Turning a Small Stone Hut into a Kitchen

Renovating, converting, or transforming ruins or neglected properties is an act of love. It can look impossible at the outset. But once you start clearing away the dirt and detritus, a space starts to emerge. The ancient stonework begins to whisper to you, and a new vision arises. This was a tiny 2m X 2m stone shepherds' hut. It had had a varied life, at one time a sleep place for the shepherds in summer when they brought their cattle up to higher pastures. Later it became a place to smoke cheese (the back of the hut was blackened by soot). Finally it housed chickens. Then it was abandoned for years and years, and the mice, shrews, and voles came.

This is how one of the shepherd's huts appeared when I first arrived up on my land in 2019. I slowly began to clean the dust and dirt away. The compacted chicken poop on the floor was about 5 cm thick. But after much sweeping and digging, I uncovered a gorgeous stone floor. I also connected my first tap to the exterior.

Remortaring

While I waited for a roof permit, I dug all the old mortar out of the stones and repointed with a fresh lime mortar.

Raising the Roof

Next I raised the front of the roof a little to give me a space to add a small window.

Next, I took off any old rotten boards and replace them. Then I recovered the roof.

The Interior

Next I turned the place slowly but surely into a kitchen. I first lime rendered one wall, and added some clay plaster sculptures.

First rough layer of lime plaster.

I added a clay plaster sculpture to this wall.

Lime mortar now complete on all walls.

You can see the final lime plaster here too.

Kitchen Cupboards

I built a worktop and added some kitchen cupboards.

Limecrete Flooring

Limecrete floor space here in between the cupboards.

Lime mortar used to grout in between the old stones.

Kitchen Complete