Hay House

This is what had to be vacuumed up. A few weeks back, while finishing the outer walls of the cottage and filling in the gaps of space between where the walls end and the roof sets, I went wild with straw.

I used matte medium on the walls and pressed small pieces of hay into the surfaces for a wattle and daub look. Then I used gobs of flexible cement on the tops of all the walls and sills cramming clumps of hay into it to make it look like straw had been shoved into all the open drafts in the house, as you do.

I was hugely surprised at how much "life" having the straw strewn on the cottage floor and landscape gave. It was as if someone actually lived there for the first time. It was a great lesson. If a set is too clean/pristine it is in danger of being a doll house. Give it some grit. Glue down some hay, put stuff into corners. Life is messy.

Funny note: At the same time I was doing this to the cottage I got a fantastic job with the wonderful publisher... Hay House! Best jobs I've ever had.