Built With Love

The builders took some time off yesterday - they were having a tea-break!

The old farmhouse, next door

This is the story of renovating the byre, Part II, for dear Meggie on the Prairie.   

The Byre, pre-conversion with two sets of cart shed doors near the far end

When the ceilings were pulled down the whole place was engulfed in far more than just simple dust and dirt, a foul stench filled the place.    It turned out to be a decomposing rat; it had died in the loft above the original living room (now the main bedroom).  It took days for that smell to dissipate.   

This was the living room in the original conversion
it is now the main bedroom

Finally the new roof timbers went up and the tiles were reinstated.  Construction and not destruction!    

The hallway from the bedroom to the kitchen

The far end of the byre was set into the hillside and this end had to be excavated, inside and out as we dropped the floor level at that end to the same as the rest of the house.   We ended up with a mud mountain - which eventually formed the raised beds in the vegetable garden.  Waste not, want not.

Miles of electrical cable

The house began to come together, it seemed that every day there were decisions to be made about the location of this, that and the other.  Choices made for styles of radiators, electrical fittings, goods to be ordered, goods to be signed for, budgets to be carefully checked and balanced.

Eventually things started to come together

We were, by now, living in a caravan in the garden to save on the daily commute.    Our son Jonny, with his interest in architecture and engineering was a huge help -  hands-on,  and as an ideas and creative person.  We owe a great deal to his clear vision and hard work.  The architect's plans were only a starting point.

It was a great time when the kitchen began to take shape!

Finally, the end was in sight.  The dark, damp, dirty, rat-infested cart shed had become the kitchen/livingroom - it is a room filled with light and energy.   The kitchen units were fitted, the Rayburn went in on it's purpose-built plinth, plumbing jobs were finished, electrical checks were made, security systems fitted, we were ready to move in.


For a 'Through the Keyhole' look at the kitchen, click here.  We are getting there.  


The vegetable garden is taking shape - it was very productive last year and we have great hopes for even more this year.  


No rest for the wicked, they say.  Well based on that statement George and I must have been very wicked!