CyDoc, Gandolph,
jax, maxi, Red Wolf,
and Chinook
My room is at the end of the hall, the last door on your left in the west wing. As you enter, you can see that the door is approximately centered on the east wall of the room. To the left, the wall is plain, flush with the level of the doorway. To the right, there is a bookcase set into the wall. Walking along this bookcase, you can see that it contains all manner of books, ranging from Stephen King and Dean Koontz to Mary Higgins Clark to Star Trek right through to a few psychology journals (the more recent ones; the rest are archived in my counselling office). There are also a few knick-nacks and small framed photographs scattered among the volumes on the shelves. When you reach the corner, there is a door to your right (the walk-in closet) and another ahead of you (the bathroom). Continuing in the main room, a king-sized four poster bed dominates the adjoining north wall. The bedframe and posts are patina-ed iron, shaped to look like ivy branches are draped along the structure. The bed is a very firm waterbed; one of patches' quilts adorns the surface. It is a variation on an Amish design, with a little more flourish and curves than the original designers might have included, with a black base and four colours of thin strips (deep, rich shades of red, green, blue, and purple). There is a small wooden nightstand on either side of the bed; each contains a lamp (designed to match the bedframe) and other assorted nightstand type things (alarm clock, kleenex box, phone, etc.). The west wall is the outside wall -- there is a huge bay window with a window seat. The window seat is thickly cushioned in black with lots of pillows in colours to match the quilt. Next to the bay window, a few feet apart, is a set of glass French doors leading to a small balcony. In front of these doors are two huge chairs, luxuriously upholstered and very cushy. Between the chairs is a small wooden table, and a floor lamp (for reading at night). The south wall starts with more recessed bookcases. These ones contain more of the same types of books and objects as before, this time including stacks of sheet music, plus a stereo system, TV, and VCR. The CDs are as ecclectic as the books -- including Captain Tractor, Metallica, The Righteous Brothers, Bach, and broadway musical soundtracks. The video collection is a little more constrained -- mostly comedies, sci-fi flicks, and musicals (Grease is there, of course!!), with a couple Disney cartoons. The top-notch computer system (fully stocked with all kinds of software) and electric keyboard are set up in the corner, perpendicular, so that the same chair can serve both. They are hooked up with a MIDI connection so that I can play music right into the computer's scoring program. Another floor lamp is set up in the corner, between the computer and keyboard. The remainder of the east wall, before the door, is blank save for a few posters and framed photographs of the Master and Harem.
The carpeting is black, the thick plush kind your feet just sink into. The walls are off-white and any available spaces are covered in posters, framed cross-stitchings, ceramic masks, and candle sconces. For my "QT" with the Master, I have sets of satin sheets: red, deep purple, royal blue, hunter green, and black. The windows are hung with thick, thick, black holocaust drapes. The ceiling has many lights set into it, spaced at even intervals. All the lights, computer, stereo, TV, & VCR are all voice controlled, thanks to friends from the 24th Century. :)
The bathroom is done in white and black tile. It has a large counter around the sink on the left, a deep jacuzzi soaker tub on the right, and another shower/tub setup in the far right corner, with massage settings in the shower head. All the towels are huge and plush. The cabinets are well-stocked with scented bath oils and bubble baths. Candles are all over the bedroom and bathroom: in sconces, on tables, hanging from the ceiling. The walk-in closet is huge, with shelves and racks lining the room and a full-length mirror on the inside of the door.
Come visit any time. There are no locks on the door (but knock first -- in this place, you never know what you might walk in on..... ;) ).
not yet decorated
My room is on the third floor, three being my lucky
number. It is more of a cubby hole than a room. It is back where the roof
slants and there are two windows, one on each end of the room.
Along both long walls from the floor to where the
ceiling starts it's slant are bookshelves. These hold my most valuable
possessions. I love books and so these are full to overflowing. There is
fiction and non-fiction alike. There is a lot of history here - mostly
European and early American. The top of the bookshelves serves nicely to
hold a few more stuffed animals, a few more candles and the CD player.
Among the CD's stacked neatly beside the player, one would find an assortment
of country, celtic, classical and easy listening - if the BeeGees are considered
easy listening. A few old Rock and Roll CD's might be found if you look.
