The Master Bedroom at Parsonage Cottage

We don't normally burn candles in the hearth - I just wanted to show the effect of
dancing flames in the hearth.

Parsonage Cottage is the former stables, cow shed and cart shed for The Old Parsonage.   We had the opportunity to virtually do what we wanted with the interior, once we had finally got permission to update the place from the original 1970's conversion.

It was in poor condition, dead rats in the loft, damp... so we had it taken right back to just four walls, renewed the roof, then the work began.   We had to keep to the original window and door openings but other than that, it was down to us.      We opted to have a large master bedroom down at the north end of the house where the rooms get less light and warmth from the sun.   What was the former living room and dining room were incorporated to became one room.

This meant that we had the option of retaining the open fire - what a tough decision - of course we wanted to keep it.   What could be nicer on a cold winter's night than an open fire in the bedroom?   It's not the only heating, we also have two radiators.

It is a big room, deliberately so.   Lots of bookshelves, a sofa which originally belonged to us, we gave it to our daughter who eventually replaced it with something more modern and so it finally came back across the garden to us.  

My 'dressing-table' is a very old desk which was being thrown out by a GP friend, about 25 years ago,  it had belonged to his father.   Another nice bit of recycling.

An old armchair and large chest of drawers in another corner of the room.    It is all a mish-mash, old family stuff and recycled furniture.    The 'look' I was trying to achieve was something akin to a 'Gentleman's Club', a place of peace and quiet, a sanctuary.

It's not quite as gloomy as it looks in the photographs, someone has been messing about with my camera (Max) and I need to find up the handbook and re-set everything as all my photographs look rather dismal at the moment.   The room has a large by window and two regular ones, the ceiling is about ten foot high.

On a cold wintery evening we love to simply sit and watch the flickering flames as we sip our mugs of cocoa!   Who says romance is dead!

One piece of furniture which is about to have a new lease of life is this old cupboard, it houses all manner of things, including the printer, satellite box and so on.

We picked it up at an antiques centre for about £20.   It is functional, but dull.    I intend to paint it, I may even do some trompe l'oiel on it, the jury is out, I'm still thinking about it.   It will certainly be changing in the next few months.  

I am making a quilt for the bed from vintage Japanese kimono silk, the colours  are jewel-like and shine brightly in this slightly dark room.   Vintage, recycled, slowly evolving over time.