My musings from where we found it..........
The lilacs and wild cranberry bloom in the hedgerow...
along the gravel road...
Stones of the old foundation still lay stoically...
where they were carefully placed many long years ago...
The meadow blooms with rockets...
infusing the air with their clove-like spicy-ness...
...the bees buzz as they go about their routine...
as they always have...
happy and eager to light on every petal...
... the outlines of all the buildings still visible...
if you look carefully...
recognizing the squared off wild raspberry patches...
...and the air so warm... so quiet... so comforting...
we feel we could lie down where we stand...
and fall into a deep restful slumber...
with the meadow rising above our heads...
like a perfect little room...
along the gravel road...
Stones of the old foundation still lay stoically...
where they were carefully placed many long years ago...
The meadow blooms with rockets...
infusing the air with their clove-like spicy-ness...
...the bees buzz as they go about their routine...
as they always have...
happy and eager to light on every petal...
... the outlines of all the buildings still visible...
if you look carefully...
recognizing the squared off wild raspberry patches...
...and the air so warm... so quiet... so comforting...
we feel we could lie down where we stand...
and fall into a deep restful slumber...
with the meadow rising above our heads...
like a perfect little room...
This old door came from the same old tumble down house we found our little door at.
I always imagined the old property appeared like this homestead from the placement of the stone foundations...
I always imagined the old property appeared like this homestead from the placement of the stone foundations...
...detail of the patina of the old tongue and groove boards... and the old blue paint caught in the crevices and under where the old door handle used to be...
.... no peeking though... the holes are covered by the hinges on the other side... I like to retain the history of the door by allowing the place where the handle use to be... to still be visible... to show its life...
...when we came across old beams we tried to put them to good use too... many old adze cuts are still visible and invite you to touch them... to remember a time when we all had to physically work so much harder than we do today... in our modern world...
The view from the sewing room side... of the old door...
...originally the door did not have the angles cut at the top... it was a sacrifice, we and it had to make to allow it to fit...
then to fill in the upper triangle of the frame casing... we found some beautiful patterned translucent glass ...
The view from the little bathroom side of the old door... on the second floor... under the slanted ceiling... painted white to help bounce the light...
... that side had been in bad shape anyway so the paint only improved it... I am not a person afraid to apply paint to wood, as we had to... to bring any semblance of harmony to the many, many old salvaged door and window moldings and casings from the multitude of delinquent structures we salvaged from and lugged home... I must say... it made them smell much better too!!
... with door open... a glance through the threshold from the little bathroom looking out to the sewing room... with mending, piling up on my stool...
This bathroom is totally an inside room... no walls are part of the exterior of the house... so we made windows and openings from which light can enter... so it feels light even when the doors are shut...
Later on in a further post I will show the other features of this little room... it has 2 doors and a special small arched window with 2 tiny doors on it that John painstakingly made from salvaged wainscoting and planks...
...it is another favourite of mine...
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14 comments:
Another inviting and mysterious passageway! I love that you peaked the frame and accommodated the shape by using glass.....it's really beautiful. Oh, and the rich old patina with blue specks is gorgeous!
I just love your house! It's like stepping into a story book. The doors, windows, floors and the land is so wonderful, a peaceful retreat!
This door is fantastic! Gee... We have trouble hanging a new door. I can't imagine trying to make a vintage one fit an opening! Now that takes some talent!!!
You are making my mouth water Gwen. Your house is amazing with all its little pieces of history. I have a passion for old doors so I'm thrilled to be able to peep at what you are doing and how you are incorporating them into your home.
Always so interesting to see parts of your house and read the history and how whatever you decided to do came to be. This is cool and I really like that door.
s
Sharon, Anet, Robyn and Sandy, thank you all so much for caring enough to comment... It was such an exciting challenge to try and use all of our odds and ends of old artifacts in interesting ways... like putting a puzzle together...
I forgot to add....We did scratch our heads a while to figure out how to hang the old doors.. it took some time but eventually when we shut it . it would stay closed .. we don't always do things by the book... we just play with things till they seem to make sense to us... more fun that way!
Where do you two get the inspiration for the little details? The glass is incredibly lovely. But then, I love etched and patterned glass. And the little heart-shaped hook! Your house does inspire dreams.
Oh and the horse in the sewing room? Vintage toy?
I love what you have done with your doors. Old doors always make me feel calmer and safer in an undefined way. And that etched glass at the top - perfect addition. I've always had a passion for transom windows. It all looks a labour of love. (emphasis on both 'labour' and 'love'!)
Hi MamaS, Welcome back, So nice to hear from you..
Our problem is we have more ideas than money so, "Necessity... the Mother of Invention" rules here, ... The little Heart shaped hook was made by an old blacksmith we met at a craft-fair we had a booth at a few years ago; he told us how he cut and forged to form the heart and hammered and forged to form the hook.. He had a little pile for very low cost.
The little prancing horse.. we found at a "self-help" shop prob. 10 yrs ago.. I know it was under $20.00.. It is all carved wood with movable parts and strings for working him... I just love it .. so much care was put into it.. even real hair!! I was thinking of doing a post on "him" someday.. yes, they carved that too!!
Thank-you, Violetsky, Oh you are right ... it was a "Labor" of "Love"... Funny how ideas go.. at that moment nothing else will do.. I really love transoms too... something about a little extra light coming into a room and not being able to see through it directly always gives an air of mystery...
Imagining the history, the stories, the structures is delicious, almost as delicious as the door and the little rooms. I do love painted wood, and I loved seeing that side of the door in the bathroom. The light, the white paint, the aged wood, give me such satisfaction, even through photos, I can only imagine padding around in there would be full of pleasure.
Ruth every time we went to this old homestead it always felt so restful... as if time stood still ... I never wanted to leave...
Wow Gwen, what wonderful wonderful doors...!
I have just been making one for our home on wheels... which I'll post when it's finished :)
All best wishes to you
Rima
Rima I adored the whole process of your home on wheels.. and the ancient home you live in now has character only time can bring... it feels so comforting... beautiful!
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