A Sense Of Place II

Six years ago I began writing this blog. As I recently admitted, I haven't exactly been prolific. I still struggle with what it's meant to be about, how much I should reveal of the private self, and that English self-consciousness that prefers to be 'seen and not heard'.

Imogen, my moody teenage daughter, would shrug at this point and say, 'whatever'.

One of my earliest posts was about a house that we didn't buy in the Adelaide Hills. At that point it was the only time in my life that I felt completely drawn to a property. It had some kind of hold over me. You can read about it here. It is called Hatchlands, and it has acres, a barn and even a separate cottage. This is what it looked like in 2007 when it was on the market:

My internet research would suggest that it doesn't look like it's been sold since; I'm glad that whoever bought it is still happily ensconced, breathing new life and hope into this charming old building. It needed quite a lot of TLC. I loved the Georgian, colonial style. The symmetry, the second floor verandah, the curving staircase at the back of the house, the paned and sash windows. I imagined it would nurture my soul and embrace my dreams.

At the weekend, the Gent and I stumbled across a house that pulled at my heart strings in almost the same way.

It's called Benson House, and is of considerable significance to the Richmond township. The Australian Heritage Database had this to say about the house in 1988: 

This two storey house was originally a single storey colonial Georgian house built c 1840 by the Benson family, shipwrights and artisans of the Hawkesbury River valley. A first floor was added in similar style at the turn of the century. The front elevation has a five bay, two storey timber verandah with cast iron balcony, balustrading and arched timber valences. The hipped roof is sheeted in corrugated iron and is continuous over the verandah which returns to the east side. A fine panelled door and transom within a Classical door case with pilasters, marks the front entrance facing the old carriage loop and the remains of an extensive Victorian garden. At the rear there is a detached kitchen and cellar. A slab shed and boarded timber barn stand near the northern boundary. The property is an important residential complex. The rear view of it from the Richmond lowlands is an important visual component of Richmond.

TODAY:

WHEN IT SOLD IN 2012:

Apologies for the quality of the photographs; they're from Real Estate websites. Benson House last sold in 2012. The facade was a creamy yellow, with timber picked out in a darker yellow, with shutters and the front door painted an almost emerald green. Today, the facade is a pale green, and the shutters and timber are picked out in white, and the front door is black.

I don't think either colour schemes do it justice. I think I would start by painting the facade a cafe latte colour; warm enough to give it depth, but not so warm to be pink. I like the black door, mind you.

TODAY

The Drawing Room at the front (south facing) of the house has a lot of potential. It has superb bones, a beautiful fireplace and I understand that the stencils underneath the cornice date back to 1887.

When it sold a couple of years ago, the styling was a little more in keeping with the character of the house:

BEFORE, in 2012

All taste is subjective, but if this were my house, I'd want to simplify and celebrate the glorious architecture. I'd want it light and clean. Pure and simple. Something like this:

source

There are two glorious bedrooms upstairs, also at the front of the house. This bedroom looks a bit tired at the moment. Unloved.

TODAY:

2012:

It looked a lot better when the house was for sale a couple of years ago; it's a very traditional interior look appropriate to the period of the house. Again, if this were my house, I'd choose to do something like this (source):

Light, bright, soft, simple, neutral, cosy, gentle, elegant.

These photos are from a colonial home in Alabama, USA that was recently for sale. Americans do style, comfort and function so very well. Most of the interior design blogs that I love are American. The blog that showcased these photos is consistently good: The Lettered Cottage

Looking at Benson House, and thinking about how I felt when we lost out on Hatchlands in South Australia six years ago, has been interesting.

At the time, when we didn't buy it, I was so upset. A first world problem, I know, but I did feel heartbroken for a while. This blog was a really important way of putting it into perspective. I turned instead towards our peripatetic lifestyle and tried to embrace the opportunities it offered.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be living here, inspired and treasured by this house. My muse. My inspiration. And even though we are transient here at Circa 1937 - it's most certainly not ours - and absolutely not Georgian, I feel as though I'm living the dream.

