Houses in books....where do you want to live ?

[Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow]

Just reading the thread about homes and somebody mentioned no food smells in the kitchen.
This made me think of Penelope Keeling's house in The Shellseekers.
She has a huge basement kitchen with French doors into the garden, there is a scrubbed pine table with a jug of flowers on it and a delicious smell of garlic and herbs. She has shelves full of books and lots of records and silk indian throws on the sofa and omg! I want to live there!

Which fictional house do you want to live in?

@AdaColeman - the problem is that the "staff" are slaves - would you really be comfortable with that?

Cameron Diaz house(mansion) in The Holiday.

Kentisbury Castle, also from the Abbey books (modelled on Arundel I think). Or Mantelmass.

londonmummy I think most/all of these require some acceptance that certains thing would need to change. One of mine - Rebecca - partly for the bay ! I was assuming in my ownership of that the murdered wife in the boat would not ever have featured etc ! ?

Merlins house - Applegarth - in the Last Enchantment, always loved the sound of it

Plas Gwyn or Freudesheim from the Chalet School stories, both houses had elastic sides & could expand to fit noonday of visitors.

Luna North Mandy was the first book I read that made me cry, I loved that book.

I used to get quite annoyed with Mariella for not appreciating it.

@Pogostemon Yes! There was so much Mariella didn’t appreciate!

Green Gables just for the simplicity of life
The Burrow in HP just so cosy and chaotic
The Folly in Rivers of London you would never know what was going to appear.

I always thought the house in Ballet Shoes sounded fabulous if you had enough money to live in it properly. Since I moved to London, I have been even more envious of it!
Otherwise, I agree with pretty much any of the Rosamunde Pilcher houses - or at least any of those with some level of staff!

@Whoateallthechocolate

I always thought the house in Ballet Shoes sounded fabulous if you had enough money to live in it properly. Since I moved to London, I have been even more envious of it! Otherwise, I agree with pretty much any of the Rosamunde Pilcher houses - or at least any of those with some level of staff!

Yes - how strange it seems that Sylvia was on her beam ends when her house (nowadays) would probably be worth about £20 million.

Forget having to put poor old Petrova through all that dancing nonsense - sell the house, move up North and live off the proceeds, job done.

Despite the fact it was slightly sinister and decaying, and miles away from a decent food shop, I always quite liked the idea of Charles Arrowby's house in The Sea, The Sea .

@TheChippendenSpook

I'd love to lie in the Magic Faraway tree. In Moonface's house with the slippery-slip.

I came on to say the Faraway tree!!

The Beckoning Lady (the house eponymous; Allingham, M). Then, and especially at this time of year.

Beverley Brook's gaff.

@LunaNorth

Julie Andrews wrote a children’s book called Mandy, where an orphan girl finds a derelict cottage, and inside the chimney breast is made of mother of Pearl and seashells.

She makes it all cosy and I absolutely longed to live there as a kid and still do.

Oh wow, I remember that book! I think I would prefer the big estate house and land though (I get the cottage too then ;)), wasn't there some secret passageways that the son showed her? And it was described as so warm, homely and loving!

There have been some lovely suggestions on here! Lots of books i haven't read too!

[quote Londonmummy66]@AdaColeman - the problem is that the "staff" are slaves - would you really be comfortable with that?[/quote]
Obviously, I would issue letters of manumission to one and all, on taking over the property.

What a lovely thread 😄. I agree with Thackers in a traveller in time, and also I always thought as a child the house in Little House the big Woods sounded really cosy from her description, but I’m sure in reality it perhaps wasn’t! I’m sure I will think of more once I raid my childhood book collection 😄

Thought of another one Flambards - I know it's decaying and sad but it just sounds so beautiful - perhaps I'd like to be there in the era when Christina is restoring it.

Yes to the previously mentioned Durrells/ Pilcher/ Goudge houses.

But think I would have to go for the Moomin House with all its fascinating residents, and the kindly Moominmama.

@Arbadacarba

Despite the fact it was slightly sinister and decaying, and miles away from a decent food shop, I always quite liked the idea of Charles Arrowby's house in The Sea, The Sea .

Could you cope with the sinister inner room and the creepy clicking glass curtain? Not to mention a pantry stocked purely with Charles Arrowby’s revolting ‘mad picnic’ food ideas? Chipolatas with boiled onions and apples stewed in tea, anyone?

Also loved Heidis house in the mountains, mainly for the surroundings

Could you cope with the sinister inner room and the creepy clicking glass curtain? Not to mention a pantry stocked purely with Charles Arrowby’s revolting ‘mad picnic’ food ideas? Chipolatas with boiled onions and apples stewed in tea, anyone?

The inner room fascinated me! When I moved in, Charles Arrowby, needless to say, would be out on his patronising, stalkerish arse. Hopefully in this day and age, Ocado would deliver to the area, solving the food issue.

Also loved Heidis house in the mountains, mainly for the surroundings

The simplicity of the Alp Hut was always very attractive - a life not cluttered by stuff, and things made only when needed, as when the uncle made a new chair for Heidi.

The Bistro at Three Pines, or Inspector Gamaches house when he later moves to Three Pines (all book by Louise Penny) And Jay's house in Blackberry Wine - even sleeping in the unfinished kitchen sounds so cosy!

@MolotovMocktail

The castle in I Capture the Castle.

100%. In this weather I could swim around the moat and then sunbathe naked on the roof.