As G and I drove towards the barn yesterday, I thought I would burst with anticipation. The countryside is in full Spring glory - trees in leaf, buttercups and clover in the fields, birds swooping and sweetly tweeting, bees busy in the hedgerows. Suddenly, there she was, standing steadfast, high on the hill.
We stepped over the threshold together, into the quiet space and slowly began to make her acquaintance. Photos are all well and good, but they fail to convey atmosphere. The chunkiness of the stair treads and poles; the height of the ceilings; the light streaming in (even on an overcast day, as it was yesterday); the textures of wood and stone and plaster; the extraordinary view... It was unbelievable, after all this time, to be able to wander about and examine everything at leisure, and alone.
The engineered oak flooring has been laid upstairs, and it is a great choice. The boards look aged and almost as if they've been there for ever. We really like the rustic effect. Apparently Tom et al. were on hands and knees before our arrival, cleaning the floor (with a mixture of oil and white spirit) in anxious anticipation of our inspection!
Stair and balustrade detail
Tom's cupboard, which will lie alongside the bath. The red and blue pipes sticking out of the wall are for the hand basin (L) and radiator (R), respectively; the pipes sticking out of the floor are supply and drainage for the bath.
The floor is still slightly oily, so we had to be careful not to track oily footprints on the still brut stairs. I made a particularly fetching pair of theatre bootees from rags. Orders taken.
Jean-Marie (son of neighbour) had been busy and had mown the grass around the barn, so it felt very welcoming for our arrival. The apple trees are in bloom, even - I should say especially - the St Germain closest to the barn which I fear has been traumatised by the grading and levelling of the terrasse. Perhaps we will get away with it, after all.
Our cream EDF meter box is visible on the roadside, on the perimeter of the property.
The shower room still has a way to go. The waterproof Wedi board (which Charles will tile) is yet to come, so that corner is unfinished. Happily, the room does not feel like a lift shaft, despite the high ceiling.
The cubby hole above the mass of pipes behind the toilet. The idea is that there will be a manifold and two shut-off taps here, one so we can drain the pipe to the outside tap, and one so that we can shut off the water when we are away. Brian and Tom together wanted to surprise us with a little light fixture set in the roof of the cubby, to show off its secret interior depths. Brian was quite disappointed when we discovered it on our own!
No, not a Miro. A Chas. (For the hotwater tank and basin, though G and I must look shorter than we are, as those basin pipes look remarkably low.)
We have quite a bit to do over the next few days: we want to do another coat of paint on the shutters; choose a hand basin for upstairs and a shower head for downstairs; measure up the kitchenette and perhaps find a kitchen sink...
Today we spent time in the hardware shop, gathering brushes, drop sheets, gloves etc for the painting, and it occurred to me: it's an awfully long way to go to get a Bunnings fix!
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