Maybe This Time: Archer House
Aug282010
If you’ve ever read a gothic romance, you know the house is everything. They used to call gothic romances “Girl Gets House” books, and there was reason for that: the girl marrying the hero and getting the house was a metaphor for her claiming power over her space, staking her turf if you will. But in Maybe This Time, Andie doesn’t want the house, she can’t wait to get out of the house, and when she does, she never goes back. For it to have that great an effect on her, it had to be fairly ominous. So I went on an internet search and found exactly nothing. Then Stroppy Rachel came through with an English country house that had been for sale for awhile. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted but it was damn close, so I stole the floor plans and changed them a bit and then photoshopped (badly) the house to get what I wanted, and voila, thanks to Rachel, I had Archer house.
Here’s the photo-shopped house:
And here’s the ominous version of the photo-shopped house:
And here are the floor plans:
And here’s the Great Hall where the seances happen:
And thank you, Strop. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Edited to add:
As requested, the original picture of the house, Woodlane Hall, and the original floorplans (click to enlarge):
And here’s the stone archway onto the upstairs gallery:
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65 Comments to 'Maybe This Time: Archer House'
On August 28, 2010 at 1:31 am Julie said...
I want to live there!
On August 28, 2010 at 3:45 pm skye said...
And I so *don’t* want to live there! Ack — all those rooms separated from each other. Big, thick, wooden doors, I’m sure, that block noise. All *kinds* of things could happen. You would be so isolated … ::shudder::.
On August 30, 2010 at 8:09 am KathyF said...
In England, all the rooms in houses are separated from each other, as you point out. Even modern houses like mine. This is because you shut the doors when you’re in a room and the room heats up using your body heat. I was skeptical at first, but it really works. If you’re watching TV in the family room, you’d shut the door and pretty soon you’ll feel quite toasty.
There is no such thing as an “open floor plan” in England, such as is common in America these days.
And btw, you need heat around 10 months a year. I just turned mine on and shut the door to the office because I’m FREEZING!
On August 30, 2010 at 5:57 pm Jenny said...
I bought an open floor plan house and I’ve spend the last five years putting in doors because I didn’t want to freeze to death. The minute you close a door, the temperature goes up to livable again.
On August 31, 2010 at 4:08 pm inkgrrl said...
We’re definitely spoiled in California.
On August 28, 2010 at 2:44 am Louis said...
Now that’s a fireplace!
And a nice “Gothic” house.
Nit-picking…
If that’s a pond/lake in front of the house…is there enough space to drive (horse and carriage) to the front door?
On August 28, 2010 at 2:18 pm Jenny said...
The pond is way out in the front, but there probably isn’t room to drive a carriage up. There would have been when the house was in England, but Alice great-grandpa wanted a moat, so that narrowed things considerably.
On August 28, 2010 at 4:54 am Ell said...
I know this is off-topic, but I just saw this blog and it seems like something you’d like:
http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
On August 28, 2010 at 7:44 am Emily said...
If she doesn’t want it, can I have it??
On August 28, 2010 at 8:31 am Betty Fokker said...
It was Colonel Mustard, in the library, with a wrench.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:54 am JulieB said...
Har!
On August 28, 2010 at 9:13 am Susan D said...
Lovely. And does North go for a swim in that pond? In one of his lawyer shirts?
On August 28, 2010 at 10:15 am Betty Fokker said...
Now I’m going to read the book with Colin Firth as a place holder. Even though North does not look like Colin at all. I’m totally mooning you right now.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:49 am Lora said...
I’m all for a Colin-in-the-lake scene.
On August 29, 2010 at 6:56 pm Clever Cherry said...
You can thank me for the access to Colin. Until recently he and I had a very exclusive imaginary romance. I released him because I fell in lust with Kalani Queypo.
On August 28, 2010 at 2:19 pm Jenny said...
The pond is probably pretty yucky at this point. Nobody’s taken care of the grounds. Colin Firth wouldn’t even go in there.
On August 28, 2010 at 9:36 am nightsmusic said...
I love gothic novels. I could never write one though. I just couldn’t get the house’s personality right. I notice that a couple of the bedrooms don’t seem to have a fireplace of any kind. Was this you? Or the original house?
And really, I want that house. I’m still waiting to win the lottery so I can buy myself something like that. As long as it doesn’t look like that ominous pic, I’ll be quite happy
)
On August 28, 2010 at 2:20 pm Jenny said...
I think I added fireplaces. And I rearranged some walls, too.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:11 am Lola said...
There’s got to be a ghost or two in that house. Kinda creepy.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:26 am Lola said...
Could you show us the collage again for MTT? Pretty please.
On August 28, 2010 at 2:20 pm Jenny said...
Yep, taking a picture of it today. I think it goes up day after tomorrow.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:51 am Mary Stella said...
From the front, that is the most unwelcoming house I’ve ever seen. Eerie.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:56 am JulieB said...
