When we first walked through the house, it had been empty for some time. The roof was sound, the walls were thick and the light came in at angles that made us stop talking. We decided, quite quickly, that our job was to do as little as possible, and to do it well.
Repair, don't replace
Where the stone was cracked, we repaired it with lime mortar, which lets old walls breathe. Where floors were worn, we kept them. Where windows leaked, we restored the frames rather than swapping them out.
Local hands
A stonemason from the next valley rebuilt the garden wall. A joiner made the staircase balustrade and the window seats from oak. Local weavers and a linen supplier we trust provided the bedding and the throws.
Our job was to do as little as possible, and to do it well.
A quieter kind of design
The palette comes from the view: olive, stone, clay and the dark of wet slate. Everything is chosen to feel as though it has always been there, and to improve with wear.
Repair over replacement, local makers and a light touch: it is the approach we would take with any house, and it is why The Alder House feels the way it does.
