Grandfather's inheritance:The story of how three women transformed a ramshackle fisherman’s cottage into a pastoral English cottage using junk shop purchases, paint, textiles and good taste. Secrets of the ‘English country’ from artist and decorator Janet Rowan-Hamilton A house in Sutherland, Scotland, most closely resembles the beloved English fairy tale ‘The Wind in the Willows’. And not so much because it is located by the water, but rather because of the ‘belief’ that it fully ‘shares’ with Kenneth Grahame: ‘a well-decorated interior begins with a cosy fireplace and well-done toast’. The old fisherman’s hut is hidden on a grassy hill, separated from the river by a narrow strip of Scottish floodplain. And it is home to Jeanetta Rowan-Hamilton, an artist who specialises in vintage knitwear and wool. She comes to her London apartment only a couple of times a year to get the necessary materials, and spends most of her time here, in , which she restored and decorated with her own hands.
Most people come to Helmsdale forThe Northern Highlands to fish during the Atlantic salmon migration. The Duke of Sutherland once owned the entire land. But in the 19th century it was divided into six estates, each with its own piece of the river. Nowadays, fishermen can use any of them, and keen Englishmen often buy huts and cottages in these places, allowing them to enjoy their favorite hobby during holidays and vacations.
This is how Janet's grandfather bought this house:90 meters, including a shed for fishing equipment, for 1,200 pounds - from a local policeman. Strictly speaking, the house was already in need of serious repairs, but it was bought as a temporary shelter for a fisherman, and therefore no one made any demands on its condition. There is a roof - and that's enough. Janet's mother, who inherited the house, was not keen on fishing, and for the next few decades it stood abandoned and forgotten. And only 12 years ago, having received property no one wanted, Janet returned to it. The new owner does not catch fish either. But she loves working with her hands.
Janet restores vintage clothing, sews andknits traditional costumes, and in between creates artistic photo collages for individuals on special occasions - weddings, births and anniversaries. Janet's two daughters fell in love with the house immediately upon seeing it and began to persuade their mother to try it. And, Janet admits, they really did help her in every way possible over the course of almost 10 years while she was slowly remodeling it.
Janet's main problem was money.The house was in a sorry state and needed serious investment. So she put up a sign saying "sale" and took all the antiques she deemed unnecessary out onto the lawn. Traders immediately gathered at the house - they recommended local woodworkers to Janet to do the bulk of the "heavy lifting" - patching the leaking roof, leveling the terrace, painting the walls and windows on the outside of the house. She did the rest gradually together with her children.
As a result, the house has a spacious open living room with windows on two sides, an office, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which even has an antique bathtub.
The main difficulty was thatJanet wanted to preserve the old spirit of a small Scottish county inside the house. And for this, the appropriate items were needed - they were searched for on , from local antique dealers and did a feasible home restoration.
Janet Rowan-Hamilton, Owner:— Now all the Scottish junk dealers know me. Some call me and say they have something set aside especially for me — asking if the item will suit me in size and shape. I will change the color myself if necessary.
She made kitchen shelves out of fish boxes,and hung the bathroom shelves on holders made from vintage spools from a Lincolnshire spinning mill. Janet Rowan-Hamilton, owner: — Necessity is the mother of invention. I hate things that match. My sister Sabrina, for example, gave me dining room chairs — not a single pair. That was very kind of her.
Now Janet is thinking about expanding herhouse, thanks to a shed for fishing rods and boats - there is just enough space for a small guest bedroom and perhaps a shower room. She began to go to London less and less - she was captivated by country life, and even had to get a dog, a whippet, to keep her company during long walks along the river.
Secrets of English style: the story of one cottage renovation – etk-fashion.com
