​In a world where we are continually bombarded with negativity and despair, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just the way humans are. Most of us are amazing in our own ways, and most of our good deeds and beautiful achievements are never mentioned or shared. This week, with Di and Bis’ courageous renovation project in Spain, I’ve got a story of both inspiration and compassion, not to mention dogs.

​From Turkey to Spain with Seven Dogs in a Van
I know Dianne and Bismil from my years in Turkey, where these two animal lovers have a long history of adopting stray and abandoned dogs. Last year Dianne and Bismil took an enormous leap of faith. They decided to leave their beautiful self-built home on the Turkish Riviera and move with their seven rescue dogs, none of which are small (indeed one Turkish Akbaş weighs more than I do). The country they planned to relocate to was Spain.
 
Now, it’s pretty stressful transporting animals across borders, and I’ve often commented it would be easier to bring a warhead into some countries than a dog. But Dianne and Bismil were undeterred. First they bought a Mercedes van, kitted it out, and decided to drive all seven dogs the 4200 kilometres from Turkey, through Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France and into Spain. That might be adventure enough for most people.
 
At the same time, they also purchased a massive but dilapidated farmhouse in Spain to repair for them and their dogs. On top of all that, when they sold their house in Turkey, the Turkish Lira had crashed. So let’s just say they are doing this on a budget. Feeling hot under the collar yet?

An Odyssey, or Two
It gets worse. Or better, depending on whether you’re the storyteller or the protagonists. Because Dianne and Bismil had so many dogs, they couldn’t fit them all in the van in one trip. So once they arrived in Spain with half the pack...wait for it...Bismil had to turn around and drive the 4200 kilometres back to Turkey to pick up the other half of the dog family! And let me tell you, when you’re driving a van with Turkish plates in and out of Europe, you’d better be prepared to have the thing frequently pulled apart at the borders, as well.
 
While Bismil was crossing a continent on a dog rescue mission, Dianne held the fort, conquered Spanish bureaucracy (no mean feat), and began renovating. When I visited her last winter, the property was in one heck of a state. We sat hugging mugs of tea in the shell of her kitchen, which she’d already begun to attack. “It’s a monster,” she said to me, shaking her head. “I’m not in love with it; it’s like an arranged marriage. I had to find something fast to house the dogs.”

​But I know Dianne. Some people have vision, and can see how to turn beasts into drop-dead-gorgeous aristocrats. Some people have the touch of the witch.

​Both Dianne and Bismil have worked their butts off this year, with seven hounds to feed and walk as well. But what they have got right, which so many people get wrong, is that they have moved step by step, room to room, rather than attempting to transform the whole beast at once. Moving in this way means you have the satisfaction of seeing one area completely finished. It gives you a beautiful space to sit in and enjoy while you carry on with the next job.
 
Needless to say, when I returned this year, I was pretty gobsmacked. The kitchen is unrecognisable. The roof is being completely overhauled. The whole place is taking shape.

A Naturally Recycled Renovation
 
What’s particularly impressive about Dianne’s approach is her commitment to recycling and using natural materials. She’s a real whiz at upcycling old furniture, and there’s no old bit of scrap she can’t wave her wand at and turn into something special.

​Lime mortar, render and crete
She has completely transformed the walls with lime and natural paints, too. She used lime throughout the house to create a series of beautiful mortars, renders, and limecretes to preserve the old stones, eradicate mould, and allow the house to “breathe”. The result, as you can see, is both authentic and warm.

Dianne’s Limecrete
For the steps and sills, Dianne created a special limecrete. She used one part lime, one part brick dust, one part sand, and a handful of straw to form these hard-wearing and beautiful surfaces. The brick dust acts as a pozzolan, which makes the lime more cementitious, while the straw fibres help knit the crete together and add a more rustic feel. You can read more about limecretes like this here.

​The Walls
The walls were totally overhauled and it’s made an enormous difference to the entire vibe. Dianne and Bismil pulled off all the old concrete render, dug out the mortar, and lovingly cleaned the stones up. Then they mixed a lime mortar from sand and lime, and re-mortared the walls. The result, as you can see, is stunning. It creates a completely different atmosphere.
 
In other places they applied a lime render and painted it with a special milk paint. I love the look; it’s both authentic and cosy.

​What’s next?
The only thing left in the kitchen is the pantry. Dianne plans to make a wattle-and-daub cubbyhole in the utility room for storing her groceries. Once that is done, she will build a bottle wall with earth plaster to separate the bathroom from the hall. A TV room is also appearing by knocking out one wall and adding a door.
 
Yes, the beast is being tamed, and looking more attractive by the minute. But I wonder, is there a fairytale ending anywhere for the arranged marriage? Will Dianne fall for her monster in the end?

