Birch Cottage has a new website of its own
Visit the Birch Cottage website to bookWelcome to Lackan Cottage Farm
We’re Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, we live here off grid with our daughter, our dog, cats and horses. We make all our own energy using wind and solar, grow as much of our own food as we can (it varies widely) and have used permaculture design principles to help us create a great place to live.
Here on the website you’ll find stories about the projects we’ve undertaken – what works, what doesn’t. You can come stay in our guest cottage – Birch Cottage and we will show you round, or maybe you just want to find out how to do some of this stuff. Either way, welcome.
Nearly there
Well, the kitchen is pretty much there, so time for a beer...
Our extreme flatpack kitchen
After a couple of frantic days activity, we have what passes for a kitchen. It came in a form that I like to call 'extreme flatpack' - ie some lengths of 3x2, and pine boarding. The old pine ceiling from the extension has come up well, and forms the fronts of the...
The smell of hard work isn’t so bad after all
One of the benefits of having two and a half inch thick cedar work tops is that although cutting them is exhausting, it does make one of the nicest smells imaginable.The kitchen (such as it is) design is evolving as I go, but I think I know where I am going now. A...
Introducing Doric
Our entire cooking and heating world revolves around this - the Doric range cooker, which seems to have been pretty widely used. Trouble is, information on how to best use it is rather thin on the ground - does anyone have any tips?
So many little jobs.
Now that we are more or less done with the really big jobs, the race is on to get all the million and one little things sorted. The little gas bottle woodburner moved home today, and took up its new position in the living room. Thankfully it seems to draw well,...
Spot the difference
Having a look at the original photos this morning, and what a difference 10 weeks makes...