Monday, August 18, 2014

Fluffing a Favorite Cottage ….


BEAD COTTAGE



I love revisiting a cottage that I restored with Blood ,Sweat and lots of white paint…great memories watching the transformation.
The cottage I fluffed today, is one of my all time favorite. For years I walked by wishing I could see inside and own it myself. It looked pretty forlorn  but I could feel its amazing energy.

Beach house Blue and Key Lime www.janecoslickcottagecollection.com   colors
I was so shock when my friend called to ask me if I had any interest  in buying the little brown house on 2nd Ave.  I was stunned.. Wishing for something for so long and then having your dream come true.....Remarkable......
The cottage  always looked to me like one "eye" was always closed . I couldn't wait to tear out the dark wall  and see if maybe,just maybe, they had just covered  the matching double pocket window on the left side of the door..and they had .My lucky day.

Here is my Mom in front of the cottage "BEFORE"…she always was so supportive of my dreams even when I knew she had a few doubts. I miss her every day.

AFTER with the addition of a screen porch as large as the cottage


The kitchen and laundry..(.Richard Leo Johnson photograph)





the living room with all the vintage white slip covered furniture



my  favorite light fixture...that I had to convert to a pull chain...
Cottages take some adapting.... they're not new and they're not perfect but their amazing energy makes up for any shortcomings.





the twin bedroom ..Bellamy,my friend, sold me these beds right after I bought the cottage.
It  was as if they had actually  been there  all along....





Everything in the cottage was white..and I mean everything. except the exterior colors. Cottage Living Magazine referred to it as "the White House". Color has come slowly into the space with the Bellamy art and pillows and accessories.The key to small space is not to overload it with any one thing.. 650 square feet. (not including the screen porch.I fluffed today as gently as I could with pops of color here and there.
I love  the color this vintage glass sphere. 
Richard Leo Johnson photograph from the Cottage living story

another of Richard's photograph  of the screen porch and the beloved pocket windows
the painting is a Blanche Nettles.
Richard Leo Johnson again....
.the built in book   cases were original to the cottage
and act as storage and a room divider.

My Dream came true..and the preservation on the cottage  changed the attitude of many island skeptics.
HURRAH HURRAH...


Thursday, August 14, 2014

Pink Garage Doors…Are You Kidding?


Not kidding…..Pink Garage Doors….

 Just having a little lighthearted Tybee fun. My new clients are great!!!!! They love pink ..zebra..and old cottages made new. This is my favorite pink bike in front of these wonderful original  old doors. I am recommending adding a small awning above the doors  with a wonderful brackets….I just happen to have a few I bought in Nashville last year. I have been saving them for something special and this cottage just may be it.
the type of awing  except it would be 5 v-groove galvanized tin ….Luscious little Cottage pink was to deep a shade for the new cottage so the color is called Party Time a Sherwin Williams color.


oh yes….fabric samples in the new basket on my bike.

And YES more fun.. Pink Zebra shutters...

can't  wait til these go up!!!!!

great wooden walls and old pine floors

More happiness inside….( the horseshoe crab with a map on it is the first thing to hang on the wall)

the old garage will have more sleeping space  upstairs 


landscape .. shutters..picket fence design and maybe just maybe a pool!

a wonderful old cottage  at Tybee getting  refreshed

It was in amazing condition and even had the original  wooden screen .
The  new owners had the old window reworked and they open with ease so the ocean  breeze can blow though the cottage

steps to the extra sleeping space above the wonderful old garage.

love old door with the original glass door knobs

the owners promised their 6 year  old son a tire swing in this tree….cant wait!!!!
Stay tuned…it will be a Tybee Cottages vacation rental.www.tybeecottages.com

Monday, August 4, 2014

Romantic Homes...


The July issue of Romantic Homes ran a nice story about my "Thoughts". I know school has started and as usual I am running behind...My Dad always said, "The faster I go the 'behinder' I get.
I loved the name  of the article ."Hello Summer", and it still feels just like summer outside to me.
Actually living on an island in the South feels that way year round....Flip Flops most all year round.

This room is one of my personal favorites...salvation army.. Paris Market...One fish Two fish...Celedon....Eggsentricites in Bluffton SC and great linen from GDC in Charleston SC...Local shops some things .


the colors of my cottage collection



great cover / great magazine
The magazine story

99steps to the Beach and Tramps painting. He was the LOVE off my  life.

Tiny workable Kitchens.......and my favorite stool.



Forgive the scans....I still have so much to learn.....maybe tomorrow...maybe next week...

Saturday, August 2, 2014

A COTTAGE FOR SALE..continued



While on the subject of A COTTAGE FOR SALE.... This is one of Sammy Moore's photographs of the Skidaway river  .He is one of those wonderful neighbors on the street that I mentioned in the last blog post. He rides on his golf cart and watches over everyone and everything. He keeps dog treats on his golf cart for the pups he passes on his ride.  He is a great Photographer. He has a facebook page and everyone waits anxiously to see what he has seen and photographed.
This image....  .it takes my breathe away.  The  story behind this is one of determination  and the love of life on the Isle of Hope…..

It is true Isle of Hope!!!