{chota house-a year on}

{keys!}

A year ago today I got the keys to my house. My parents had told me that I should be prepared for a bit of disappointment. They were right--I was so excited to walk through the door, but when I opened it, the house seemed a bit more shabby than I remembered, the rooms were smaller than I had thought, and I was overwhelmed by a long list of jobs that needed to be done. Where would I start? Every room needed to be painted. All the carpets needed to be taken up and floors refinished. What would I find under the floors? Immediately, I thought "Quick, let me try to get this carpet up in the living room and see what lies beneath." A quick tug on one corner and voilà- wooden floors-phew!
I certainly had grand designs before moving in...& had a whole lots of ideas... but I suppose it's that excitement that gave me the energy to do all the work. Even though I still have a list of things to do (tile the fireplaces, paint the shed, get some grass down in the garden etc...) I have to say I'm pretty proud of all that I've accomplished this year. I'm even more proud to say I didn't hire a single person--of course my parents came to do the floors, the built-ins, and the picture rails, but all the rest has been moi.
So, here are some pictures from the last year, to celebrate Chota House and all that has been accomplished this year:

In the first week, it was a few paint jobs:

{walking into the house for the first time as owner! the paint! the carpet! ahhhh!}

{the first room to be painted was the bedroom--had to get rid of those stripes!}

{walls painted, carpet torn up}

Then came painting the downstairs: 

Then the removal of the carpet (flea-ridden at that) & boards: 

{woohoo!}

Painted out the stripes in the study too: 

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

Then the removal of the carpet in the hall & the painting of the walls (goodbye lime green):

{before}

{in progress}

and finally with the finished floors: 

Then I attacked the kitchen, painting out the red walls, and finally changing the knobs & painting the cabinets:

{goodbye 90s knobs}

{goodbye fake wood}

{hello lovely blue & gold!}

{& recently I got rid of the red tile!}

Then my parents came and redid the floors for me:

& they built in cupboards & bookshelves:

{Simla helping out!}

Then in the bedroom, my parents made me some lovely wardrobes:

{BEFORE, as previous owners had it}

{in progress}

{after!}

 & then they installed picture rails throughout the house:

 

& then just recently, I've managed to paint the spare bedroom, getting rid of the last of the wallpaper in the house:

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

& also paint the exterior of the house:


So my Chota House has come A LONG WAY in the last year:

I now feel pretty happy to call this place my home!
xo
L

{Chota House}

Our family has a tradition of naming our houses. Ever since I was a child I was filled with tales of the houses that my Dad knew in India... There was Brancepeth in Simla (where my Granny was born & raised) and Arnside in Coonoor. Then my family immigrated to Canada and my grandparents named their house in Bird's Eye Cove, Swoon Bhavan, and finally Mamre Oaks in Victoria. My parents then took on this tradition and what followed was Edgefield in Oak Bay and Craigmont in Rockland (among others) and finally they reside today in Gaudeamus in Nova Scotia. Of course the boats we grew up on were all named so as a child this just seemed normal. Even though we have lived in many houses all over the world, my parents have taught me that each one is unique, and that you make it a home, no matter how long you might stay there. The joys of renovating are seeing the results and making a mark on a place in time.

{my grandparents at Brancepeth, Simla)

{outside the printing press, MIK, founded by my grandparents in Lahore in 1947, where they also had their house (photo taken by me in 2005 (my parents in the centre); my sister Esther furthest to the right)}

{me outside a haveli in 2005, close to where my father was born in Peshawar, Pakistan}

{Edgefield, in Oak Bay, Victoria, BC, Canada}

{Craigmont, the fantastic Arts & Crafts mansion designed my Samuel Maclure in Rockland, Victoria BC, Canada}

{my parents house near Coveyachts, the marina they founded in Maple Bay, BC-check out their lovely jaguar!)}

{while I grew up on boats, this was our house on land for all of my childhood: 'the Carnsew House'}

So it seems only right that I christen this little house with a name of its own...

My house was built in the 1890s as a worker's cottage, for the workers who served a sand pit at the bottom of the street. It is thus a simple abode; a fairly small dwelling with some interesting old features, such as fireplaces in every room, and although they seem rather grand today, they were pretty simple for the time it was built.
For those of you who follow my blog regularly you'll know that it's called tinza because it was the nickname given to me by my four older sisters. It derives from tiny. So I had thought to call my house 'tiny's cottage' but somehow this didn't seem right. I imagine Tiny's Cottage to be less urban and to be more cottagey with beams and inglenook fireplaces... I wanted to also speak to my family's roots in India and to reference the fact that my returning to my ancestor's home here in England came by a rather circuitous route...from British India to Canada and then back to England. Chota came to mind as it means small or tiny in hindi. I could have followed this with Bhawan (or Bhavan), which means home or house, but somehow this sounded too foreign. So Chota House seemed like a perfect fit. It's a tiny house but also Tiny's House.

{a little water colour I did of the house!}

so...Chota House it is!: my new home in Bedfordshire which is getting a makeover and feeling more & more like home by the minute! I just need to get a sign made & then it'll be official! My parents arrive in just over a week-it's the first time they'll see it in the flesh & I'm setting them to work: they'll refinish the floors and build some bookshelves and wardrobes etc...
can't wait!
xo
L

{Canadian Thanksgiving in the new house}

{thankful!}

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving and I decided to continue the tradition of hosting a little get together. I kept it small this year (compared to the 15 guests I had last year!)
It was a fantastic opportunity to host in my new house, which is still a work in progress (!)
We sat down to a lovely chicken lunch, then went for a walk through the town and along the canal to burn some of it off and to build an appetite for the pièce de résistance--pumpkin pie!
Here are some pictures from the day:

{the house is all decorated!}

{dressed for October! black & white & orange!}

{le poulet!}

{Simla enjoys the company!}

{I finally found some pumpkin pie in the Uk!}

{in the oven!}

{voilà!}

 xo,
L