Old House...."Great Bones"

New life for an old house...

I love an old house..no matter what shape it is in, I just dwell on the good because the bad can be repaired.

Remember my client  that wanted his condo to feel like a cottage..a new york apartment and a boat?   I I even surprised myself on that one...I accomplished it because going into things with an open mind...make them possible.

Well ,he  just bought this house in downtown  Savannah  Ga. and he wants to fix it up.  He has the right attitude and the funds to repair it.( very important things when you tackle an old house.)

This was my first peek at it yesterday and so I am only in the pondering stages. It has great things like a nice yard and a corner lot . I love the little back porch and all the original windows.

Some nutty things have been done to the house but the old heart pine floors are in wonderful shape. The interior transoms over the doors have been covered with plywood and that will make a huge difference when they are exposed again.

Some improvements have been made but the roof fell in and there is  a mess in the attic.

New roof ..first... then........then.. then...

We will share the progress ...

 he

New Project, New Computer, New Cargo/ Passenger Van

My computer lost it's mind so I have just gotten a new computer. I don't know how to operate so it guess I will have to go to computer classes.
The bad news is...17,000 photos got loaded....and in no order..
These are a few of the reasons I have not been blogging.
Some things in life are a blessing and a curse at the same time........
So much is happening that I want to share...the new van that can haul lots of things/or people or stuff . It is dual purpose. It's a truck with a top when you remove all the seats. and a great tour bus when the twelve seats are in place.
.

Every vehicle in my office parking lot is full to the brim....
that and the 17,000 photos are about to get me down

The newest project....

the wonderful- old- made- new-  project beautifully restored

Southern Tides...

It was loving restored so now we will add a pool and a GIANT screen porch and paint paint paint.

See how wonderful it is. It has an old soul.
There will be Sleeping porches
There will be great old/new things and funky one of a kind pieces of furniture
There will be beautiful fabrics and lamps

The client is on her way to Round Top and we are ready for the "wow factor" to kick in
(I was supposed to go but ..next year..I WILL go!!!!

When the family isn't down, it will be a vacation rental by Tybee Cottages www.tybeecottages.com
Southern Tides cottage
We fluffed last week with what was there plus lots of pillows.It should be up on Tybee Cotttages  site by the end of the weekend.

sneek peek....

`

how cute is this..

pillows and stars and happy colors

lots of porches and we are adding more and a giant bunk room

I had bought this at a store in  Bluffton  SC and added the star fish and funky shade...quick fix 

things were looking a bit shabby so we added a bit of chic!!!!

the future home of the sleeping porch....

my wonderful assistant was helping so much

the living room for now

We are putting it on the Jane Coslick  Cottage holiday tour this year which will be Dec the 7th. It is our annual fund raiser for the low cost spay and neuter clinic at the Humane Society. Details to follow about it.

The Recycled Old Doors Picket Fence

Cottage on the Green gets a fence and a clothes line...
I decided to reuse what was left on the job..for our fence. We need a bit of privacy
for the sleeping porch

great old doors from Tybee 

a mix and DON'T match kind of thing going on here....

Added a detail  to the fence

the beginning

                                                     the new clothes line we added was put to good use right away

                 Maybe a curtain or some old shutters from 99 steps

I am an old door hardware freak!!!!

cant get this great stuff at home depot

                                                                                    looking toward the street

                                                                                 next comes the landscaping

                                                     great original color on this screen door

OK.........

The big question here is.....paint or no paint.....What do you think?
Sometimes rusty crusty is ...to much..(a fine line) and painting it all one color is a possibility
NEXT...
 We have serious landscaping
to do but it has been to hot for planting......

HERE IS TO THE SIMPLE LIFE...
a clothes line, a picket fence, a screen porch and an ocean breeze.....LIFE IS GOOD

Hanging Beds , Holidays and Grandma Moses

a hanging bed is great  for a nap or a party!!

I just finished fluffing a great porch for a Labor Day party ..23 is the  pillow count so far. I wish I had taken a before photo ..I need to be better about doing that. I decided on a mix of fabrics because the porch is wonderfully deep and the hanging bed needs extra support when using it as a sitting area.

REMEMBER:

(If you ever get a chance to build a porch make it a deep one )

We hung this  bed with ropes... looks great but they do stretch and will need adjusting.

it is definitely inviting

mix up the pillows  for interest and for support when sitting

not a hanging bed but not bad for a relaxing spot

never forget the  hammock....it's not a hanging bed but great for hanging out!!!!

we hung this with stainless chain . it wont stretch

We hung these with cable and they did stretch a little

Labor Day to me is...Summer in the rear view mirror!!!!
 Where did it go? I really couldn't tell you because it flew by....
I always say "time flies... whether you are having fun or not" ...
I did ,however, have a fun  busy design summer . New clients, new pillows, new hanging beds, new projects
I can't wait to share the fun and  funky fence project  using what was let over from Cottage on the Green construction material .My wonderful client is all excited so that makes all of us excited about creating it.

If you can't do a hanging bed, not worries, a day bed is always nice for a porch ...
( The MOST important thing about a hanging bed ..it MUST be hung securely for safety reasons

Have to share this....

My sister sent me a birthday card last week . .She said it
reminded her of me. I want to share it with you on this lazy hazy Labor Day.
It is a quote from Grandma Moses:

"LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT:
ALWAYS HAS BEEN,
 ALWAYS WILL BE"

  I want to make it peaceful....
  I want to make it beautiful..
 I want to make it happy......

HAPPY LABOR  DAY !!!!