Period features in our house.......

[mims&pip]

Malcolm asked me yesterday about what Arts & Crafts features we have upstairs which prompted me to take a few current pics of our progress (or lack of!), so I'm adding a few pics here - now that I've worked out how, lol -

Ok, so pic 1 shows the original 1920s floor to ceiling linen press in the study - looks remarkably like Feltwell's kitchen cupboard We intend to keep the painted finish, btw.

Pic 2 is the window seat in the snug (former master bedroom) in our Arts & Crafts extension. To the right of the table is the door onto the balcony. All windows/glazed doors are original Crittall. Curtains are an interpretation of a Voysey design by Villa Nova (sadly no longer available).

Pic 3 is the fireplace we intend fitting in the snug - copper hood will not be fitted at the position (needs raising obviously :wink: - in fact the whole f/p will be raised up) - surround (which I feel matches fairly well with both the other woodwork and overall style of the room) was the princely sum of £50 on eBay and the copper hood was reclaimed from an £8,000,000 house in Wimbledon ten years ago but we've only just found the perfect house for it! Sadly we used the vast oak surround that accompanied it at our Tudor house in Essex.

Both rooms are obviously still very much works in progress :lol:

Mims x

 

[mims&pip]

Here are a couple more, but from the ground floor this time -

pic 1 is the breakfast hall with original 1924 stone fireplace. We have decorated this room (note the reproduction Voysey wallpaper - Fool's Parsley) although need to lay flagstones or similar as when we removed the manky carpet left by the PO we discovered a bare concrete floor

pic 2 is the main reception room with temporary F&B Brinjal walls disguising the lovely textured paper :roll: Nice (albeit rather too black) Arts & Crafts beamed ceiling and decorative brick fireplace. This room - like the third reception space - has its original 1920s parquet, although this is in need of some work.......

 

[malcolm]

I notice in the photos there is no cornicing upstairs or downstairs. I don't have any here either and wonder if they didn't bother with that sort of thing in the 1920s. I don't have picture rails either though do have decorative mouldings that look like picture rails in an undisturbed part of the house. I guess 100 years is a lot of time for people to mess around removing things.

I'm a fan of Crittall windows. They allow the timber frame to be decorative rather than be involved in an opening window so the mullion profile can be quite adventurous.

Do post about your Parquet floor restoration when you get around to it.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Lovely features you have there Pip& Mimms --- It all looks very homely too!

 

[plasticpigeon]

Don't you have a wonderful eye! Will probably be worth 20 grand less than if you furnished it from ikea of you do end up selling. I wish you were my side of Brum, as I would buy your place in a heartbeat (assuming I could afford it) if it was on the south side. I work in South Warwickshire so there is no way I could commute from Wolves way. I hope you manage to like where you live as it is a lovely house. You must be near some nice things, like the Severn Valley and Wyre forest.

 

[mims&pip]

Don't you have a wonderful eye! Will probably be worth 20 grand less than if you furnished it from ikea of you do end up selling. I wish you were my side of Brum, as I would buy your place in a heartbeat (assuming I could afford it) if it was on the south side. I work in South Warwickshire so there is no way I could commute from Wolves way. I hope you manage to like where you live as it is a lovely house. You must be near some nice things, like the Severn Valley and Wyre forest.

Thank you PP and Jocelyn

I think you're right about the value, PP - this part of the country is sooooo very different to what we're used to *down south*. Even in Wilts where it sometimes felt as though we were living in a 1950s time warp (Pip loved that :roll: ) and the decorating/furnishing style seemed to fall into two main categories - shabby chic a la Cath Kidston and old style country house (neither of which are our thing) at least house buyers appreciated good taste and well thought out restorations complimented by antique furniture/furnishings of whatever genre - here, however I fear it's a very different story

We adore the house - both house and garden are smaller than what we're used to, but the style is perfect (or will be if we finish restoring it) - and there are some lovely places to visit locally, but we miss very many things (and family!) so much that our hearts are not really in it......

Mims x