The wonderment of the English country cottage

I thought I ought to get back into the blogging loop with a post about one of my favourite things: cottages! I am a bit schitzophrenic when it comes to houses because I love grand Georgian houses (below) with their elegant rooms and the sense of 'space' that we all seem to crave, but also I love cozy cottages.

[Georgian house - The Cantry]

No matter how many lovely Victorian town houses with the magnificent cornicing, plaster work and high ceilings I see, I still hanker after the nooks and crannies, odd rooms and low ceilings of a cottage. There is something inherently magical and romantic about the English country cottage.

Of course, a cottage would not be a cottage without the lovely garden overflowing with old fashioned roses, wisteria, peonies, and hollyhocks.

I wasn't aware of the worldwide popularity of this type of garden was until I came across a lady in Germany who probably has one of the most beautiful cottage gardens I've seen.

I'm sure most of you at some stage have had house envy, you know when you look in Country Homes and Interiors magazine and you see these perfect houses with their enormous kitchens, flagstone floors, agas, huge bathrooms (the list goes on)...well I'm usually quite restrained, but I was suffering from that myself yesterday. Then it hit me - how can I be so selfish? I am so lucky, I have my cottage what more could I want? I mean, yes the carpets were laid in 1970, the bathroom is a hangover from the eighties, it needs rewiring and just about every wall needs replastering, but it's mine!