Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Cottage- Part 3

The Cottage- Part 3
Kitchen & Details

Well, it's been busy here but,
I'm happy to report that my in laws were
moved into the cottage this weekend!

In case you missed the "befores"
click here to see Part 1.

To see how we lightened it up
click here to see Part 2.

Today I thought I would wrap up the
cottage postings with a few of the new details
and a complete tour of the kitchen transformation!

The Front Door 
Look closely, and you can still see the
bright Pepto pink left by the former owner.
While I do like pink, this color just would not do!
The door after one coat of dark gray!
This photo gives you a better look at the pink!
We were so blessed to come upon this beautiful
solid brass lock and handle set at 75% off! 
Sold! 
I love how the brushed bronze plays
against the white inside the door!
Ahhh... improvement!

The  Bedroom Closet
 While the inside of the closet is nice and roomy,
we felt it did not utilize the space in the best way.
We ended up taking down the single iron bar
and replaced it with two tiers of wire shelves.

Re-created Bathroom Light
Remember the original kitchen light?
The globe less bathroom fixture hanging
from the kitchen ceiling beam
finally found its way back to the bathroom!
Using some spray paint and three "free"
globes found at a local thrift store
we removed the Hollywood lights and
installed the former "kitchen" fixture!
(globes were free thanks to a $5 free coupon)

The Kitchen
Even though the kitchen is small,
it had both a new fridge and stove.
Like the rest of the house,
it needed just a little brightening!
My Mother-In-Law requested
that instead of leaving the cabinets white
that we mix it up and go yellow!
Great Idea!
So we created a spray box and
using our new paint sprayer..
sprayed both sides of the doors
then hung them
to dry in the closet!
I love the way they turned out!
On request, we also sprayed my MIL's
wonderful plate rack and then hung it above the sink.
Remember the old light?
I was blessed to find this one on clearance
for only $19.99!
The globes can be positioned to
light up the entire kitchen!
The counter, sink and faucet are all
in excellent condition.
We went with bronze knobs
to play off the bronze light fixture.

Wayne built a shelf for the microwave,
freeing more counter space!
Some daytime shots!

Thank you so much for visiting today.
I hope you have enjoyed the
cottage transformation as much as
I've enjoyed getting to share it with you!

Come spring,
we have some plans for the outside...
including...
power washing,
removing the awning over the kitchen window,
adding shutters,
landscaping,
landscape lighting,
fencing
and
 possible painting!

I am linking to Metamorphosis Monday
over at Between Naps on the Porch!
Thank you to our hostess Susan!
the finished ceiling

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Cottage Part Two



The Cottage- Part 2
The Whitening

I am linking to Metamorphosis Monday
A special thank you to our host Susan.

We have been busy getting the cottage
ready for my in laws to move in!

To take a complete before tour
click here!

The cottage was mechanically
in wonderful shape, however the
combination of the knotty pine, in the original
part of the home, and the "den paneling",
in the bedroom, made for a great cabin effect,
but created a dark space to live in full time.
This tool quickly became our best friend,
that and 12+ gallons of Kilz!

The Living Room

Before
During
After!
(Caribou came to "help")
The view from the bedroom
into the living room.
Before
During
After!

The Laundry Room

Before
During
Almost After!
(sorry for the bad color on this photo)

The Kitchen

Before
During #1
During #2
I'm waiting to show the completed after
for my next post.

The Bedroom

Before
Closet View
During
After
Right wall view- bedroom
After!
After looking from the bedroom closet wall
towards the living room!

The Bathroom

Before
After!
Wouldn't you know it, but with every
other room in the place going light,
the bathroom went brown!

Next week, I hope to wrap up the
cottage redo with
the final tour of the kitchen
and photos of all the
fun details we changed and added!
Have a great week!






Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Thinking Spring? Some "bunny" is!

  I was so excited to have some time
over Christmas to paint!
Most were gifts for
friends and family, which explains why
I am just now getting around to posting
a few of these little paintings!
(me)
I painted this bunny for my dear friend Christine
who collects bunnies!
The remaining paintings were all painted
on tiny 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 inch canvas.
Not planning too far ahead, I forgot
to take photos of all my paintings prior
to giving them away!
Thankfully,
 I painted this one for Mom,
making it easy to photograph
after the fact!

Have a wonderful day!
(I'm working on collecting a few
more photos of paintings to share
with you soon!)