Secret Secretaire(s)

Well I think this area is the last I'll show you in this room before we move back down the upstairs hallway again. We're looking at the alcove on the left side of the room. The chest of drawers are G-Plan (and one of a matching pair - the other one is situated in the right alcove of this room).

Lots of art books and exhibition catalogues, plus some tools, materials and equipment from my previous life as a painter. The jars contain raw pigments, which are intense and so beautifully vibrant in their elementary state. I used to make all my own oil paint.

 The top drawer has a secret, in that it actually hinges down to form a writing desk and holds compartments for stationery and documents etc. Groovy.

A Cupboard of Two Halves. Flowers

A slight detour now… one of the doors from the hallway leads into the under stairs cupboard. This is only the second house we have owned with such a space, and I must admit it is quite generous. It is also further evidence of how the house layout has been tweaked. The door entering the cupboard seems to be a later addition, as once inside you can see that part of the wall is just plasterboard and there is another doorway which was the original entrance to a much smaller cupboard space. (sorry about the quality of the images, it is quite difficult to take photos in such a limited area). The original space is seen on the left of the image above.

The previous owners used the newer addition (seen above) as an office and had a computer and chair in here! We use it to store everything from a bike, typewriter (of course), printer, wine, paint, tools, wellies, ironing pile and much, much more! It is also home to the ironing board – which recently survived an 8 hour spell of the iron being left on accidently – I can certainly vouch for its fire-proofness!

I tend to iron in the kitchen, and the process itself is quite ritualistic – I always start with the easy items such as pillowcases, napkins and hankies, then progress to clothing, always leaving awkward items such as shirts until last. I never iron sheets or duvet covers. (but sadly I do iron tea towels). D only wears t-shirts, and sees ironing as totally unnecessary. His mother however was an obsessive ironer – she usually did it late at night whilst watching television – she had one on those ironing boards with a seat attached! it would not be unusual for her to still be ironing well after midnight, (they were a family of six). She ironed everything – including underwear and socks!

For me, ironing is done on an ad-hoc basis, I’ll sometimes iron just one item that I want to wear; or if the pile starts to teeter I will usually do something about it; (occasionally I arrive home to find that my Mum has popped in and decided to tackle the ironing pile for me – fantastic!).

Barcelona Day Bed + Blanket

Still in the same room (as all the typewriters) - here's our 'spare' bed, for guests to enjoy a night's sleep at our place, which is also often used in the day for as quiet place to read - it is called a 'day bed' after all.
The symposium I went to last week led by Space Place Practice http://www.uwe.ac.uk/sca/research/place/space.htm  got me thinking about a lot of things, which I'll write about in the next few comments. One of which came up was the idea of liminality - it's put quite simply in another blog that is dedicated to travel, which I think is the most easiest experience of liminality to understand and empathise with ...

'Liminal experiences are those that are characterized by transitions from one state of being to another. Tourists experience liminality when they transition from a home-based state of being to a travel-based state. Liminality also occurs during rights of passage, such as graduating from school, becoming married, becoming a parent, or becoming a new employee of a company. The liminal experience is one of becoming something different, and is potentially transformative, with a shedding of the old and a creation of something new, but also a period of vulnerability and weakness in the face of an uncertain future.'
From:
http://tourismplace.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/i-hate-being-liminal.html

I've been going through some kind of liminal experience in each room I blog about - (I and) the room always changes in some way afterwards - the space (of the room) becomes a liminal one (in my head at least) when I begin to analyse it. I think I am going through a shift within myself anyway, so therefore this has led to me (through this project) analysing how I live, the objects and items I live with, and their placement within my home - and, in turn, how this affects my life.

I have also been thinking about nostalgia and the idea of using the old to help us apply new meanings to the future. There was a great line in the symposium which I wrote down. "You can't ignore the past, but you don't have to stay there." A bit more about that tomorrow ...

Any similar thoughts P?

Tues 18 Sept.
There were interesting comments from Artist Jane Bailey who's current art practice focuses on engaging with and evoking the lives of older adults in rural North Cornwall. Her work both explores and generates connections between people, and between people and places, which reflects on the contemporary art processes that she employs including: conversing; recording; editing; reflecting; balancing. She has been working with people who have dementia, and was talking about them in reference to being nostalgic, and people often remembering events from their past much more clearly than occurences that had happened recently. As their long term memory is so much clearer than their short-term, they are actually existing in two places, at any one time.

I'm wondering if objects and items from the past, give us more of a sense of 'belonging' than the fabric of the homes that we currently live in. Items that I surround myself with (in my home) seem to make much more sense of 'my position in the world, now.' I know that if I see a photograph of, or an item from our 'family' home it has so much more resonance, and is full of potency, but I couldn't look at those objects on a daily basis.

In relevance to the above, maybe I should comment about the blanket on the bed ...?

Nanna's Knives. Utensil.

We have various inherited items within the kitchen, some are never used but are kept purely for nostalgic reasons (there’s that word again).

These knives belonged to my maternal grandmother – Frances. My mother thinks they were probably a wedding present, and despite the box being a little worn at the edges, the six knives within are just like new; I suspect they were rarely used – or perhaps ‘kept for best’. I actually love the box label more than the knives! and perhaps it is about time they were put to use?

In total contrast to these beautifully kept knives, in the same drawer we have something that belonged to D’s mother – it is the most basic of implements – we assume it was used to lower eggs in and out of boiling water? I think on average I probably use ten percent of the objects within this particular drawer, maybe it’s time to spring clean?

Sewing Cabinet

On the other wall to the right of the door as you go in, is another shelving unit. On the bottom shelf on the far left is a small folding cabinet.
The sewing cabinet is wooden, and has lots of compartments. Most people had one of these in the 1970's. It holds many delights: ribbons, ric-rac, threads and buttons (some of which are still on their cards). My favourite item is a small needle-case with the inscription that reads, 'Trouble Are Ended When They Are Mended.'(second pic down)

Green Cabinet

There isn’t really enough room for this cabinet in the kitchen – or anyway else for that matter – but I like it too much to sell.

I actually bought this from T, who was moving house and had nowhere to put it – her loss was fortunately my gain. She bought it from a junk shop in Nottingham and when I first knew her she lived in a house with a very tiny kitchen, this cabinet with the drop down leaf was her only work surface in the entire kitchen, good going on her part I think! When I initially bought it, it was for a house with a dining room, where it fitted more comfortably – this seems to be an ongoing issue with the furniture in this house!

The Typing Pool Upstairs

So, we were going up the stairs ... at the top you turn back on your self and walk to the end of the hall into this room. It's traditionally supposed to be the 'Master Bedroom,' but we have it set up as a library/ work room/ spare bedroom. It's where our collection, of 18 (and counting), typewriters live. Aren't they lovely?

As you can see, we haven't 'restored' the door yet. It did have two large pieces of hardboard (a common occurrence in this house) nailed to either side, for that 70's flush look. Amazing that the original bubble glass and door was underneath - good old DIY'er Albert again.

From top[ left, an Olivetti Valentine 1969, Adler Tippa 1971/72,  next shelf from left: Olivetti Lettera 22, Olivetti Lettera 32, next shelf two Imperial 66's 1959, last shelf from top Olivetti Adding Machine, and a Hermes 3000.
Yes the cases underneath all contain typewriters too!