December, 2017 – Graham Miln

Welcoming Our First Guests

We enjoyed having our first visitors to stay. It was an opportunity to see if the house design worked with guests, it did, and to take numerous photos, I did.

Our house is not luxurious but it is warm and designed to make use of every square metre. We do not have a dedicated guest room. When guests come to stay, we transform what has become Megan’s office into the guest room. The transformation gives our guests their own bathroom, privacy, and a little space to themselves at night.

We experienced how well this arrangement worked when we visited friends in London. This was something more than a simple en-suite. Having your own bathroom and space as a guest is wonderful. We later saw this approach reappear in house plans suggested by various builders. In those plans, the separated area was marketed as being for the parents or master bedroom.

We took that experience on board. In our design we adapted the idea and instead ensured guests would benefit, rather than the master bedroom. At this stage of our lives, we like the idea of a family section of the house and a shared family bathroom.

Our house design confused the builders. They assumed uses of the spaces that were never intended. At times that caused quizzical exchanges.

What we have built is particularly attuned to our needs. This then was our chance to see if the design worked for guests. I think it did.

Photo Opportunity

With guests in tow, I have been out and about taking more photos than usual. Below are a few photos that particularly stand out.

Saint-Germain-des-Fossés train station
Saint-Germain-des-Fossés train station

House in Charroux
House in Charroux

Rooftops of Moulins

Vichy Opera House
Vichy Opera House

Inside Vichy Cathedral
Inside Vichy Cathedral