Mantescu House back in September 1937

This photograph is the oldest surviving photo of Mantescu House. It was taken on the day my grandparents Gheorghe and Zoe got married in September 1937. It shows the left wing school extension which no longer exists. Luckily, the house could be restored largely due to this treasured old picture.

Approaching the house

As you approach the property, this image greets you with an imposing yet welcoming pose, almost like a person standing there waiting for you.

Approaching the house

When I was a child, my late beloved Grandma Zoe used to stand by the fence with her arms over, looking out for us when she knew me, my sister and Mum and Dad were coming to visit. The moments we caught sight of one another are still so vivid in my memory.

The main gates

The original house picture portrays the gates with a shingled roof on, so that was recreated to awake in the visitor, the sense of pride and respect owed to the house. Not all houses had imposing gates. However the most important houses in the village did. It was a way of showing status as well as command respect and admiration for the craftmanship.

No.50 House has a bell

Number 50 was reconstituted from the original house number plate found on a piece of fence back in 2012. Otherwise no one seems to know the house number in the community, due to the fact that historically people's houses were found by the family's name, hence we kept the name Casa Mantescu as the villagers remember it.

View from the Barn

Until recent years the house sat on a double plot of land that also incorporated the barn, from where this picture was taken. Now this belongs to a family member that luckily, has the intention to restore it too.

Childhood view revisited

This is an iconic image of the house for me as back in my childhood days when here, I used to play on a swing on the first floor of the barn. My late beloved grandfather Mantescu made the wooden swing that I still keep in my heart. Whilst playing on the swing, the child back then photographed this image in my memory - a memory that would keep bringing me back here.

A warm welcome from me

Standing on the top floor balcony, greeting my first visitors after the restoration was an immense joy. Fortunately one of my guests captured that joy in this picture.

Odaia mare (the Grand Room)

This cosy living room is still keeping the atmosphere of the days when the family gathered here most of the time during the day. This was the place for dining, sitting and talking, cooking and spending long winter days by the fire, and even nights - as this room once also had a single and a double bed, often used to sleep in to keep the family warm at night - which saved heating the whole house.

The Grand Room (Odaia mare)- view towards the kitchen

The opening into the kitchen, the doorway on the left, was created for practical reasons.
I wasn't there before. Also it allows just the right amount of natural lighting, that is diffused enough to create the atmosphere of days forgotten.

Grandad's Bureau

A bureau inherited from Paul's late grandfather and which was used by several generations, stands in a fitting corner in the Odaia Mare (grand room). This is just an example of how the past and the present were woven into the texture of the house.

Restored stove

The Stove was the focal point of the room and had multiple functions - it was mainly used for cooking on a daily basis, heating the room and for heating hot water.

Making the fire - a delightful but tricky experience for the inexperienced

Many times I watched my grandma making a fire in the stove that was here. Sadly, it had collapsed by 2012. However, this rebuild is a very faithful rendition. Even if we don't intend cooking here, making a fire (or at least practising) is as satisfying and as difficult if you've not done this before. I recommend it's best to let an experienced person show you, first. I guarantee that the efforts worth it.

A lamp with a traditional shade.

The lamp is not an original item but it fits well with the rest of the interior and it has a personal touch, as I created the shade from an old traditional family doily.

The settee for story telling

Even if not original, the settee, as well as its two-seater sister, completes the space in a way i felt was needed. It's very inviting, comfortable and comforting when you just want to chill and think of the past, tell stories or read a good book and relax.

Kitchen candle nest 1

This niche in the kitchen is an original feature which was kept during the restoration, as it has an aesthetic, as well as historical value.

Kitchen candle nest 2

The two niches in the kitchen wall were originally not rendered, as the kitchen itself was just a cool room (zimnic) as well as a pantry. It had no windows and always stayed at the same temperature, regardless the season. It was built of stone and bare earth and was filled with air-curing meat, cheese, basic veg, and even eggs were kept here in a bucketful of salt which was placed in a whole dug straight in the ground. This would have been the 'fridge' facilities of those days.

