Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Lost Room

My Cottage Floor Plan - part 5


Now, about that door under the stairs I asked you about in part 4 of this series...

Alors, à propose de cette porte sous l'escalier dont nous avons parlé dans la 4ème partie de cette série...


Some of you had very romantic ideas about what was hidden behind. The truth is not romantic at all.

Certains ont eu des idées très romantiques sur ce qu'elle pouvait dissimuler... La vérité n'est pas si romantique!

It's obvious to me that there was no toilet in the house when it was built. After WWII, though, it became more and more common to build a little toilet room inside - much more comfortable than going at the other end of the garden! 

In old houses, they were often added under the stairs.

Comme dans beaucoup de vieilles maisons, les toilettes ont été rajoutées bien après la construction sous l'escalier. Comme les précédents propriétaires avaient aussi rajouté des toilettes à l'étage, ceux du bas ne servaient jamais. En effet, le mur entre le couloir et le salon ayant aussi été tombé par les précédents propriétaires, ou ceux d'avant encore, les toilettes se retrouvaient au milieu du salon. Quand vous avez des invités en train de prendre l'apéro sur le canapé, vous n'allez pas leur dire d'utiliser les toilettes juste derrière eux, sauf si vraiment vous ne pouvez pas arrêter votre conversation!!!

The thing is that in my cottage, the wall between the corridor and the living-room had been removed later, so when I bought the house, the toilets were basically in the middle of the living-room. The room was never used. Whenever I had guests and they needed to use the toilets, I always showed them the upstairs toilets, that had been added later again by the previous owners (the one great thing they did about this house!)  
  
I hated the fact to loose all that space downstairs, but it wasn't like I was going to knowk down a wall!

I was wrong, since the humidity problems in the house forced me to get all the walls down, I seized the opportunity to get rid of the useless toilet. 


At some point, though, they were the only place you could sit on in my living-room!

I decided to use the space under the stairs for storage.


Now, please, admire my very first curtain hem!


My first idea was to have a door custom made... But when you still have a kitchen-less cottage, you need to sort out your priorities. I bought a cheap curtain on sale, pretty sure I was going to mess up the hem. I'm still surprised it's straight and the right hight!


J'avais d'abord pensé faire faire une porte sur mesure pour ce placard... Mais quand on n'a toujours pas de cuisine dans son cottage, on est obligée de faire des choix! J'ai donc acheté un rideau pas cher et qui plus est en soldes, persuadée que j'allais louper mon premier ourlet! Et, bien, il est assez droit et pile à la bonne hauteur! Je n'en reviens toujours pas et je passe pas mal de temps à l'admirer!!!


Before, when you were going down the stairs, it was dark and enclosed.

La descente d'escalier était auparavant sombre et très enfermée.


Today it's airy and you get to enjoy the beautiful rail, one of the only item left that is original to the house.


Now have you noticed that on the before pictures, there used to be two doors on the wall off the stairs and there's only one now? I'll tell you all about it in the next post of this series... if you want to come back later (I would really appreciate it).

Avez-vous remarqué qu'il y avait deux portes auparavant sur le mur à droite en descendant l'escalier et que ce n'est plus le cas? Revenez pour le prochain article et je vous explique tout!

See you soon for an other "in progress" reveal!

A bientôt,

I'm sharing with

                                

26 comments:

  1. It looks so much better now, lighter and airier.
    Our Stair rails were carved out of one Chestnut trunk, it must have been very old. We left what we could.

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  2. I think you made a mistake; a main floor toilet is a huge upgrade.

    S
    xo

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  3. I love your before shots. It shows you have great vision.

    My spouse looks at my blog a couple of times a week. He told me the other day that when he views mine, he then reads yours. Because since working on ours, he loves transformations.

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  4. Haha, that was a surprise :))) Good thing with the storage and the curtain, I think it looks great and you've got all the time in the world to install a proper door, if you want to.

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  5. Agghh - I was going to say a toilet - honestly - but knowing how old the house was I figured it couldn't be lol
    I love the curtain you put there - think it looks much better than a door would - keeps it looking cottage(y)
    Love getting to know your home!
    XXX

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  6. The toilet was hilarious. I had no idea. Definitely much better now. I like the curtain. Good job.
    Hugs,
    Laura

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  7. I wouldn't have guessed a toilet. I like that you made it into a storage area. Perfect use. And your hemming skills are great. I am jealous of them, in fact. I have no sewing skills what so ever.

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  8. I love your cottage Magali. Your story about the toilet was amusing and I like how you really think ahead with your ideas and the costs involved. The stair rail is beautiful and your beautiful cottage is looking so much like a home. You showed lovely photos that give a lot of light coming through your windows and door. I am looking forward to seeing your kitchen ... Have a lovely relaxing weekend and I hope the weather is warmer. Ann

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  9. Thisn is getting more charming all the time. What an amazing reconstruction you are doing and the stairs are so sweet and nice to have that potty!

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  10. Yes, I did not guess a toilet! Now that it's gone, do you have to run out to the woods now?? :) hehe
    -andi

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  11. Oh my! Is that a stone wall? So beautiful!
    Brenda

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  12. I love what you did with the little room! Your place is so lovely...:) Thanks for sharing your transformation with us...:)

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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  13. J'aime beaucoup voir les transformations de ta maison , elle est magnifique !
    belle journée . tinou

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    1. Merci pour ce compliment, qui me va d'autant plus droit au coeur que les gros travaux recommencent lundi et là, ça va être poussière et compagnie pour un bon moment...

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  14. Je me régale à lire les épisodes de ton feuilleton de "The little white house on the seaside"& tu sais merveilleusement bien nous tenir en haleine avec un tout petit dévoilage de l'épisode suivant . J'apprécie .
    Bises & à la prochaine . Babette

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    1. Merci beaucoup pour ce gentil commentaire... Je me demande s'il ne va pas y avoir une longue pause entre épisodes la semaine prochaine car les gros travaux recommencent et je ne sais pas si la connexion internet va y résister!
      A bientôt,
      Magali

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  15. C'est tout de même mieux maintenant ! Mais quel chantier ! Je m'en souviens très bien ! Pour le rideau, bravo, tu vas devenir une pro de la couture et je te donnerai même mes ourlets à faire !

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  16. Il fallait oser tout détruire mais effectivement ton idée est géniale d'autant que tu gagnes un bel espace idéal pour y ranger manteaux et compagnie ...

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    Replies
    1. Merci d'être passée voir les transformations du cottage... Encore en travaux, le rideau me permet de cacher un peu tout et n'importe quoi, c'est très pratique!

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  17. Isn't it funny how homes change over the decades? Our home is pretty old, and I'm guessing that indoor bathrooms were added at a date later than the original construction. I love your new storage area, and your curtain looks great! Also love the storage bench nearby--what a useful and pretty furniture piece.

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  18. Great use of space, everything is looking so good!
    Yes...I'll be back!!!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  19. Magali, I love your cottage, and watching the progress you are making. Your furniture is fine, all of that can come later. Your house is lovely, keep up the good work.
    Jeannie

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  20. That little space (and your curtain) turned out great!
    Susan

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  21. Happy Country Whites Weekend! The after pictures are quite pretty...so fresh and light. Thanks for sharing!
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  22. Such a difference in the before and after! It's amazing how much brighter white and light colors make. I like your style!
    It's been great having you join Cindy and me for Country Whites Weekend! Features will be announced next Friday! Mark your calendar. . . .
    Springtime Farmhouse Blessings,
    Dru

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  23. Wow what a difference that makes! I like the curtain! Thank you for sharing this at Rustic Restorations Weekend!

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