A few weeks ago, Victoria mentioned how nice it would be to have her horses under the same roof as her. 
It is a nice idea. I'm not sure whether she was thinking about a home quite like this one, however it is convenient for the owner.
The owner lives on the left, and probably has two rooms, heated by a wood-burning stove. In the centre is a barn, used to store a cart and tack, and also giving access to the roof space where hay is stored. Firewood may be kept in the centre too. On the right is the stable for horses, cows, pigs and chickens. There is an inside access between all the spaces, so the owner does not have to go out in bad weather. Often there is an outhouse in the central barn, used at least in the winter. One at the end of the garden smells less in summer. Timber construction throughout is ecological, though one has to take care to burn only seasoned wood on the stove. Turnout for the livestock starts at the door. The view is nice too.
This house is a few miles south of here. The woods at the top of the hill behind contain the foundations of a fortress, allegedly built by Vlad Dracula.
Well, these are people after my own heart. Okay, I like the not having to go outdoors part. Not so keen on the outhouse. And I think I'd need to have the horses closer - like next to my office, with a Dutch door so Silk can stick her head over it and help me when I get writer's block. Thanks for the beautiful photo. Oh, the proximity to Dracula's old place might make me a bit nervous.
Posted by: Victoria Cummings | February 06, 2008 at 01:09 AM
But is it up for sale? How are house prices with you since Romania joined the EU?
Posted by: sue | February 06, 2008 at 01:24 AM
I think I would have to have indoor plumbing, but the fortress foundation sounds kind of cool! And certainly the view is beautiful!
Posted by: Callie | February 06, 2008 at 03:21 AM
There are times I definitely long for simpler life and society. Everything you need to live and do literally under one roof ... what a concept in today's culture of more, more, more. So much closer to nature, so much further from rampant materialism...
Posted by: Jackie | February 06, 2008 at 02:19 PM
My horses are so aggressively friendly that I couldn't live in the same building with them and have any peace. It's bad enough that they know which window I'm behind and can nag me (is that where nag comes from?) whenever they want something.
But this picture reminds me to ask you something. Is life less stressful where you are, or is the stress level the same, just about different things? Your hay cart falls in a stream. That's probably right up there with a computer crash. I wonder if the stresses of an agrarian life, where you fix things with the sweat of your brow, which releases good stress-relieving chemicals in your brain, leads to a better quality of life -- if you can do without all the things that make our modern life easy. I realize I'm writing this to a man with an Internet connection, which may or may not qualify you to answer but I hope you will.
I sometimes think that my grandparents, with their struggles in farming, weren't better off sitting on the porch and talk after a hard day than we are seeing the news on TV where mentally impaired women blown up as a way to kill innocent people. I think I'm making the subject too broad now. Answer if, when and how you want to. I've just been thinking about our stresses and your photos and trying to sort it out. Thanks.
Posted by: Anne | February 06, 2008 at 03:13 PM
It's a nice house, rustic, capable of being improved with things like plumbing and sanitation.
My barn incorporates an old structure like this. I have thought of making the centre part into a studio, with glass wall in place of barn doors, though I can't afford to do this now. It would be a good solution for Victoria, as the studio would adjoin the stable directly.
House prices here in a deeply rural area are quite low (10-20,000 euro for a peasant cottage). In the big cities, it's a different situation, with foreign speculators inflating prices to a ridiculous degree, and unscrupulous agents promising further dramatic rises in property values. Like the worldwide property slump can't hit Romania! (Even though I'd rate much lending here as sub-prime.)
I will write something about lifestyle vs stress soon, as this is an interesting question: thank you, Anne.
Posted by: Transylvanianhorseman | February 07, 2008 at 06:49 PM
That house looks very inviting and the thought of living "with" the animals is very comfortable sounding.
I would imagine all the animals in the building would generate additional warmth.
Perhaps it is my Danish background and their U shaped building arrangement. Was quite convenient for my grandfather to go from the house into the barns during those cold winters.
Some years ago, we had a large barn and our son lived in an "apartment" in the barn. He said it was wonderful hearing the horses during the night.
Posted by: Strawberry Lane | February 08, 2008 at 04:52 PM
That looks awesome! It’s an ideal place to relax for awhile and enjoy some peace and quiet. The color of the house stands out beautifully, and the surroundings are just perfect for a walk or for some extreme horse riding. Hehehe!
Posted by: Kevin Noel | May 03, 2012 at 11:24 PM