Nesting Ideas for an Organized Beautiful (Medieval & Elven Inspired) House, Making my home like Rivendell.

If I could build my dream house, it would look like a cross between Rivendell and Beorn's house, as described in the books.

This makes me think of Beorn's house. Wood and stone. picture credit: Little Moreton Hall.

Another one that reminds me of Beorns house. Picture credit here.

Not the movie version of Rivendell. Art Noveau is cool and all, especially for jewelry and lanterns, but as a house, its not homey to me.

The movie Rivendell: Beautiful but not homey...

even if you cross it with a Thomas Kinkade painting....

And Rivendell, is, after all, described as the "last homely house."
In the book, its described as white plaster with dark beams, as Frodo is waking up, being healed. This was always reminiscent to be of an infirmary in a medieval monastery, on holy ground safe from your enemies at the gate, a place of peace and healing.

picture credit here.

But it also was full of elves climbing trees and singing, and a long table with a feast, and a big hall with a fire in it, where the elves sung ballads in after dinner. This made me think of Medieval halls.

picture credit here. Ignore the tourists clothes, and focus on the firelight.

White plaster with the dark beams, and tall high latticed windows, long tables, and fires and singing. Kind of like an old English Church, or a Medieval Great Hall.

Vaulted ceiling like this, but no dark paneling or museum-feel. It would be crammed with elves and a big fireplace, and harps and all that. Picture credit here.

Like this, but bigger and less wood, not as dark. The windows would be bigger with more trees, strung with lanterns, to be seen out of them. picture credit here.

Something between the two of these, but with no dark wood paneling, and more white plaster reflecting the firelight. And taller windows. And more torches and lanterns and harps and all that.

Soooo, how do I mimic this in a two bedroom apartment?

High White Walls: I need white walls reflecting the light (I can't do dark colored walls, even pastels are a bit dark for me. I crave shades of white and beige at the darkest).

Dress up the Windows: with lattice-like cut out panels, etc, on posterboard, affixed to the windows.

I would make my knockoff panels from posterboard or something. Real thing from here at Acurio Lattice

 Lighting: Lots of warm lighting. I will scour thrift stores, and perhaps spend actual money at Hobby Lobby. And ofcouse make my knockoff Lantern-lamps. 

Inspirational Decorations:

Cutting Edge Stencils

from a talented artist on etsy for sale here.

 

Keep the walls bare except for---

• Big icon paintings/Medieval Illuminations high up on the walls. 
• Beautiful Weapons & Banners: mount the kid's medieval shields and spears HIGH UP on the walls like decorations. Also, the banners. I have one of a lion that my mother in law made. I want to make more with Elven themes as well. Its a way to surround the kids with beauty that they can't destroy. 
• Elven Art: Simple black-and-white line drawings of runes and trees like the gates of Moriah. I am going to make a simplified version of the gates of Moriah on a posterboard, and I have a piece with trees and runes on it made by my aforementioned elvish sister-in-law.
• Elven Smithing. Anything that looks like metal wrought leaves, or something elven smiths would make. I've already got 2 pieces, one as a Christmas present from my elvish sister-in-law, and one I found at a thrift store.

 

Some things I have...

Some things I have

I want my house to be laid out like a medieval house--which is the largest room will be communal, a focus on being together as a family.

Kitchen & bedrooms will be smaller and functional--that is really just for eating, sleeping, and getting dressed (or for introverts to flee when the need arises).

One room will be set aside as a chapel (perhaps also kind of a library as well, it will be kind of like a Beit Midrash, but the Christian version) Then the most space will be devoted to the Great Hall---a kind of combined dining/living room. Where we eat, do homeschool, read, and just hang out. I have observed that my family likes to clump, that is, even if we aren't actually talking or interacting, we like to hang out in one room together, all doing our own things. A kind of companionable presence.
There is also the "solar" which was the hangout for the family of the manor/castle. My current idea is just to collapse the Great Hall and the Solar, since we dont' have servants we're trying to hide from. And also because I'm going to be implementing this in a 2 bedroom apartment.


Master Bedroom: (with baby gate) Mom and Dad's bed, Mom and Dad's clothes, pack n play for babies under 6 months old.
Non-child-proof things: Bookshelves of art supplies & Legos. Sewing machine (& sewing supplies) corner and Computer(s). Work-table for art, sewing, etc.

Master Bathroom: (behind the Master Bedroom's baby gate) Dangerous things. Diaper pail. All makeup, cleaners, and medicines (child locked cabinets, or even better, high cabinets/shelves). Diaper changing table if it fits. Laundry hampers.

Kid's Bathroom: Bare essentials for kid usage, as this is the bathroom they will have free access to. A rack of books to read in the bathroom, footstools, potty chair, and potty seats.

Kid's Bedroom: Clothes all in the closet on cubicle-shelves and hanging up. (no dressers). Out of season clothes in tubs in the closet. Maybe some spice racks down low to put books in, or a couple toy boxes and a low bookshelf, but keep the floor as open and clear as possible. A crib (for babies 6-15  months) and sleeping mats/bedrolls which are stored in the crib during the day, and unroll at night.
A wall-mounted night light and music player, to play chant and worship music during the night.I will somehow have to secure the wires behind a banner screwed to the wall (through rivets), to keep the nightlight and the electronics out of kids reach.
The walls will be mostly open, except for icon paintings, kid's toy weapon racks with shields, and banners.
There will also be hat & shoe racks/shelves by the door.
The goal is to keep the floorspace as open as possible, to allow for play during the day, only needed to roll beds and bedding out during the night.


Linen closet: Out of Season blankets, sheets, towels, rags, baby blankets, camping chuck box etc.

Great Hall/Solar: A large wood table on one end, with benches (so much easier to cram little people in. I will need to start scouring thrift stores for benches...). A crucifix high up above the table. This is where we will eat, study, paint, and do things. On the other end there will be a couch, and most of the toy boxes.
The walls will have my elven lanterns (for the boy's room nightlight, as the couch will be doubling as a bedroom for Isaiah and any other  boys the Lord sends us). There will be the main music player up high with our CD collection so there will be music at all times. One corner will have a crucifix & Icon Set & bookshelves to be the chapel corner (maybe have a painted posterboard stained glass window??), but we'll probably do most of our family prayer stuff at the table.
I haven't figured out yet if this room's decor will be mostly Elven Art & Smithing, or Medieval weaponry. (There will be Medieval Icons)

Kitchen: Small and functional, hopefully with a gate across it somehow.

Chapel & Library: No space here, so I will dedicate a corner of the Great Hall.

Hall by the Door: Shelves and hooks for hats, shoes (2 pairs per kid), and coats.