I built a shed yesterday, whilst Lucy looked after Oscar. I made a building in fact, the first I remember creating. It is an oddly powerful feeling. A space to store our things that is dry and safe for them. I can understand part of why people feel attached to them. I know the other half is escape and peace and quiet, but this one is 80cm by 210 cm and too low to stand up in.
See Lucy's picture of me making the shed
Today when I went down to the kitchen, there was something where yesterday there was nothing. One seldom gets to make a building, buy them, let them or stay in them, but not build them.
It made me think more about this house we bought and the irritation with the plumbing we are having. There is something appealing about starting afresh, what I like about Victoriana is not necessarily the age, more the style. With the age comes everyone else's compromises and shoddy workmanship. I'm tempted in my next house to start with a clean slate as much as possible. Here in Walthamstow, we rewired, part replastered and put in a new bathroom, given more time and money and hindsight, I'd have replaced all the plumbing and the kitchen too. Plumbing is the worst, every plumber dislikes the style or shortcuts of the previous incumbents.
That however is an immense amount of work, so to return to the shed, there is something appealing about a new building, hence the public appeal of Grand Designs I guess, making a big statement with the place you live in is tempting. A green oak framed barn would be nice, maybe someday, I'd need somewhere to build it though, which is a whole other blog post.
