House and Cottage

Long live the good old England! Or how to create a cozy house in the style of actress Andy McDowell.

Star of the films Four Weddings and a Funeral and"Groundhog Day" Andie MacDowell is selling her fairytale estate. You have the opportunity to see it and get ideas. Want to bring the magic of the Tudor style into your home? This is the place for you! Andie MacDowell prefers to lead a secluded life, so the arrangement of one of her houses - in the wooded suburbs of Asheville, Carolina, where Andie was born - became known only when the actress decided to put it up for sale, intending to move to Los Angeles or New York for the sake of the careers of her two grown-up daughters. Andie MacDowell's three-story mansion is an excellent illustration of the English style of the Tudor dynasty of the 16th century. What makes it different?First of all, a mixture of Gothic styleCatholic churches and bourgeois comfort. The arched style, so characteristic of English religious buildings of the Middle Ages, is easily visible in the external structure of the house. The whimsically broken external border of the house, when one internal space is cut into another, and the second floor often hangs over the first, is another characteristic feature of this style.Let's emphasize the special - half-hip - patternroofs of such houses, when two planes of slopes are separated by a canopy that seems to be pulled down over the eyes, which gives the dwelling a somewhat romantic, exquisite fairy-tale look. Under a layer of plaster or cladding, it is easy to guess the frame - half-timbered - construction, in which the walls are made of slabs with horizontal and inclined beams, the space between them was reinforced with any filler: brick, branches, clay. Hence the peculiar geometry of houses in the old colonial English style.Another characteristic feature of such dwellings isan abundance of windows of various sizes and configurations, from which a beautiful view opens up: large, half-volume, as well as dormer, round porthole windows. Numerous windows as a connection with the surrounding nature are an important detail of the Tudor style.As for the internal filling, this is,undoubtedly, classic solid furniture and the spirit of bourgeois middle-class prosperity. Without flashy, defiant luxury, everything is moderate, decorous and noble. Coziness and comfort are the main concept of interiors in the Tudor style.Large fireplaces, stairs leading to the gallerythe second, private floor, while the first, executive floor is open to guests thanks to the kitchen, dining room, living room, storage room, and possibly guest apartments.Lots of natural wood in the cladding,beams on the ceiling. Forged details, numerous light sources: lampshades, lamps, floor lamps. Lots of textiles, carpets. Plush, tapestry, leather surfaces of deep sofas and armchairs that create cozy relaxation areas in different parts of the house.Lots of beautiful natural handmade things anda touch of individuality, in which the house seems to tell the story of the family - all this gives a feeling of peace, security and makes the home, indeed, a fortress, a temple, a quiet backwater, protecting from the storms and upheavals of the outside world.

How can you distinguish the Tudor style from many others?

  • If you see an unusual combination of archedpointed Gothic, slightly rounded - half-hipped - roof lines, multi-level, whimsically folded - like children's cubes inserted one into another, spaces - most likely this will truly be the Tudor style.
  • Numerous windows of different shapes and configurations - from floor-to-ceiling windows to small round portholes - are also its feature.
  • Cozy, small, clearly zoned chambersspaces where natural materials and handmade items prevail, bear the stamp of the owners' individuality. Here, every object is connected with some memories, carries some history and is dear not for its price, but for the memory of those you love. This is what the slightly fabulous, magical, cozy and refined Tudor style is - the style of good old England of the 14th century.
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