For a short time, anyway.

If you would like to know more about the sale of Benson House, it is for Auction (24 May 2014) with Vibe Property. Visit their website here.

The St George Stove, aka Mrs Patmore

I love this house. It's like living inside a fairy tale of my own creation; it is at once familiar and yet full of surprises.

The house was disused for several years, but was brought back to life during the time when Bronwyn Bishop was Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel (1996 - 1998). Apparently, she loves old homes and arranged to have it re-opened and re-used.

Mrs Patmore, Head Cook of Downton Abbey

At the heart of the kitchen is a St George Stove. My guess (from the styling of the dials) is that this dates back to the 1970's, although St George stoves first began production in 1947. St George Appliances are still in business; they are an Australian company, based in Sydney. When the kitchen was renovated (presumably in the late 1990's) the kitchen maker is alleged to have declared the stove a treasure, and refused to remove it.

The stove suits the style of the kitchen and the house perfectly, and I'm very glad it's here. There is a marvelous extraction fan with bright LED lights that utilise the former chimney, which make it bright and pong-free to cook on.

However, it's not altogether easy to use. There is no fan in either of the ovens and each is heated by a naked element at the top and bottom. This has meant that (thus far) food quickly steams or burns, or both. The rings on the stove top are well placed, but after using gas for many years I'm finding it tricky to adjust to cooking with electricity.

I've called the stove Mrs Patmore, after the inimitable head cook from Downton Abbey.

[It seems, from my reading and internet perusing, that it's not cool to like Downton Abbey any more (if it ever was) but I confess to being a DA tragic, owning all the series on DVD and having watched each one more than once.]

Mrs Patmore's character is hard on the outside and yielding on the inside. I'm hoping that my relationship with the St George stove will mellow into a similar metaphor. After several attempts (read: at least 10) I have learnt to time cup cakes perfectly so that they no longer have blackened bottoms.

'Mrs Patmore' is just one of the many surprises within the house that dictate a certain style of living. We were having a friend over for morning tea yesterday and before hand popped out to the local Lions' market. This monthly event at the Clarendon Showground  is a veritable treasure trove for keen thrifters. Aside from cakes, plants, food and craft, there are always a number of 'junk' stalls, all of which glean delights.

Yesterday I found this tray, which looked perfect for the house. It is a solid oak piece, dedicated to a Mrs Alchin from her Bowning friends.

Hal was sent offered to negotiate a best price (with the enticement of financial reward if he could barter lower than the original asking price) and succeeded in getting it $8 cheaper.

I'm thrilled with it. The timber responded perfectly to O'Cedar Oil and it was the ideal accompaniment to morning tea.

Life, as previously observed, so often seems to go in circles; after I'd bought the tray and we were having a good look at the dedication plaque, the Gent noticed the Bowning reference. He said that Bowning is near Yass in NSW, and is the place where his mother's maternal family come from.

Very apt.

The beautiful tea cloth and napkins are a recent gift from my Mother in Law, but that's another story.

I couldn't manage without my radio

I grew up with BBC Radio 4; it was invariably on in the background at home. Mum is a radio addict and I have inherited the predilection.

When I was about 14, the age my daughter is now, we went on a fantastic holiday to a villa in Andalucia, Spain. I found a small transister radio there, and discovered the BBC World Service.

I also discovered The Archers, 'essential drama from the heart of the country'.

I have listened to it ever since, no matter where I have lived. It's the one thing about being English that I wouldn't like to be without.

When I lived in NZ, teaching at a boys' boarding school, a friend would tape if for me from his farm in Northumberland and send out the audio cassettes to my upstairs flat in a little town on the North Island.

Now, thank goodness, I can listen to it on my iPhone. Each morning, I download the podcast at 6.30am and enjoy it with the first cup of coffee for the day.