This time last year, we were in a complete state of chaos having moved into what was a building site 2 months earlier, only just getting finished for our first guests at Easter.
Multi-coloured walls as I dibbed and dabbed in the dull, flat light of winter months with my enormous collection of tester pots! Not different colours as much as different hues of the same. I did a calculation of the value of my tester pots and felt silly, but….they’re supposed to eliminate mistakes. Measure twice, cut once. Not entirely so. The dining room defied me. It still looks like a Liquorice Allsort and that was after the all dark green first attempt……
Two of the dining room walls have gathered decoupage copperplate prints etched by my Great- Great, and Great Grandfathers, Joseph and James Osborne dating back to the 1820s.They provide a fascinating and meaningful window into the businesses and fashions of 200 years ago. The extensive portfolio of these prints I inherited was featured in The World of Interiors a couple of years ago. If you are interested, I shall be happy to let you look through the book. It’s only a matter of time before someone spots their family business!
The suite bedroom and its sitting room were the last rooms to be painted and you will see from the photographs are not decorated with quite the same pizzazz as the other rooms. My creative juices had become depleted. They are going to get a more dramatic finish. They directly face the iconic and awe-inspiring Crow Leasow 1000 year old massive oak just 70 feet ( 21 metres ) from the windows. This distance is only twice the size of his 11.11m girth! I think oak leaves and acorns, tree of life imagery should somehow be carefully brought in. Browns and greens and oranges/reds . I have just acquired some better antique heavy curtains so work is about to commence. Watch this space.
There has been a fair bit of furniture relocation, so the current photos of the dining and drawing rooms are out of date. Two leather armchairs have replaced the chesterfield sofa in the dining room. They look much better in there. A bit ‘gentlemen’s club’ by the log burner with an antique tripod table in between for your glass to rest upon.
The chesterfield sofa has moved out of the dining room and into the drawing room to sit opposite the knole sofa either side of the log burner in there. More comfort and more space to sit. The walls are now covered in antique prints – mainly horse related, found on my forages around the many wonderful antique centres , such as www.thesecondhandwarehouseleominster.co.uk hereabouts and the big auction house , www.brightwells.com .
I shall get Adam www.adamrichardjones.co.uk my lovely specialist photographer to drop by when the light improves to re-do some new shots. I also need him to get some more food photography done!
Definitely Aga weather today. Wind and rain – yet more. We need a massive pipe to carry the huge excess to Australia, suffering so very badly…..
My monthly blog will be published here as will it be in our local magazine The West of the Clee,( The Clee Hills) sent to 15 local villages lying in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as I chart the day to day life of a B&B in this very friendly place.
Look forward to seeing you.
Sally and The Crew!