We won’t fully restore our cottage.
And I think this trip to Italy has finally helped me understand why.
There’s something here in the buildings, the surfaces, the way things are left, that feels very different to the UK.
Not neglected, but not over-finished either. Just… lived in. Worn.
Layers build up. Materials age. Marks are left behind.
And instead of covering that over, it’s allowed to remain.
I’ve realised that a lot of the choices we’ve been making in the cottage — leaving certain things as they are, not chasing perfect finishes — come from this way of seeing buildings.
Not as something to “complete”, but something that continues.
This is a bit of a reflection on that idea, and where it might come from.
We’re Joe and Lydia, and we quit our day jobs to restore our 200-year-old cottage in Wales, and we want to show you as much entertaining and educational content as we can produce. The restoration can sometimes be daunting. A bit like renovating a cottage in Ireland, Wales can be wet and cold and thoroughly rewarding in its own charming way!
Join us as channel members here to be further involved in our journey: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChzshngWGAwc2HLASr5zkLw/join
#cottage #homerestoration #oldhouse #renovation #traditionalbuilding #patina #wabisabi #naturalmaterials #slowliving #rusticaesthetic #italy #agropoli
13 Comments
Glad you have been enjoying Italy
I adore the faded beauty of Italy,glad you both got away for a break
Hope you had/having a proper break and rest. I too wander around old ruins and stone built buildings examining and admiring the history and form/function of the buildings and their occupants.
"Decayed, but not neglected" ❤
Many of us completely get you and hold the same values and aesthetic. Here in North America, our recent history is new in comparison, but even here there are many who labor to restore old stone buildings and very humble wooden farmhouses. We battle carpenter ants and rodents and damp too, not as much but we also have -25 in the blistering winters in the North East. For me the peeling, decayed, well worn evidence of the past is infinitely more valuable than presswood and vinyl and shiny new finishes. People who don’t get it feel chaos rather than inspiration from worn things. That’s sad for them, but there are many many many who love to touch history and will gladly labor and strive and get creative to achieve that kind of beauty. It’s a spiritual thing really and it’s why I appreciate you both so much. You are much more than renovators! Thank you for sharing yourselves!
The wabi sabi aesthetic….. impermanence and imperfection ❤❤
I just recently found you two, I’m watching from the beginning, just saw you roast a chicken. I’m so impressed with you both, you’re amazing. Sorry, can’t stay, have to get back and see what’s next.😊
You are a sweet, perceptive neurodivergent, totally loveable and evolved. Keep being you! Italy knows how to age.
Great subject. Very poignant. And I'm with you on that.
The philosophy you are searching for is ‘Wabi Sabi’.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. Thank you
I completely agree with you. In this manufactured world we have lost the continuity from the past to the present.
Oh, they should have researched the use of pozzolana in Italy, since they were there. Italian pozzolana is volcanic ash. Recent research shows that the ancient Romans used it with lime and sand. It's natural, ecological, and sustainable. This mixture has anti-humidity properties, flexibility, and helps the stone repair cracks. And if that weren't enough, it also insulates against drafts. Being of volcanic origin, it allows the stone to breathe. Compared to using only lime, or lime with sand, or lime with coal ash, volcanic ash pozzolana smaller than three microns is in the top tier, and the rest are far below. In Italy and France today, it's widely used in the restoration of old stone buildings, stone repointing, and for controlling high humidity in stone. In humid and rainy climates, it's unparalleled; it's superior. In Italy, it's sold in bags; they even sell bags of volcanic pozzolana with sand and lime premixed and ready to have water added. It should not be confused with other pozzolans that are sold which contain brick dust pozzolans, etc. There's a reason they call it ancient Roman concrete; it doesn't compete with stone like Portland cement, and it resists moisture better than the classic lime mortar that's so widely used now. To lighten the wood and brighten the house, I would do the following: brush gently without scratching, then wipe with a dry cloth to remove dust, then use a mixture of water and white vinegar in a 1:4 ratio. Remove it after 3 minutes with a well-wrung damp cloth, then dry thoroughly and air dry. Next, prepare slaked lime (slaked for 24 hours). Use it as you did with the milk, but don't let it dry for more than 10 minutes; the lime should still be damp to remove. It's a mistake to let the lime dry. Remove it with a soft brush, rinsing it in a bucket of clean water, then use a damp cloth in clean water to remove everything. Dry well. If you see white marks, it's because the lime dried. In that case, spray with water, brush, damp cloth, and dry. This is the oldest method for lightening old wood. It's naturally powder-free and can be used as many times as you like until you achieve the desired lightness, but you must wait until it's completely dry and airtight before using it again. Don't use linseed oil; it doesn't handle humidity well and also darkens the wood. It was used a lot because there was nothing else available. It's a cheap, bad product. Thanks for sharing. I apologize for the length of the message; I'm using Google Translate because I don't speak English.😊