Kitchen table area

A nice place to enjoy a quick breakfast, a coffee or tea or even have a chat over a cup of local herbal tea and keep the Cook company. The wicker stools have smaller stools underneath, so the table can accommodate up to 4 people if moved into the middle of the room.
This is where we had the first rustic meal after the restoration, as well as the first dinner with guests, as our dining table wasn't assembled at the time. It made a lovely memory!

A bit of the kitchen

For added functionality and practical reasons, 21st century home appliances had to be added to create comfort for us and everyone else visiting. However, the kitchen was designed with the old days in mind and I tried to imagine how my grandmother would have liked it to be. I hope she does like it from up there, as she always struggled to keep everything handy and within reach.

The Balcony

A large beautiful balcony full of memories of once upon a time. A place to dream of the old days and admire the close up mountain view. Listen to the birds and the song of the stream, breath the fresh air and smell the forest scent.

Kitchen corner

Even if this room was just a cool room before we tried to turn it into what I hope my grandparents would have wanted from a kitchen. Simple, functional, keeping a traditional look and with as much equipment in sight to make it rustic and help find everything easily and quickly. Within reach was the principle that my grandma always sought, when it came to cooking time.

One viewpoint from the Balcony, looking west.

Whichever direction you look from the Balcony, there is a different picture to immerse yourself into - all equally dramatic! One experience you don't want to miss while here!

Guest bedroom 1

The stay at Mantescu House brings a rare opportunity - that of experiencing life in the past days, in a way that does not happen when you visit a museum. Therefore this room, like the others, is furnished to immerse you into that emotional connection with history.

Room with a view

Imagine waking up to a morning where the blue sky is beautifully laced by the shingled roof eaves. What a better way to wake up than with a magical view like this and listening to the gentle bird songs! It's like waking up in a fairy tale!

Side and rear view of the house

The building delightfully blends into its environment and speaks about my ancestors' respect for nature and landscape. The pine shingled roof took over 12,000 individually made pieces and was a labour of love, as it brought the house roof back to its original style. It's meant to withstand the heavy snows of winter but also keep the house cool in the summer due to the three-layered overlap of the shingles. The gateway and the swing have identical of roofs, which is specific for the area.

Another viewpoint from the upstairs porch - life in the village

You can take the pulse of village life by sitting on the balcony and watching passers-by on the road below. This will give a glimpse of village life and will take you back in time, as the people here, keep to their way of life. The same for hundreds of years, (though some have got mobile phones too). This picture shows a horse, used pulling load carts of logs or hay, being taken home at the end of a busy day.

Village view from the back garden

There is a footpath that takes you up into the back garden, which stands way above the house. Here you will have an inevitable sense of wonder. Everywhere you look around you, the views are impossibly beautiful to describe. This picture is only one angle which shows the west end of the village.

Under the oak tree

This picture will hopefully give you an idea of the scale and heights of the landscape. I am stood under an old oak tree which my ancestors would have probably stood or worked or rested under. It's an amazing feeling!

The back garden- from the top of the path

It's hard to describe this picture, the sense of awe you have once you are in this picture! It's an image you can't forget and you don't want to part with, once there. A natural temple of peace and serenity that will engage all your senses! Maybe your sixth sense too!

A stone with a mystical story

When you get close to this three-sided pyramid shaped stone you will note what looks like foot holes leading all the way to the top of it. There are also obvious metal veins that cross it. It is recommended that you do not try to climb it, but admire it from close up and let your imagination tell you what the possible uses it would have been for in the long gone past. It's believed, that it may have been used as a sacrificial altar by our pre-Christian ancestors, the Dacians.

Master bedroom

The main guest bedroom is meant to bring back the noble feel of this place. Guestrooms were once seen as the best rooms and were only used when family, friends or special guests visited for more than a day.
The bedspread is another family heirloom, as it was once lovingly crocheted by Paul's mother and the individual panels were stitched together by his maternal grandmother. It makes me so proud to see how much creativity runs in our families.

This guest room is furnished to make you step back in grandma's days and feel that once upon a time emotion. The stove is a recovered version of the original and it makes a wonderful atmosphere when in use.

Stepping into this bedroom is steppting bakc in time in the days of wood burning stoves. It's a room you don't want to leave nce in here.

I could look out through the balcony archways endlessly. The magnificent views are being framed in a beautiful way by this handcrafted opening that is so authentically Wallachian. It's a prayer in a picture.