My bed is at the end of the room and is covered with
one of the famous quilts in a mish-mash of color. Several throw pillows
adorn it along with some soft and cuddly bears. There is an antique chest
of drawers beside the bed. It has a handmade doily on it, a few candles
and a vase of dried flowers. The curtains on the window are simple - the
fabric flowered. Though the room is carpeted, there is a huge old rug in
the middle of the room. It is perfect for throwing the pillows on and laying
around reading or whatever...
At the far end of the room, on one side of the closet
door is my shrine to the Colorado Rockies and the Colorado Avalanche. There
are autographed baseballs, pucks and pictures of all my favorites. (I am
currently ignoring the fact that the ((ptui)) Atlanta Braves seem to be
grabbing up some of my adored Rockies). On the other side of the door is
an assortment of shelves holding my rock and crystal collection. A light
strip is above it so these rocks can be seen and enjoyed.
I appreciate you coming for the tour. If you want
to hang around and check out the books and music, please feel free. I do
lend out books once; more if they are returned in the same condition they
left...
My room is on the south side of the house, in the
upper basement. You step in at the east corner of the north wall. It isn't
dark inside, because the south wall has been taken out and a new foundation
dug. There is an 18x10 greenhouse attached where the wall used to be. The
greenhouse floor is made of gravel so the water can drain. There are potting
benches along 2 of the glass walls and another down the center. The benches
are covered with plants and cuttings. On the far south wall is a deepsink
and steps leading to a door from the greenhouse to the garden. There's
a rabbit flap so Hosenfeffer can come and go as he pleases. His food and
'box' are under the workbench. Privacy is maintained by hollyhocks, larkspur
and gladiolous planted just outside the greenhouse walls. In the rest of
the room, the walls are painted an off shade of red, in the navy it's called
'primer red' or 'lead red' there's a turkish carpet on the floor, a beige
sofa and overstuffed chair face the tv. Bookcases are filled with everything
from 'Pollyanna' to 'Exit to Eden'. Videotapes include 'A-Team', 'Macgyver'
and 'Star Wars', as well as an abundance of romantic comedy and musicals.
The computer terminal and stereo system is along the east wall. There are
reading lamps strategically located throughout the room. Hanging on the
walls are gold framed paintings by Thomas Kinkade and my Navy cutlass.
My guitar is tucked back beside the sofa. A door on the far (west) side
leads to a small bedroom. The bedroom windows are a pair of porthole, and
walls here are creamy white, like french vanilla icecream. There's a dark
four poster bed with cream colored sheets and blankets. The bedspread is
dark brown, cream and gold patchwork. In the middle of the bed is a stuffed
eeyore. A small antique dresser holds clothes and personal items. The bed
table has a small built in book case, and on it is a silver lamp, shaped
like a mermaid. The floor is covered with sheep skin rugs. Off to the right (north) side
is a door into a small, japanese style bathroom; shower to clean in, tub
to soak.
I've installed a mezzanine level with built-in bookcases and a bedroom/office upstairs. I have a thing for timber and stone, so I'd like to retain the natural stonework for the walls and the timber or stone floor that is standard to the Castle's construction. Floor coverings will be an eclectic mix of animal hides, tribal rugs and bright modern throws.
As you enter the room you see two tall narrow windows (reasonably common to Castle design again, easier to defend) with a large open fireplace between them. Above the fireplace are several swords, knives and bows. The surrounding walls are lined with timber bookshelves, even above the doorway. There is a timber and brass ladder on a brass rail (with brass runner track inlaid in the floor) that runs around the room, well the three lined with shelves anyway. All of the bookshelves have dedicated lighting. There are several mismatched, but comfortable looking leather chairs near the fire. As well as a coffee table at footrest height and a couple of scattered occasional tables (what are they on the occasions when they aren't tables?) wih wrought iron bases and solid timber tops -- all are accommodating piles of books. There are odd things scattered throughout the bookshelves -- gargoyles, bronze icons, weapons, fetishes, unidentifiable somethings that you're probably better off not knowing about.
The most notable feature of the room is the spiral staircase to your left and the fireman's pole to your right that access the upper level. There is a gap between the stairs and pole that is surrounded by a brass railing. The bed and office is setup at the window side of the upper room. There is a walkway surrounding the gap and these mezzanine walls are again lined with shelves from the edge of the drop on one side of the room to the other -- roughly about half the upper level is shelving, again with it's own ladder-on-a-rail. Please be careful about using the upstairs book ladder, it's a nasty drop to the floor below.
