Tuesday, 24 April 2012

apr, 24th - weekend: the house....




day 808:

there is something about the way that light streams into The Shingle House that makes you feel like you are on holiday. i could say that this was down to how lucky we were with the sunny weather over the weekend but it also has to do with the fact that this house is part of the Living Architecture collection. there is not much left to chance with how these houses are designed.......and it shows, the attention to detail is incredible: windows frame incredible views, the seams of the house are perfectly aligned and finishing touches all contribute to a space that is, as their name implies, very 'liveable'. the huge expanses of glass make you feel incredibly connected to the outdoors without having to brave the blustering wind and chilly air. 





The Shingle House, is a beautiful example of the tar-covered-wood-clad houses in the area. the dark wood and simple structures that seem typical of the area sit perfectly in their monochromatic surroundings. One of our group said that she had tried to explain to people about the stark, bleak beauty of the area but felt that she kept losing them.....why would you want to visit something so austere? we all loved the moody surroundings.......shingle (pebble) beaches, rusted boat equipment, bleached seaweed, a breton lighthouse.....none of us went expecting to build sandcastles or eat softserve.......even the Nuclear Power Station that sits on the horizon seems to add to the atmosphere of the place. 





the house seems to be designed as three simple boating sheds joined by glass walkways. it had plenty of room for all 6 adults and three toddlers with areas for us all to relax and enjoy the views. bathrooms are individual and stylish; the lounging areas, conducive to lots of newspaper/ kid-book reading and the kitchen/dining space gathered us all for long lunches and dinners.

it's truly a beautiful place and one that i would visit time and time again.


tomorrow - weekend: the friends.....

5 comments:

  1. An amazing place.
    The second photograph of Limi walking toward the house is just beautiful.

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  2. Exceptional place; exceptional photographs.

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  3. How beautiful, I was actually reading a bit about the Living Architecture project a while back ... I love Alain de Botton's book on the subject too, you always seem to go the the places or exhibitions I wish I could go to, so great to be able to live vicariously through you Dee XXX

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  4. We've just spent the weekend in The Dune House in Thorpeness, it is absolutely stunning and I can't recommend it enough!

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  5. Magical place! Love your photos:)

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