Renovation

We did the same with our huge tobacco barn!!!

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Good luck with your renovation!

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This barn is right in front of my house and will disappear soon – the roof is gone now, the rest sooner or later. The front wall, with the arch, is curved – an attractive curved frontage - which is unusual, or is it?

Half of it housed hay and livestock – the other half a large room with a big decorated stone fireplace and a large glazed door & window. I’ve sat in this room in the gloom cross-legged with the neighbours, on sacks, snapping roots from large potatoes spread right across the floor. At the rear, where the chimney is, there’s a big stone staircase leading up to another large room full of hanging onions, and so much other small agricultural stuff!

I used to sit on the top of the stairs at the back looking up at the stars – a way of life all gone now!

I’d like to preserve this barn as a 3D digital image, as it used to look in its heyday. There’s enough still standing plus some photographs to produce a digital agricultural memory. A digital renovation.

Could that be done? Maybe architectural students. Maybe a word with the mayor?

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Is this fencing out of place?

A house in the neighbourhood was sold, repaired and renovated and a new timber fence went up. Then over about 2 years or so, this same style of wooden fence has appeared in two other houses.

They look totally foreign to the local vernacular - just awful. They have become eye sores to me.

The only one redeeming factor is that the timber weathers and changes to a grey colour, and is less noticeable.

Or am I getting old…!?

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,Doesn’t do much for me!!!

The wooden fencing is not to my personal taste, but obviously others like it.
I prefer the grille with the plants growing along/through it… but if folk want privacy they’ll go for something “closed”…

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Do you want to borrow my cordless circular saw?:wink:

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Fugly!

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Looks like a load of offcuts to me. Perhaps they are!

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Why are they ruining perfectly good walls by putting fencing of a completely unmatching type on top of them?

Is this something to do with the vogue @JaneJones mentioned for having tall electrically operated gates regardless of what wall may or may not be present?

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A golden rule in construction is “if you can’t hide it, emphasise it”.

They have seen it in a TV programme where it was appropriate to the position and possibly done with some skill. And so have decided to do it themselves to give privacy (from what?) and consequently imprison themselves in an ugly box!

Possibly a second home owner who comes from an urban area and is insessed by “security”?

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I have no objection to people wanting privacy in their own gardens. I have a privet hedge giving my little front garden some privacy, but my garden gate is open all day long.
I see a house as having a welcoming attitude to it – not a keep away you are not welcome, ‘front teeth’ showing attitude, as these jagged planks have.

I remember in London in days gone by when someone living in a house, part of a Georgian terrace of houses, painted the façade purple, and it started catching on and looked dreadful. Now I think planning permission is needed to prevent individuals upsetting neighbours with thoughtless unneighbourly decisions.

There is a genuine question of fitting in with the classic vernacular of the surroundings. I rest my case.

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I see so many houses old and new barricaded against what? Keep away, you’re not welcome. Go away.

Or they have a dog, who unfortunately goes ‘brainless’ being so lonesome all day long, to keep away who/what – burglars, vandals? Do they all have the crown jewels hidden away somewhere.

I don’t think burglary of houses is rife in agricultural areas, such as where I live.

Maybe it’s a French thing!

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I don’t have a gate to shut people out… but am seriously thinking of putting something in place, since I am fed up with people wandering from the roadside into our little patch. They even do it while I am sitting there, in plain sight, on my terrace… they stroll on by… and it’s obviously NOT part of the road… so they’ve no excuse…
When I ask them (politely) what they are doing… do they want something… can I help… etc…
they tell me that they are looking for a better vantage point to take such and such a photo… or just looking… :roll_eyes:
OH wants me to put up the “private - keep out” type of signs but, as it’s obviously private anyway… folk will simply ignore them…

Chain across the opening might work and blend in better… I’m thinking on it…

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Because of the cows, a lot of people round her have flimsy bits of string across their property openings (doesn’t need much for a cow). And one I saw had run a string of bunting. Looked very jolly and friendly, but still clearly said please do not cross this line.

I said houses, homes, should have a welcoming aspect to them – yours is overly welcoming it seems – not such a bad thing. But I agree – trespassing on private property can be very annoying! I’d be mildly angry personally but mindful that gentle diplomacy is better….

Or maybe a sign saying tours cost a fortune…

Stage I - my man Adrien popped in for a couple of hours this afternoon and left the front looking like this - such a relief to get going after waiting 8 years. He’ll be back to finish off the jungle inside the barn tomorrow afternoon…

I found him locally from a website called ‘allovoisins’. He seems to be OK. Anyone had experience of using - https://www.allovoisins.com

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We have lbv in brittany. I think it stands for les bons voisins. We have used a chimney sweep.

Quelle différence…! :+1: