Blue for Artemisia, Green for Ahlia and Yellow for Ralf and I. Our bedrooms have colour.

The loft floor is getting brighter in every way. I was worried that the bedrooms would look too dark at one stage. Before the render received its limewash coating, the brown clay, made the rooms look cavernous. I had a moment of anxiety where I chastised myself for not arguing a case for two skylights per room. But to stay in budget compromises must be made and the loft would get too hot in summer became my mantra. Now I see that with the walls painted and a first coat of limewash they look just fine. Phew! In setting out to build our home from scratch, we are both trying to get things right…to foresee the future, to do the best we can. There are so many decisions to be made however that it all becomes a bit hard and I have at times despaired at my lack of foresight. Vasko our designer has been great at catching us by predicting our needs perfectly. I would never have been game to make the larder room so big. Or the greenhouse so wide. Nor even considered an outdoor fly wire room to house a pizza oven where on summer evenings we could enjoy al fresco dining free from pesky mosquitos. It would have all seemed too decadent. Permaculture is to blame…it has influenced us all. I completed a course back in 1989 or was it 98…the years are beginning to blur already and Vasko too studied permaculture and is passionate about designing homes for people who want to grow and make and bake. The greenhouse is our passive heater. The larder with its thick light earth walls will keep fermented foods and preserves cool all year round. The fly wire room (i’d like to find a better word for this space) will have a sink connected to grey water where our soil soaked vegetables will be washed before they are brought into the kitchen…I will love this because it will be so blooming practical! and not an inch of soil will be wasted but sent right back into the garden area. And the pizza/bread making oven will be able to be used all year round due to its protected location. Decadently practical it is…I feel very, very lucky.

Some pictures included below but as I have not captured Ahlia’s green bedroom nor the other rooms I mention here I will be back to add more pics to this post.

Blue for Artemisia.

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Ralf and Artemisia.

More because in the future I will be enjoying these pics very much.

Yellow for us. A limewash mixed with yellow pigment, a natural colouring to allow the earth walls to keep breathing.

Corridors white.

Bathroom warmth. The super great thing about the bathroom is the placement of the flew which ensures that heat from the fireplace on the ground floor heats our bathroom..I love this idea!!