Oh YUCK! That is one awful house. What were the Archers _thinking_? But, it is way cool. It’s much more horrible than I imagined. The floorplans don’t do it justice. Thanks for showing it. I don’t remember seeing it before.
On August 28, 2010 at 11:10 am Kelly S said...
Thank you for the floor plan! I was having a hard time laying it out, especially the grand room and front entrance. Turns out I had the library in the wrong place. I had it where the formal dining room is located on the map. Don’t know why.
Also, I have a spoiler like question to ask, but which I will try to phrase as obtusely as possible. It has to do with Southie and Will sharing a room for the night and the extra activities that happen. Are they just really sound sleepers to not notice?
On August 28, 2010 at 2:22 pm Jenny said...
Hmmm. I think I had them someplace else that night, one of them, but it might have gotten cut. Nobody’s that sound a sleeper.
Oh, I know. In an early version, Will moved into Alice’s room because Alice was in the nursery. And nobody ever caught it. So Will went down to sleep on the couch in this version.
On August 28, 2010 at 3:44 pm Jennifer said...
Thanks, I had been wondering, too.
On August 28, 2010 at 6:53 pm Kelly S said...
Thanks! I’m also assuming Dennis was on the first floor studying.
On August 28, 2010 at 7:54 pm Jenny said...
Probably. Or there’s Kelly’s room. Maybe they went there.
Not your room, Kelly, Kelly O’Keefe’s room. Jeez.
On August 29, 2010 at 10:53 pm Shiloh said...
I’m starting to wonder why Kelly had a room… Clothes storage??
On August 29, 2010 at 4:17 pm Kelly S said...
It does get confusing.
On August 28, 2010 at 12:15 pm followingtheroad said...
Awe. You could have picked the Winchester Mystery House. That place is crazy creepy, although not very English I guess. Too much gingerbread and lace, not enough stone.
However, I do like your ominous photoshopped version. The windows all look like they have bars and the trees and plants reflected in the water look like the house has roots reaching into the ground. Scary.
On August 28, 2010 at 12:35 pm Strop said...
I generally like houses of that era. East Riddlesden Hall, Shibden Hall and Oakwell Hall all look a little like that, and for stately, ancient homes they come across as liveable in and welcoming. It’s amazing what the addition of a third storey does to the vibe.
On August 28, 2010 at 1:32 pm Liz said...
Very cool! And thank you for not putting in tons of extra bathrooms. (Yes, I am nitpicky like that.) I love old houses, but one of the trials of living in an old house is old plumbing. Keeping it running is a chore; adding more is almost impossible. It annoys me no end when books have “ancient” houses but have a bathroom for each bedroom. Don’t get me started on different faucets for hot and cold, lol.
On August 28, 2010 at 2:57 pm Robin Lee Hatcher said...
Love it, Jenny. I may have skimmed the comments too fast. Hope no one asked already. What software are you using to design your floor plans? Robin
On August 28, 2010 at 7:52 pm Jenny said...
Hey, Robin, good to hear from you.
I took the floorplans from the real house and put them into Curio just because that’s the easiest one for me to use. I’m working on a book now that has a McMansion in it, and I just shopped houseplans on the net until I found one that would work and stole it. Creative, I’m not.
On August 28, 2010 at 8:35 pm Robin Lee Hatcher said...
LOL! My credit card is glad there isn’t another software package to buy. Thanks!
On August 31, 2010 at 4:10 pm inkgrrl said...
LOL yes, mine too. I kind of love floorplans the way I love office supplies. Thank you for sharing these with us!
On August 28, 2010 at 3:11 pm Lola said...
I hope you’ll do a blog post on how you use setting in your books. When you have a spare moment.
On August 28, 2010 at 5:12 pm robena grant said...
This is fabulous. It reminds me of the cold stone manor houses and castles that I visited in Scotland. Can’t wait for my book to arrive.
On August 28, 2010 at 6:31 pm Sierra said...
Ummm…I just got back from the B&N nearest me, and the book was on the shelf. I couldn’t believe it. Even took a picture. I would have grabbed it, but I decided to be good and wait for my pre-ordered and already-paid-for copy to arrive. Plus, I worked at a bookstore for a long time, so laydown dates are a big deal for me, to the point where I feel disrespectful of an author to read a regular copy before its release.
How much trouble would they be in for having it out early?
On August 28, 2010 at 7:54 pm Jenny said...
None. Everybody in NYC who would yell at them is on vacation until Sept. 8.
Never try to get anything done in publishing in late August. Nobody’s home.
On August 28, 2010 at 8:05 pm Sierra said...
Well, I shop there all the time, so I’d hate for them to get in a lot of trouble. It just annoyed me a bit. *sigh*
On August 28, 2010 at 8:43 pm Ericka said...
i want that house! it’s not creepy, it’s just got character. and it needs someone to love it. and help it hide the bodies. WANT that house!
