more" when choosing how to fit it out. But there are no rights or wrongs, only opinions.

I think I could live without the "period character" of the gas fire and stone surround thing though! The period in question being about 1975 I reckon.

 

[Penners]

Personally, I like plain and simple and am not a fan of the ornate unless it is in a setting that can really carry it off. If what you have there is a fairly rustic plain building then I would utter the terrible cliche "less is more" when choosing how to fit it out. But there are no rights or wrongs, only opinions.

I'm in complete agreement.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I don't see how you're going to incorporate things of the mill, Ginny, unless you want big round stones and pulleys and trapdoors and bags of flour and ladders for stairs. Have you been round a working mill? They don't exactly suggest themselves as a home, unless you're a mouse! Sadly, I think you have to say the mill has been lost, unless you do find some bits of it.

You might want to think of quarry tiles, lanterns, limewashing, simple period fires ( try this website - http://www.britainsheritage.com/), simple painted pine furniture, rag rugs, antiques, framed pictures of how it used to be. I suggest a magazine like "Period Homes" for inspiration.

 

[Ginny]

That's really helpful JoceAndChris - I do know that I can't bring back the mill and of course (as mentioned) we have to find a way of blending some type of mill/industrial feel into what is now a home. So I like the idea of some simple additions. So no, I can't make it into a working mill and still have it be a home but what I want to bring into it is something that speaks to what it was, gives the atmosphere. It is fantastic to have a building that dates back to that time and v cool to me that it has been converted into a house and I just want to enhance that a bit. We know it was an 1860's mill (based on papers and etc that tell us), now I want to give it a flavor of something other than 1970's and what better thing to do than to use the era it dates from to do it. I will def check out the website and magazine!

@Feltwell - we are definitely getting rid of the bad fireplace and stone surrounding!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well good luck Ginny, it sounds hard but I'm sure you can make great improvements.

We do have a mill expert on this forum, Gareth Hughes. I know he is saddened by mill conversions but there's no-one better placed to tell you how your home would have looked.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Is it a spinning /textile mill?

 

[Moo]

Is it a spinning /textile mill?

Shouldn't that be: "was it a spinning/textile mill?"

 

[Penners]

Don't all mills spin?

 

[Schoolmarm]

Is it a spinning /textile mill?

Shouldn't that be: "was it a spinning/textile mill?"

Don't all mills spin?

No, in our area they are massive rectangular buildings that used to be used for cotton spinning or other textile things.

 

[Penners]

Don't all mills spin?

No, in our area they are massive rectangular buildings that used to be used for cotton spinning or other textile things.

I rest my case.... :wink:

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol:

 

[middi]

Create the best of both worlds. Stand 3 sacks of freshly ground flower on the floor and stick the flat screen on top. :wink: