Fenton Tower - Before and After
8 years ago
Constructed circa 1575, this L-plan tower house, a scheduled monument, lay in ruins for many years. Ancient Monuments Consent was granted for a full restoration of the ‘A’ listed building to a private house, in close collaboration with the Ancient Monuments Division of Historic Scotland. The restoration was meticulously carried out using appropriate materials and techniques, in keeping with the building, its character and significance.
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Aging-Gracefully-In-Place: Tips for reno or new builds
Comments (34)Good morning to Dorset from Scotland! My husband had a birthday last week and is now saying we're 'pushing 60'. We're active and fit, lol, but sensible too-the day will come sooner rather than later when one or both of us is not able to claim to be spry. Because the little cottage is in such a sad cosmetic state it was listed at a rather amazing price and we locked ourselves into it too early thinking it was a perfect spot for us to grow old. Whoops, thanks to several posts here about doing a reno or new build with a mind to age-in-place we are having to admit that is not the house for us. Luckily the town is the 'gateway to the glens' and if we wanted to use it as a holiday let we could easily. It's also becoming a commuter town-the hardier type people from Dundee and Aberdeen are buying in to take advantage of the great mountain lifestyle whilst being able to easily commute to their 'day job'. We were not looking for an investment property-not especially keen on the idea but more and more we're thinking that's what we've got. We measured the borrowed wheel chair, and also took the measurements of the typical mobility devices available now (the ones that are adverted as being in-outdoors), and frankly held up against the kitchen and bath measurements, there is no way we can make the bathroom work. Up thread (I think it was Deborah Butler of Brickwood Builders) a wet-room was mentioned as being best to accommodate a roll-in shower but hard to do as a reno project. Looking at the floor-plan, home report, and our own measurements confirmed that on this wee cottage-there is no way to do that and no way a wheelchair or mobility device is going to be rolled in that cupboard size bathroom. The kitchen could be managed if we drop the pantry wall idea, but the bathroom we planned to make a shower room is not manageable at all, and there is no room to extend that space. We would have figured all this out but much further down Reno Road, lol, so this thread has been a huge help to us just on that! Because we're now doing a much simpler reno (dropping the wider doorways and sliders, the ramp, and a few other a-i-p doings), the cost to renovate that lovely wee home is much lower too. The only things we won't be able to do ourselves is the shower conversion and the rewiring. A huge savings that we're going to need to find the right place for us! We know now that we need to look for a home with room to enlarge bathroom and kitchen areas, and with a less tricky entry to incorporate a ramp. For starters:) We have to be out of our current home by 1st August when the new owners will be arriving from Australia. We've borrowed the use of a caravan from friends to live in whilst doing the cottage reno (now that's small space living!) and that's going to be a help but I sure wish I'd joined Houzz sooner! I would have started this thread BEFORE locking into a property too small for our needs. Too, rather than use it as a holiday let or sell it on, we may move into the cottage once the reno is complete but we do know now there is no way we'll be able to age-gracefully-in-place in it. Sigh. Oh well, our builder is happy-he wasn't keen on trying to fit those sliding doors:) Take-Away For the Day? Be sure the property has room to expand vital living spaces before making an offer that is sure to be accepted:(...See MoreAfter Great Tower Street, #Central #London, #MasterBedroom
Comments (0)Before. This room had #blue #fittedwardrobes I could not move, was rather dark as north facing and needed #modernising, so I fitted a new larger pendant, added side lights and side tables, painted in a couple of diff greys and added a blue wall behind the bed, to balance the deep blue on the wardrobes. Fitting new carpets, window boxes and plants, and styling with fresh new bedding along with a pop of yellow in the central cushion, certainly brightened and freshened up this room. ....See MorePOLL: Do you do your own painting or hire someone?
Comments (26)There are definitely good decorators and bad ones - I certainly agree with Jenny Boyd and A.S.! Some professionals are most certainly better than others and just because they do this for a living doesn't necessarily mean you're guaranteed a quality result every time. I've had superb results from good decorators, and shocking outcomes from others. I had some so-called professional decorators do the rest of my house and the finish was even worse than my kitchen efforts - paint splashes on hardware and glazing, poor coverage, dust dried into the workwork etcetc. Just shocking! So I should have qualified my statement with get a professional to do it if you can verify that they really know what they're doing and that their standards will match your expectations!...See MoreKitchen window view, what to do with an odd 44+ metre path
Comments (12)Thanks, all of the above I reckon! Between B&C would definitely do well with arches and climbers, it could turn into more of a haven for the Robins to nest, and the rear of that garden already has climbers.... On the bend, I'm going to double secure it with a secondary gate and may pay to put up some "private land" signs to make it clear its not part of BT and someone owns it. BINS! We generate an enormous amount of recycling, and our 11yr old can make a mess with it to boot. The bins do go down the main driveway and I wont change that since its the best route, however that is all at the front entrance end of the house, rubbish going out via the living and office. I was thinking about putting a tidy bin enclosure next to the gate which is at the house end of the drive, across the way from the house. While the big pile of soil is out front (left by ex owner from digging garage foundations), the refuse ends up right outside my lovely new entrance in a mess. The only reason I considered the path for rubbish was convenience, regardless that it would still go all the way down the driveway once a week, as taking rubbish out would be right by the laundry/kitchen door because that is where the path is. Neighbour #3 are new, moved in yesterday. They have unruly bamboo up against their back wall. With that part of the path being say between wall and curb stone, which should keep it contained, I could suggest to them that we re-plant it in my path an free up the end of their garden and be able to see the nice wall they have. These would be far easier to remove then tree would be a long time down the line..... I just REALLY dont want to become responsible to have to go into BT with a hedge trimmer though.... Ive already got an ENORMOUS garden to maintain......hmmm...See More
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