Welcome to my new blog series, "Celebrating Our 100-Year-Old Beach House". Here, you can find out more about what first attracted us to this sweet, old home, and why we call it our "forever" home.
Farmhouse sinks, exposed brick, vintage-inspired appliances...the rustic country chic aesthetic is having a major moment. But this trend isn't just about looking good on Instagram – it's about creating a kitchen with those copper accents
This is an article that I've been SO excited to finally write and even more excited for you to see! It's about refinishing our old new farmhouse front door!
B R Y A R T O N F A R M We purchased the 1893 farmhouse, 1900 barn, and beautiful surrounding acreage in May of 2014. Here are a few shots of what the farm looked like Before our restoration wor…
Hi Cottage Friends, It's me again, with another update. The kitchen cabinets still haven't arrived. The last we heard the paint booth broke down and needed repair, which backlogged everything. And that's all I've got to say about that. Dennis and I have been moving forward despite this set back, and I'll share what we've accomplished since my last report. (Warning. The quality of some photos is not good. It's the best I could get with my iphone, which is the only camera I have right now.) June 10, 2015 Ryan the Electrician arrives in the afternoon. He installs light switches and power outlets. I chose rockers instead of toggles for the switches. We used these in our last home and I found them to be very easy to keep clean, and I like the uncluttered look. Some people think they should only be used with contemporary decor. It's a matter of personal preference. I hear push button switches are gaining popularity. They could be fun for a more vintage look, but they're pretty pricey. About four times the cost of toggles or rockers. For me it's not worth the expense. Ryan also installed the ceiling fan in our bedroom. A ceiling fan in our cottage is a must for air circulation, both in the summer and the winter. We chose not to install air conditioning. Temperatures here dip to 40 - 50 degrees at night and warm to 75 - 84 degrees during the day in the summer. If we keep the windows open at night, in the morning the house is quite cool. Our cottage is well insulated, so if we close the windows and doors before the morning air warms, the house stays comfortable throughout the day. June 11, 2015 I purchased several containers of flowers for instant color. The metal stand was a $1 flea market find. When we have time Dennis will make a top for it and I'll give the whole thing a paint job. Ryan the Electrician installs the light fixtures. Back entry/butler's pantry. Dining pendant (raised and secured out of the way while construction continues). "All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close up." Kitchen mini pendant. Ceiling light in my workroom. Exterior lamp over each entry door. June 12, 2015 Chuck, Bronson's furniture maker, is making the mantel for our fireplace. We stop by his shop to see how it's coming along. This is the pine log slab that will become our mantel. I love the big knot and cracks on the front. Chuck will sand this down a little and stain it a dark walnut. This is my mantel inspiration photo. Source: Period Living - A Traditional Welsh Cottage June 13, 2015 Dennis begins tiling the hallway and bath floors. Chuck and Dean bring the mantel to the cottage for measurements before cutting. Here it is upside down with the corbels. Ryan is supposed to come back and change the outlet cover to a gray one. I'm not sure it will matter once the heating stove is installed. I doubt the outlet will show. June 14, 2015 Dennis and I take a drive after attending our church worship service. There's nothing like new-mown hay to soothe the senses. June 15, 2015 While Dennis works on the tile I spend time on the dry creek bed, adding rocks and potted plants. This project will take time to complete, and isn't a high priority right now. June 16, 2015 Dennis lays a lot of tile. My main task is to drive to the flooring store for more mortar. An hour round trip. June 17, 2015 Dennis grouts the tile. Back entry and bath I plant Zinnias and Nicotiana. June 18, 2015 Dennis finishes grouting and cleans the tile. Hard Working Guy I plant herbs. Dennis crafts and installs the bathroom trim. I apply primer to the door trim. And apply primer and two coats of Do-It-Best Star Magnolia to the baseboard. Star Magnolia will be used on all the interior trim. Dennis begins trimming the garden window. June 19, 2015 Dennis finishes the garden window trim. Ready for me to paint. June 20 - 21, 2015 Dennis enjoys building the trim and casings and even on Father's Day he wants to continue working, which he says isn't work at all for him. June 22, 2015 The LP gas company digs the trench and installs the gas line. After it's inspected and approved, our LP gas tank will be delivered and we'll have gas for cooking and primary heat. (For those curious, there is no natural gas available in our county.) Our compact front load stackable washer and dryer are delivered. These are made by Whirlpool and actually are smaller in total dimensions than the all-in-one apartment size laundry centers. I'll give you my opinion on their performance once I start using them. Dennis trims the bedroom windows. And the bathroom window. I finish painting the garden window. June 23, 2015 Chuck wants me to come to the shop and approve the finish on the mantel. I do. It looks great. I'd show it to you now, but I want you to see it after it's installed. We have to have some surprises, don't we? It's like not showing anyone your prom dress before the big night. June 24, 2015 I take a day off to shop and have lunch with a friend. Life feels kind of normal today. Dennis works on the studio window trim. June 25, 2015 While Dennis works on the trim for my workroom, I apply one coat of Star Magnolia on the living room window trim. Dennis leaves for a doctor's appointment after lunch and I head out after finishing the window. I'm very blessed to have a husband who's able to do finish carpentry, lay beautiful tile and do all the other things he does to make me happy. Thanks, Honey. We're waiting for the plumber to come for the finish work. Once we have a toilet and shower, even without the kitchen we can camp out in the cottage. Dennis had minor surgery yesterday and will be taking it easy the next two days (I hope). After I post this and finish my coffee I'll head for the cottage for more trim painting. I find it rather relaxing. I hope you're day is off to a great start. If you missed previous progress reports, you can find them here: Progress Report #1 Progress Report #2 Progress Report #3 Progress Report #4 Progress Report #5 Progress Report #6 Progress Report #7 Progress Report #8 Progress Report #9 Progress Report #10 You can find our awesome builder at their website: BLH Construction.