On August 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm Jenny said...
To be fair, there aren’t any bodies in there. Yet.
On August 28, 2010 at 9:33 pm GatorPerson said...
The outside view is pretty much what I thought James’ house should look like. Who knows about the inside. I need a magnifying glass for that.
On August 29, 2010 at 12:42 am Julie said...
Did you try clicking on the individual floors? They got bigger when I did it.
On August 28, 2010 at 10:48 pm Eve said...
could I ask if the house is still for sale? Is there an MLS listing? curious, as to how much it goes for
Btw, rereading some of your old blog posts and – You’Re AWESOME. The whole “existential” thing where you went through “should I write a blog” – you totally should. Yours is the only one I follow because of the writing style – even when a post is about nothing, I feel better at the end, happier even.
So thanks for being you. And then thanks again just for being.
On August 29, 2010 at 9:02 am Betty Fokker said...
I second this.
On August 28, 2010 at 11:24 pm Kate G said...
Interesting house. If you can call it a house. More like an institution – an asylum of some sort. Creepy, but I like the inside.
On August 28, 2010 at 11:39 pm Thea said...
I’ve put in time in houses much like the Archer manse. And, yeah, me too, don’t ever want to go back.
You’re really very good in conveying the creepiness.
On August 29, 2010 at 12:02 am Beki said...
I lust for houses big time and even I couldn’t roll over for this one. It’s supremely eerie. I can’t wait to read the book!!!
On August 29, 2010 at 11:25 am BJ said...
There is a problem with the August 29th post. The link for more doesn’t work – it says “Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn’t here.” and there is no collage or space for comments.”
On August 29, 2010 at 8:14 pm Cathy M said...
I’ve checked several times also and it hasn’t worked for me. I guess it’s a ghostly collage. Maybe we need special lighting to see it.
On August 29, 2010 at 8:51 pm Jenny said...
The post went up by mistake. Good news: The right one goes up tomorrow. Really.
On August 29, 2010 at 8:15 pm Jessi said...
You could roast an ox in that fireplace. Suitably creepy, yet ostentatiously elegant. Can’t wait!
If you don’t mind me asking (as someone trying to fine tune the details of the setting for her NaNoWriMo project and looking for resources), where did you snag the floor plans? How much did you change them, and if it was a lot, when you fiddled with them did you just use photoshop, or something more specifically oriented to building schematics?
On August 29, 2010 at 8:28 pm Jenny said...
The house with its floorplans was on the net because it was for sale in England. Our own Stroppy Rachel, who’s in my critique group, said, “I think I have a house for you” and sent me the link. I put the house and floor plans into Curio which is really not image editing software but it works for me, and made the house three stories and put a moat in front of it. I moved some walls and added some fireplaces in the floorplans, but Rachel was right, it really was the house for me.
I’ll see if I can find the originals, but I’m not promising anything. The listing is down now so the URL is gone.
On August 29, 2010 at 8:50 pm Jenny said...
Found the realtor’s PDF and posted the original house and floorplans above. Clearly the original is the better design, but the one I slopped together works better for my story. We all win. If you’re looking for it on the net, it’s Woodlane Hall. And it appears the PDF is still up there if you want to see the brass shower and all the details. It was listed for 1.3 million pounds in 2008. I don’t see any more recent listing.
On August 29, 2010 at 9:58 pm Eve said...
thank you for the info.
curiosity satisfied
On August 29, 2010 at 11:02 pm Meredith B. said...
Picture me with a slow grin of incredulous delight. The kind my mom still works for at Christmas time.
On August 30, 2010 at 7:07 am Isabel said...
You know, I have to admit, I didn’t give too much thought to the outside of the house as I read it.
But the Great Hall is EXACTLY what I pictured. It’s almost creepy, must be just fantastic exposition on your part.
On August 30, 2010 at 10:59 am Shannon said...
Wow. I *love* this house. I want to curl up and read books by a fire while rain hits the window panes. This place reminds me of the 1965 movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s, “Ten Little Indians,” a movie that scared the dickens out of me when I was a kid.
On August 30, 2010 at 11:30 am Carol Anne said...
Oh, how creepy would it be to have a cellar and have go down there, in a storm. Then again, one does not want to be TSTL.
On September 7, 2010 at 1:37 pm CrankyOtter said...
Someone should make sure a copy of Maybe This Time winds up at Woodlane Hall….
On September 24, 2011 at 12:33 pm Rachel Hoyle said...
my family and i have been living in Wood Lane Hall for the last 16 years !!!! And we were amazed to fine ‘maybe this time’ based on our house. We will be looking forward to be reading this book !!!
On September 24, 2011 at 1:58 pm Jenny said...
That’s WONDERFUL! I thought it was empty because I found the realtor’s post on the net. You have a wonderful, wonderful house!