My new book Estate of Mind is coming soon...
Ever wonder what it would be like to turn a derelict old mansion from heap to heaven? And after you hauled out all the trash and scoured it from top to bottom began to decorate it? Cursing the slob who trashed the house to begin with?
My heroine Miranda was desperate. She moved from the city to the country simply to find a retirement center for her aging father, and to get her two children out of city schools.
She had no idea it would be next to impossible to find an apartment ...or a job.
When she was offered the job of housekeeper to a heap of a house, she knew she didn't have any other options.
Slowly she began to dig out the house. And to her surprise, the attic was full of treasures. So after all her refurbishing, she began decorating.
As a former interior designer, I had many great experiences to pull from. And I know first hand what treasures lie in people's attics...
Stacks of newspapers gone, piles of trash dragged to the curb, and slowly the house started to take shape.
Old lighting fixtures were cleaned and restored.
Pretty little areas were carved out...
Miranda wanted to decorate one room for her four year old daughter. And was delighted to find a room with a window seat.
She could picture her daughter's teddy bears and dolls all lined up in the window...
Little by little the bedrooms took shape...
Of course not all of them were pastel and girly...
The dramatic pieces she found in the attic were fabulous, though her struggle to push them down the stairs was a nightmare.
Regardless the theme, all the bedrooms were romantic ...
Sometimes it just took the addition of lovely linens...
Of course when her own furniture moved in, she had some rather feminine rooms ....
She met the challenge of mixing her things with what was already there...
And some became blended rooms...
Inviting areas were created...
She made a few spaces her own...
Restored bathrooms...
Quiet spots for reading a good book...
And of course made the kitchen the heart of the home.
When she was finished, her friends suggested she turn the mansion into a bed and breakfast.
And why not, the house was now beyond gorgeous and ready to turn into a business...
But what happened when the absentee owner finally comes back? Only to be checked in by her seven year old son?
Have a cup of tea and discover one woman's journey of creating an entirely new career for herself because she had no choice when she put her family first. Enjoy the horrors and beauty of restoring an old mansion and let the story of Estate of Mind take you away for a few hours.
Out late this summer. Available everywhere including here at Her Majesty's English Tea Room, where I will be happy to fill your order and mail you a copy.
Jacqueline