Taking a cue from our top-performing posts of 2020, we hope that 2021 we continue to make our homes a place we love, not just the place we live.
Transform your home into a serene and relaxing beach haven with these simple summer coastal décor ideas.
Discover modern rustic retreat Patrishow Farm Brecon Beacons in Wales, near the Black Mountains and the perfect dog friendly bolt hole
Easy-care Flower Carpet® roses add a brilliant touch to this lovely cottage garden. For more information on Cottage Gardens go to Tesselaar Plants' www.YourEasyGarden.com
Welcome to my new blog series, "Celebrating Our 100-Year-Old Beach House". Here, you can find out more about what first attracted us to this sweet, old home, and why we call it our "forever" home.
Farmhouse sinks, exposed brick, vintage-inspired appliances...the rustic country chic aesthetic is having a major moment. But this trend isn't just about looking good on Instagram – it's about creating a kitchen with those copper accents
B R Y A R T O N F A R M We purchased the 1893 farmhouse, 1900 barn, and beautiful surrounding acreage in May of 2014. Here are a few shots of what the farm looked like Before our restoration wor…
Hardly a garden feature comes to mind more charming than the garden gate. A personal favorite is the too-low-to-be-useful white picket fence with a gate th
Spinnerstown Stone House This project is unique in that we were challenged with taking two distinct stone buildings that had been vacant for years and sited only about 40 feet apart. They had been individual residences on an old peach farm. The zoning for the property allowed only one residence
A couple from Vermont collaborates with architect Sandra Vitzthum to design a home with a sense of place.
B R Y A R T O N F A R M We purchased the 1893 farmhouse, 1900 barn, and beautiful surrounding acreage in May of 2014. Here are a few shots of what the farm looked like Before our restoration wor…
Welcome to my new blog series, "Celebrating Our 100-Year-Old Beach House". Here, you can find out more about what first attracted us to this sweet, old home, and why we call it our "forever" home.
A look at how they built Rosehill Cottage for the movoie "The Holiday" on an empty field in the English countryside and decorated those memorable sets.
One of numerous fairy tale houses in the charming town of Carmel, California. This one was very close to our bed & breakfast View my collections on flickr here: Collections Press L for a larger image on black.
Play up the coziness of your cottage with color, pattern, and design. We've rounded up some of the best design inspiration for your dream beach cottage.
One of my favorite parts when driving around with my husband is getting to look at all the beautiful houses along our routes (when I'm by myself I tend to swerve a little if I look too much, hehe). I love to "window shop" and see all the amazing houses here in the Hudson Valley. Poughkeepsie, where I used to live, has some amazing Victorian houses that make it almost worth living in the not-so-fun city of Poughkeepsie. So of course it would not be too big a leap to know that I love to look at exteriors of houses on the net as well. And where on the net? Why Pinterest of course. Today I realized I have 187 followers on Pinterest, that is a heck of a lot more followers over there than here (but who is counting?). So let me highlight some of the fun my followers are getting over there HERE. Below are seven of my favorite exteriors from my board apply named "Exteriors." I decided to go with the theme of spring and gardens. {source} I love wisteria. My father grew some amazing wisteria in his old house, and he had dreams of growing wisteria on the exterior of my stucco home. I would love that. I want my house to be yellow with the purple vine all over it. {source} This house just makes me happy. I love the little cottage with the daffodils in the yard. {source} I have an obsession with wrap around porches, I just love them. I especially love when said porch has a curve in it. I have always loved these kinds of houses ever since I was a kid. {source} This picture just makes me see a whole story. I can see the garden and ocean beyond the house. And of course, there is that wrap around porch. I love the walk too. {source} I pinned this picture for one reason: the pergola over the garage. That is just a brilliant idea. If I had a garage this is what I would want to do. {source} This house is done really tastefully well. I love the red accents and the roof is just fabulous. See a trend with the porches? {source} This house was featured on bhg.com and I just love it. It has the porch I love with a nice big section on the corner, the gardens are fabulous and the shutters are so adorable. Except for the tropical palm trees (because it's too cold up here) I would want this house. I hope you enjoyed my virtual drive around the neighborhood. Maybe one day I will take my camera and shoot some of the houses I have "stalked" (shhhh the owners don't know I rubber neck it every time I drive by) in Poughkeepsie, NY.
National Trust Hidcote Flagstones installed in a beautiful 17th century Old Stone Cottage renovation with traditional oak framing and local sandstone.
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In my 64 years, I’ve only been a homeowner once. My late husband and I fell in love with this house in ‘89 and I never left. It was built in the early 1900’s by Philip Landfried, a carpenter, who...
If you feel inclined to go above and beyond, we put together a fund for our first home. We are so grateful for your generosity.
