cottage

This is how our bathroom was before we ripped it apart to get to the crawlspace.  The supports under the house needed replacing, there was no ventilation, insulation, or entry to get in.  Major work needed done, and we needed access.

While we probably could’ve gotten away with cutting through the plywood floor in the closet instead, it might have been hard to get long boards through the turn into that room.  Plus, the tile had cracks and the drywall was damaged. That space could use a good make over.

There was also a second door in the bath that led directly to the closet.  Not only was it never used, it took up wall space in the closet that could’ve been utilized for storage.  And now is, after closing off that entry.

We had been gifted these rough cut boards, that sparked my idea of turning the door way wall into barn wood instead. 

I painted them and my carpenter son put them up.

Didn’t he do a great pattern?

To compliment the wood, we went for an all natural rock floor.  But oops! As it went down, we started freaking out about the lines between the mesh squares.  Before grout, it looked like a grid pattern.  

Freaking out was putting my reaction very mildly.

A few adjustments were made with adding rocks into bigger gaps, but over all, we decided to trust the process and start grouting.  I like the overly grouted look, with it covering up some stone.

After it was done, all of those scary grid marks were gone! My only regret is in not placing a few more crystals here and there.  I’m thrilled with the floor, though.

While the room was torn up, I decided to repaint.  Everything. Ceiling, trim, door, cabinet, tub surround, vent covers.  I even sewed new curtains from vintage fabrics I’d been hoarding.

With the shower curtain down, I could see how much hard water buildup there was on the walls.  So I made a paste of baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide to leave on for a couple days, then remove with a steam cleaner.  It didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, so I scraped the buildup off with a razor blade.

I was committed to a whole new, fresh room, all details mattered!

Including washing light fixtures and replacing the bulbs with brighter ones.

I even got out a tiny brush and cleaned up all messy grout lines along the trim too.  As hard as we worked on this, I didn’t want wonky lines distracting from the room!  My son did such a wonderful job, I love the room and every tiny corner of it!

It’s all hands on deck here with the remodel/ repair job.  Sugarwings has been quite helpful with pulling up nails, hauling supplies, carrying out trash, etc.

I have been painting wood to use on one wall where the drywall was especially bad. 

This design element accidentally developed.  

My son is a carpenter, he can do dry wall work, but doesn’t like it.  We were gifted a truckload of these rough hewn boards.  Rich and I were tired of the wasted space taken up by an extra door that was rarely used.  That doorway  wall also had drywall that needed replaced, while the other walls just needed patching.

 
All of those elements pulled together to make a decision to panel over that door with our free wood.

So, I painted away the lodge/cedary-orange look.  First the wood needed major sanding.  When I said ROUGH hewn, I meant it.  Splintery rough!

 I used mostly watered down white paint, but I added some gray and brown here and there.  I’m pretty excited about how the finished project will look. And am looking forward to seeing my boy in action, working with the planks to create the siding. 

Aren’t these labradorite slices beautiful?  When the light hits them, they flash luminescent blues and golds. 


My plan is to use them randomly in these pebble 1’ x 1’ squares we are laying in our master bath. The stones are glued to the mesh backing.  I’ll peel up a few existing stones in the right sizes and replace them with my gems.

A few years ago I found a stack of this old barkcloth at a flea market and am using one set of curtain panels in my studio.  I’d like to take the rest to make curtains for the bathroom.  At first I thought maybe I shouldn’t use the same fabric in two different rooms.  But when it’s material I love as much as I do this,  it would be silly not to, right?

I’ll make French net sheers for the window with the rose fabric over it, opened in the middle, but not tied back.

The shower will get a similar treatment, with a narrow panel of cabbage rose bark cloth on each side over this ivory curtain.

There is already a rose theme going on with this tile around the tub.

While we are in demolition mode, we are covering up an unused door that leads from the bathroom to the closet.  We decided the original entryway is plenty, we don’t need a second door.  Having two entries into our walk in closet, just causes less useful space available inside.  Right now, we have to leave clearance for a door to swing open.  Without that, I can have a small cabinet in the walk-in.  

So, the wall that is losing a door, will be covered in white barn wood.  I’ll like the rustic wood, and pebble tile floor as a contrast to the mini chandelier, luxe window treatment, and roses.  I’m still debating on wall color for now.

Why are we redoing our bathroom, which pretty nice to start with? Well for at least ten years, our house has been settling.

Although in the last couple, it started to feel more unsettled than just normal settling.  Walls were cracking, tiles breaking, and we were developing a slope.

When we realized the crawlspace needed checked out, we also realized that the contractor who added this addition did not leave access to get to it.

Why?

The tile was cracking anyway, so the guys chipped it away to make a hole in the floor to get under the house.  When they squeezed through, another discovery showed there was also no ventilation which caused dry rot and structural damage.

After consulting a friend who owns a foundation company, and various other skilled tradesmen, Adam and Rich decided they could fix it, if they hired a crew of skilled workers.  

The adventure begins.  

After our October’s First Friday weekend, Halloween needed to be taken down at Juju. I take clear plastic tubs with me to be packed up properly and brought home to store.  No use tossing it into a box, then putting it away later, right? 

My process is to use as many clear tubs as I can, and to label solid ones.  They are all sorted into either season or color and stacked along the walls of my garage ready for the next time Ineed them.

Because no matter how good the weekend goes, there is always inventory left.  And I like to shake up the look of my space so, I switch up what I have there.

Not everything got stored this time.  I pulled some of the stuff to add to my displays at home.  This year, I have seriously enjoyed my haunted cocoa station and turn the lights on every morning when I get up.  Just like I do with my Christmas lights.

 A little extra twinkle around the cottage makes me smile.

There were a few floral umbrellas spray painted black hanging from the ceiling at the mail.  I brought two of them into the kitchen to add to the existing decor.

And kept one of my brooms inside too.

I have plenty of orange stuff and dollar store decorations that Sugarwings and I have used for parties in the past.  If if set them out, it’s usually for a short time use or in the kiddo’s area.  But this black and white?  It hasn’t gotten old for me, even though my kitchen has been rockin this look since the end of August.  

Funny, I debated adding to what I’d set out earlier, telling myself it was kinda late to be doing that just to pack it up again after the 31st.  Then I reminded myself it’s only mid October, and I have a couple weeks left to enjoy it.  

After that, it took some willpower to stop myself from unpacking all the stuff I’d brought back from the antique mall.  But I managed.  This is plenty to keep me entertained, and I did such a good job of packing up the rest in my clear tubs… but they are calling to me, like a ghostly moan. “Oooohhaaahhoh, savaaave us from this box, let us cooome innn!”