The One Minute Mile

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The perfect contrast of light and dark

 

Big things happen in little minutes and that just about describes what will happen in the next 5 days.  Floors, cabinets, tiling, plumbing finishing, electrical finishing and painting.  And that’s just the inside.  The rain has hampered working on the outside but it makes  no difference to me.  I just want to sleep in my own bed and fall asleep staring at my own ceiling.

Here are the lastest pictures.  Everything is in a state of being completed.  And then, with a wing, a prayer and a good tail wind, it will all come together.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

Stained new wood (left) against sanded old wood on the right.

Stained new wood (left) against sanded old wood on the right.

Windows that were in another part of the house, reset in the upstairs sitting area

Windows that were in another part of the house, reset in the upstairs sitting area

Simple silk shade lamps throughout the house

Simple silk shade lamps throughout the house

Kitchen cabinets built around an original feature of the house, the brick chimney

Kitchen cabinets built around an original feature of the house, the brick chimney

Kitchen cabinets

Kitchen cabinets

Newly built kitchen cabinets are lovely.  We have used an antique piece as the base for the kitchen sink.

Newly built kitchen cabinets are lovely. We have used an antique piece as the base for the kitchen sink.

More kitchen cabinets.  Note the bun feet instead of a toe kick.

More kitchen cabinets. Note the bun feet instead of a toe kick.

Exterior lighting used for interior lighting.

Exterior lighting used for interior lighting.

Barn door hardware to close off my very small office/work space

Barn door hardware to close off my very small office/work space

Stylish and budget friendly, these stock zinc light fixtures picked up at Home Depot

Stylish and budget friendly, these stock zinc light fixtures picked up at Home Depot

More kitchen cabinets

More kitchen cabinets

This wall/door didn't exist before the renovation, but you would never know that.  It looks like it is original to the house.

This wall/door didn’t exist before the renovation, but you would never know that. It looks like it is original to the house.

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The interesting angles, windows and walls of an old house

 

The Little Cottage That Could

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In the new year, I am embarking on a major renovation of my little cottage.  The goal is to work with the existing foot print but make the cottage everything that it should be.  After living in the house for ten years, I have come to know it like I know a good friend and have come to understand how I can live better within it.  It can be The Little Cottage That Could while continuing to pay homage to the wonderful old home that was built some 80 years ago.

Certain foundational items will be on the punch list like updating the electrical, insulating the exterior walls and replacing all the sheetrock with horizontal wood planking.

Upgrades will include an additional bathroom upstairs to create a master bedroom en suite, creating an additional bedroom in existing space and adding closets and built in storage.  Special touches will be exposing the rafters upstairs and tucking a sleeping loft above them and a fire place in the den.  If historic guidelines will allow, we’ll do a bump out in the kitchen to give it a little more space.

Several years ago, I was mining the internet and I somehow ended up on a real estate site that had the most wonderful Hamptons Cottage for sale at the whopping price of 1.9 million  dollars.  Location, location, location right?  Of course.  But what really struck me about the cottage was its staggering simplicity.  I fell in love with it and it will be part of my look book that I present to the contractor when I finally get started on the renovation.

I saved the pictures for future reference so I’ll share them with you:

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