“A little house like the ones that kids draw, with a door and two windows on either side. Old-fashioned, discreet, silent, overrun with Virginia creeper and climbing roses. A house with a warm porch where the heat of the day would linger. A little plot of aromatic herbs, a fireplace, sagging armchairs and books all around. White tablecloths, napkin rings unearthed at flea markets…and a coal stove where she could let a rich beef-and-carrot stew simmer all morning along.”
― Anna Gavalda
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I’ve still got English cottages on the brain. My friend Kyle told me this one is for sale and I’m trying to figure out how to buy it. 😉
It’s in the village of Shrivenham and has just gone on the market for £575,000. It was built in 1850 as a summer house by Lord Barrington of Beckett Park. The listing says it has 3 bedrooms and needs some TLC, but oh my goodness, can you imagine? The diamond glazing and thatched roof? Divine! It sits on a half-an-acre plot and comes with a two-acre paddock. There’s a garden, and fruit trees, an outbuilding, and even a few sheds.
It says the walls are made of timber and brick, but surely there’s room for wallpaper somewhere in there. Oh yeah, I’ve still got wallpaper on the brain, too- ha!
Here are some of my current favorites:
Foxglove Botanical by Brewster:
Ester by Boråstapeter:
Endimione by Schumacher:
(photo: Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design)
by Galerie
Lily of the Valley by Sandberg:
Aren’t they sweet? I may not be able to buy that thatched cottage, but you can bet your bottom dollar one of those papers will make its way onto my walls this year! 😉
Layla
Sorry, not a comment for the post, but wanted to recommend a show I’m watching on PBS. It’s called “Two for the Road” a couple who sold their stuff and have been travelling around the world. They also apparently have a blog, but I haven’t checked that. Todays show was a trip to Guatemala at Easter time, and it was amazing! Brought tears to my eyes!
I’m also watching Sanditon and Howards’ End, both are good!
How fun! I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation, Marianne!
Hi
I haven’t seen “Two for the Road” but Howards End and Sanditon have been enjoyable. Short but sweet. And then there is the latest Little Women in theatres. I am protective of LW as I still own my dog earred copy as a girl and I also bought the 1949 version which is my favorite. So the latest one starts forward in some places, and works backward in some places, leaving it a little confusing until you understand that, and while the movie rushes through certain parts, it does have some lovely scenes and the ending is different but I’m ok with that.
What did others think?
Somehow, I never read LW growing up. Not sure how I missed it as I was an avid reader. Anyway, the movie was good, but really tough to get through with all the moving forward and then going backward pattern.
In addition to drywall, I’m also “allergic” to movie theaters…so I haven’t seen the newest Little Women movie yet. 😉
Layla,
You really do need to make a trip to the
English or Irish countryside as the wallpapers
you love are found in many B&B. Now they
are actually vintage as have been on some of the
walls for years.
I especially like leafy trellis and lily of the valley.
Looking forward to seeing which you pick and where you decide to hang it.
I really do! We’re hoping to go in the next 5 years. And I can’t get over that trellis and those lily of the valley flowers either. They just make me smile!
Hi Layla, I’m in agreement with Delia about one of the wallpapers – “Lily of the Valley”, it’s just BEAUTIFUL! I originally thought of plain walls for my Bedroom yet now I’ve seen this I want it for my entire Room! HEAVENLY!
I know, right? 😀 I have special memories attached to lily of the valleys so seeing that paper brings me straight back to my childhood!
Hi Layla
I very much enjoyed your post on wallpaper and it was definitely timely as I am wanting to find a wallpaper for my small entry way and wanted something in a green colour. I am thinking the leafy trellis would probably be nice. Thanks so much for your helpful information. I always loved wallpaper and used it in my home and then it went out of fashion and went to a less busy but I missed the warmth and cosy feeling that .wallpaper could bring especially in the entry way or bathroom.
Thank you, Dorothy! And I agree. I crave homey and I don’t care what the design world has to say about it- LOL!
I was born in England. My Ohio home is full of nods to my Heritage. I love all of your wallpaper choices. The leafy trellis is just what I was looking for to brighten up my back hallway/mud room area.
I think that’s one of my top 2 favorites, too! I wish I could get a sample of it.
Did you ever end up giving your powder room a makeover (maybe I missed the reveal!)? I remember you showing it to us and your thoughts on a makeover. One of these wallpapers would be cute in there — although I did love what you had already.
I’m still dreaming up ideas for in there. I feel like I should decide on the wallpaper in our sunroom first, since the two rooms are connected. Decisions, decisions! 😀
Layla, I want you to get that house! You are our tour guide in so many areas and it would be sooooo fun for us all to live in the English countryside with you. One day I thought, Chip & Joanna should give you and Kevin a show on their new network. The world needs your fresh and genuine kindness and silliness about allllll the things!
Can’t wait to see which paper you go with!
-~ Jill
You are so kind, Jill! 😀
Thank you for making my day and I look forward to sharing our papered walls with you soon!
Layla
I would love to see the inside of that cottage. And the Foxglove Botanical wallpaper is so sweet!
Here’s a link to the listing, Donna:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/property/a22800171/picturesque-hansel-and-gretel-thatched-cottage-for-sale-wiltshire/
Enjoy!
I like your taste in wallpaper. I’ll live vicariously through you, though … after removing nasty wallpaper when we moved into our home, I don’t think I can go down the wallpaper road for myself!
It’s all about the pattern. Choose a period paper and it’ll always feel classic and historic. 🙂
Love, love, love the cottage, but never, never, never wall paper. There will be a tomorrow and its style will not be your wall paper and having been there and done that, I stick to paint….saves soooooo much agony.
Oh, I don’t see it that way at all. Period papers are my favorite walls to look at and I will prefer them to painted drywall any day! Besides, “tomorrow” isn’t guaranteed (I say go with your grin TODAY!) and period patterns will always just feel more and more historic anyway. 🙂
I agree with you, Mary! I once stripped three layers of wallpaper off kitchen walls and it was a NIGHTMARE. I also cracked three ribs in the process after a fall from a ladder while stripping wallpaper. Then I moved in with my now-husband and stripped tons of wallpaper from his house while getting it ready to go on the market. We moved into a new house, with, yes, even more wallpaper. Ugh! I left it in place when we sold that house, but was so happy that my next house had absolutely no wallpaper.
Oh, boy! So sorry to hear about your wallpaper woes, Terri. I sprained my ankle while hanging wallpaper once and decided right then and there that I would ALWAYS pay a professional to deal with it from then on. I feel the opposite about naked walls though. My dream is to NEVER be surrounded by seas of drywall again- ha! 😀