When you walk in to my room, the first thing you notice is the huge bay window, complete with window seat, looking out onto the mountains near the castle. The window seat is built into the wall out of pine and has a number of throw pillows on it. There are also some Irish wool blankets draped over it to snuggle in while reading or enjoying the view. It is surrounded by built in book shelves filled with mysteries, romances and language textbooks. There are also various knick knacks from traveling around the world (I have discovered the Harem jet and seduced the pilot. He now will fly me on a moments notice to very obscure locations. I never travel alone!)
To the right of the window is an antique roll top desk. It is set up so that, with a side glance, I can look out the window while working at my desk. It has all sort of nooks and crannies too keep track of paper and objects that I have a habit of collecting. These are usually crammed haphazardly into the nooks and are the only really messy part of the entire suite. On the desk itself is my laptop computer. It is a top of the line Mac (I told you I like Scots!) with the capability to read Kanji and other foreign languages. The Master helped me track one down after enticing me away from Japan so that I could keep studying different languages. The chair is not a regular chair but one made to help my lower back and is quite comfortable. It looks like an upside down kneeler and is made of pine, just like the
window seat and floors.
When you look around, the room, you slowly realize that there are no corners. It is actually proof that a round peg can fit into a square hole. The corners are used as small rooms, closets or entrances. The doors, except for the main one, are done in the old French style so that the blend into the wall seamlessly. The wall the scene on the wall, painted in mute colours, are of the ocean meeting the mountains at sunset. It is a quite relaxing shade of purple and orange that is difficult to describe and I had to show a photograph to the painter so he could get it right.
On the left, near the entrance, there is a door to the toilet room. The suite is done Japanese style so that that this room is separate from the bathroom and even has a heated toilet seat. This is one invention that I am still surprised that Canadians have not embraced whole heartedly.
Nearer to the window, on the left is a door to the bathroom. The bath and shower are Japanese style and the floor is pine slats with a drain underneath. The shower is a hose with two brackets at various heights to put it. There is a seat for sitting on while showering and can also be used when the bathroom is in sauna mode. The bath itself is 3 feet deep and six feet long and comes complete with lid to keep the water warm and heater for hour long baths. It also has Jacuzzi jets in all the right places. It is done entirely in pine and the huge
towels and cloths (the size of hand towels) are all chocolate brown. The bathroom itself has a large window with a view of a lot of trees and mountains. It can opened widely to allow clean, cool air in to cool oneself while bathing.
Next to the desk on the right side, is a closet for clothes and linen that is accessible from the main room and bedroom. It is walk in and has a full length mirror on a stand inside.
A door enters the bedroom on the right of the main entrance. It is an 8 (1 tatami is approximately 2 by 5 feet) tatami room with and the floor is never cold because the straw keeps the that of the building and the sun that comes through the bay window. The tatami mats have royal blue binding and compliment the linen on the bed and the light blue curtains. I sleep on the ground on a double futon mattress (I prefer to be close to the master rather than lose him in the vastness of a king, thank you very much!) The sheets are high quality cotton (after nights in satin, cotton would be a special event) in either pale blue, forest green or chocolate brown, depending on how I feel.There is a thick feather duvet and a few pillows at the head. Against one wall is a trunk of souvenirs and costumes from traveling. On the
walls are a few charcoal drawings from street vendors I have met on my travels.
Almost always there is music. It is a CD and MD (mini disc) system with all the latest country, jazz, pop and soundtrack CD's. There is also a much smaller collection of relaxation recordings as I have found them less necessary upon moving to the Harem. The stereo is a Sony and the speakers Boss. There is a remote somewhere in the room, but I never can find it. There is also a console installed at the main entrance to the suite and at ground level in the bedroom so I can reach it without getting up. It controls all the lights, music, running the bath, room temperature and can even ask my sushi chef (who I have decided to let live in the kitchen) to bring me up something to eat.
There is no TV and VCR as I hang out in the game room a lot. I am currently trying to convince the Haremites that karaoke is a good thing.
The one thing that can't be seen is the hidden passage that I discovered upon moving in. From my closet there is a little side door that goes along the outside wall between the rooms. Sometimes you have to crawl, but it can take you anywhere in the castle without being seen. I haven't told anyone about it yet, so this is just between you and me, eh?
Take the Elevator! | ||||||
Front Door | Entry/Centre | Main East Wing |
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2nd West Wing | Basement |
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