​6 Important Things to Take Away from this Build:
 
1. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, panic and try to do everything at once when you take on a building project. Instead, be like Di and Bis – work out which space you need to sort out the most, and complete it. Totally. Then move onto the next. Step by step.
 
2. Don’t leave areas half-finished before starting a new task. It leaves you (and everyone you live with) in chaos, and you end up feeling like you’re getting nowhere.
 
3. In renovation, more than half the work is undoing the mistakes of those who went before you. Factor this in when estimating how long it will take.
 
4. Lime really is the way in old buildings. It creates a much warmer, drier vibe in a place. It’s also pretty impossible for mould to grow on lime render or in lime mortar.
 
5. You don’t need to build a house from scratch to enjoy natural building. Natural renders and plasters can transform even the most uninspiring box into something healthy, beautiful, and special.
 
6. If all else fails and you don’t know how to make your place more homely, get a dog (or seven). They are guaranteed to warm up kitchens, hearts, and cold feet.

Do you enjoy The Mud Home?
If you find these articles inspiring or useful please consider joining us on Patreon. Your support pays for the running of this website, my virtual help, and my sustenance. A big thank you to all The Mud Sustainers, and everyone chipping in and keeping these posts and articles coming.

Lime is one of the most underused, yet versatile, enduring and elegant building materials out there. It's amazing stuff, and does almost everything Portland cement does but better. Yup, I said better.

Lime allows structures to breathe in a way Portland cement never can, significantly reducing the opportunities for damp in your building. It's softer and more malleable, and cures more slowly giving you time to work it beautifully before it sets. This softness is important in mortar work – especially in old buildings. Portland cement is too hard and non-porous, so it ultimately begins to 'eat away' at the stones. It's been banned by the English Heritage Society for this very reason. Lime is a fungicide and an insecticide, and in most places very inexpensive. Unless you're building a multi-story car park, lime is the way.

Lime generates roughly 25% of the carbon that Portland cement does in production,and then slowly reabsorbs that carbon as it cures. Seeing as Portland cement is currently the second largest emitter of CO2 into the atmosphere after fossil fuels, we could do with using a lot more lime and a lot less Portland.

Here are 8 gorgeous things you can make with lime:

1. Render
Lime creates beautiful, breathable renders. It’s so much more suited to this job than Portland cement as it allows the house to air properly, creating a very different, drier atmosphere within. It’s anti-mold properties are also a boon if you are in a damp climate. Because it takes longer to set, you have time to work it into something of beauty.

​2. Mortar
If you have an old building, then lime mortar is a must really. Because it’s softer than the stone or brickwork, it doesn’t gradually eat away at them like Portland cement does.  

​3. Paint
I love lime paint (or lime wash) because it’s so absurdly easy to use. Most commercial paints come stuffed with chemicals, and create either an oily or plastic finish that doesn’t breathe. 

4. Grout
Yes, you can use lime to grout tiles or flagstones (see above).
​
5. Flooring
You can create limecrete from lime, which is durable and works perfectly well as a flooring. In ancient houses it’s the floor material of choice because once again, it doesn’t mess about with the self-airing characteristics of old buildings and allow damp to rise.

6. Sills and Worktops
With limecrete you can form beautiful sills, worktops, or steps. Lime takes longer to cure than Portland cement (about three weeks for adequate solidification) but is perfectly durable, and continues to harden over time.

7. Bubble Houses
You can mix lime, sand, and straw (or hemp) and make all kinds of structures with it. Have a look at this gorgeous bubble house in France by Kerterre (the video is in French).

8. The Taj Mahal
Okay I’m kidding, kind of. The Taj Mahal was rendered in a special kind of lime plaster called ‘araish’. It’s made by mixing burned clay with slaked lime, jaggery, and fenugreek seeds. It's held up pretty well, as you can see:)

Want to know how to use this stuff?
If you want to explore the Amazing World of Lime further, and learn how to use the white wonder, I have a popular course on it. It includes videos, slideshow lectures, and PDFs, and is completely downloadable.

I always update and add sections to my courses over time. Once you’ve enrolled in the course you’ll have access to all future updates.

The course includes:

• Which kind of lime you should use for which job and in which climate
• How to slake quicklime
• How to mix and apply lime render
• How to apply lime mortar and some tricks for a clean finish
• How to deal with mortar guns when using lime
• How to mix limecrete 
• How to make a limecrete floor
• How to use limecrete with tiles
• How to create lime paint or lime wash with and without colours

Health and Safety
Lime is natural and non toxic, but it is caustic, so you need to wear the right protective gear when using it. Here's the full health and safety guide for lime.

Do you enjoy The Mud Home?
If you find these articles inspiring or useful please consider joining us on Patreon. Your support pays for the running of this website, my virtual help, and my sustenance. A big thank you to all The Mud Sustainers, and everyone chipping in and keeping these posts and articles coming.