Breg House was bought by two British brothers in 2007. It was love at first sight, a tumbledown-mountain- home, and despite having no idea how we’d fund it, we immediately made grand plans to renovate and restore the house back to its rustic glory.

However, unexpected events occurred (one divorce, one baby) and suddenly, restoring a 300-year-old cabin in the Slovenian mountains became the least of our worries. After just a couple of years, it seemed our Slovene Dream was over.

With hearts as heavy as lead from the local mine, our only option was to sell the house, and forget Slovenia.

So, we put it back on the market. And there it sat, during the economic crash of the late 00’s, with not a single offer made. Meanwhile, every winter, the heavy snows and harsh weather took their toll; the chimney fell off, there were sporadic water problems, a cow damaged part of the roof.

But then things changed. With lives back on track, the Slovene Dream was reborn. We took it off the market, and started drawing up plans for the restoration. Over the next five years, dozens of trips were made to work on the house, restoring, renovating, improving. All sorts of problems were discovered along the way; pipes that had been leaking for years, meagre electricity supplies and dubious wiring, but little by little, we brought the house back to life.

We aimed to retain the amazing character of the oldest part of the house, a chunky, hand-cut wooden cabin, but add modern conveniences: a bright, light kitchen, hot water, and a cosy lounge.

There’s still much to be done, but Breg House has now become somewhere I love to spend time. It’s unique, rustic and very rural.

I now live and work in Slovenia, and regulary write about aspects of life here. See the blog to read more about Slovenes and Slovenia.