so we are building a house. its a timber house ceder cladding which will be left to fade to grey slate tiled roof. it has a semi basement, a ground floor and an open plan full height top floor.
it is on a small plot of land but sits comfortably in the space it is larger than we though but not vulgarly so. when you want through the front door there is a short flight of stairs leading up to the ground floor and a small flight of stairs leading down to the basement.
the basement has a central corridor leading down the centre from the base of the stairs at the end of it to the left is the utility room with the washing machine and dryer and a big sink. opposite is a small shower room. in front of these two there is a large store room to the right and a large bedroom/den to the left. it doesn't feel like a basement apart form the fact that only one room has windows.
as you go up to the ground floor there is another central corridor of to the left are two further bedrooms and to the right is the family bathroom with a separate loo/toilet next to the back door. to the front right of the house is the master bedroom with a door leading out onto the patio section of the garden.
as you go up tot he first floor/top floor. there are stub walls that only go up to your waist surrounding the stair well. and opposite the stair well is a glass balustraded void behind which is the small study. the study wall and wall of the kitchen are the only full height walls effectively cutting the floor into an H shape. to the left is the kitchen and dining area with doors leading out to a balcony. to the right is the living area complete with a wood burning stove and book shelves. the door to the study leads off this area.
out side the house is surrounded by the garden. it effectively is split into three areas. the top the back and the 'driveway'. the top part is behind the house and consists of a flower bed with shrubs and under planting, a gently sloping lawn with another flower bed running down the road side of the house with three trees and more flowers.
at the back of the house is a patio area with raised beds running along the back. it has four olive trees, with small perennial plants that will grow out into each other causing a swath of differing colours and whites. it also has some Jasmin like plants that will trail along the back fence.
to the front or driveway, there will be a bay hedge and a fifth olive tree.
sounds quite nice i hear you say.
well i suppose it is and that's the sad thing. we have been trying to build this house for four years and people have continued to complain. and now its finally there and they cant legally complain they choose to walk past and spit venomous words out about it. they call it a monstrosity and far to big and it annoys me because we know people down there locals who love it and everyone who is an outsider loves it and i some times wonder if people will ever get used to it.
but then something like this week happens. i went down on Monday for three days to help our gardener work on the garden and i was around the builders. and builders are known for taking loads of breaks an complaining and always finding problems but when i was there as one of the labourers in the garden i heard them. they were all laughing and singing and bouncing about because they love working on the house just as the apprentice gardener who came with Sean and Keith (the two bosses of the gardening firm) kept saying "this garden is going to be so lush when its done. and when yesterday this apprentice and i finished work we took off our muddy boots and took a look inside. he isn't a friend of the family, he only met me on Monday and he was completely unbiased but i observed him in the house. and every where he looked his sky blue eyes shone with excitement. he loved the house and even asked "when can i come stay"
and i realise. it will take time but in time everyone will realise that it is part of the land it is something new but it is solid and homely.
and i can't wait for Christmas when we will stay there! i'm so excited i may even go for a christmas swim!
