Life at Chaos Cottage
Chaos Cottage is our slightly chaotic attempt at creating a slower, more sustainable life in the English countryside.
Between antique hunting, growing our own flowers and food (with mixed success), multi-generational living, and trying to keep silly spaniels from helping too enthusiastically, we share a little of everyday life here in the hope that it brings you a smile and a little joy - let's face it, we all need a bit of that these days.
01
Flowers & Food!
We have 3 acres here at Chaos Cottage which is split into; quite a long garden at the top of which is an orchard, behind which is our vegetable or 'kitchen' garden complete with polytunnel and raised beds. Then right up at the top is our field in which we've planted approximately 400 willows, three cherry trees, two rowans, one walnut and another that remains a mystery but is probably a beech.
Since moving here in 2021 we've grown loads of veg - we're almost self-sufficient, saved the orchard from flooding, created two wildlife ponds and begun to create the cottage garden that Chaos Cottage deserves by adding flower beds and growing a ridiculous amount of dahlias and other flowers of course, but boy, do dahlias take some maintenance!
It's been hard work! And there have been plenty of failures but it's good for the soul and our guts - both internally and externally!
02
Chaos Cottage is also our business. We source antique and vintage items - furniture, paintings, porcelain, garden 'stuff', agricultural salvage, things that make us smile. Things that have had a life and have a story to tell (oh! we sell books too - collectable and antiquarian). Basically things we fall in love with that provide style and quality that can often be missing from their modern equivalents.
We source from house sales, traders and auctions and sell directly or via Etsy. Our claims to fame include; furniture for Coronation Street, books for Bletchley Park, beautiful china and porcelain for Hollywood (a number of times and we like to think one was for the Barbie movie). There have been numerous items for photoshoots and private collectors of course.
Old things matter. They are often one-offs and their beauty is often in their imperfections. In addition, they have literally stood the test of time and therefore offer great value as it's not very often a client will lose money on a piece when they have a change of style and sell it on. Vintage and antique finds are often investment pieces. Yes, like most things they suffer from 'fashions' but often outlive fads.
We love their honesty, kookiness, individualism and imperfection.
03
Our Family & Other Animals!
We're Gen Xers and so, along with our five silly spaniels, we also have an octogenarian for whom we created an annexe out of one of the outbuildings. It's posh! And, in keeping with my mother's lifelong habit, went wildly over budget. She has a fabulous view of the garden and can pop her head out of her stable-style kitchen door to pet the dogs without having to risk them running in. I also provide 'meals on wheels' up the garden path (even in the rain and snow!).
We've always had dogs. At the moment we have two springer spaniels - BamBam Banana and Daffy (Sunday name Dauphinoise - there's a food theme going on). Our cocker spaniels are Beanie Baby who is actually the mum of Pickle Pies. Pickle's dad, Pies, is also here at the moment as he belongs to our son and he's boomeranged back home like a typical Millennial!
So, we're multi-generational. Charlie (son) has unplugged from the matrix, so to speak, and currently has two caravans parked up on my beautiful field turning into something like a scene from Guy Ritchie's 'Snatch'. While his dream is to have his own field and live off-grid, he is currently plugged into my electricity and water....
Life is complex and sometimes challenging, but isn't that what makes it life?
04
From the Journal
We share stories from our life here at Chaos Cottage via our blog which we try to keep honest, humble and real.
Living more sustainably and mindfully, and our attempt at slow living while also looking after an elderly relative in decline, supporting adult children with their lives, and running our own business (not to mention clearing up after silly spaniels) is not easy. Friends and associates often say they envy our lives but it's not easy. It's tiring (we're in bed by 9pm) but it's hilarious, annoying, fabulous and real. It's chaos but with heart.
