Jennifer Grey is a very talented woman, who turned her hobby to restore vintage and antique furniture, into a successful Internet store-
The Old Painted Cottage.
In her blog, she shares with the readers fabulous photos of her own Newbury Park cottage, along with other beautiful cottage houses she finds and her "treasure hunt" adventures.
"My passion for unique home decor and all things romantic are truly the essence of who I am" says Jennifer. "It's the look of faded elegance and timeworn antiques that makes it feel like home".
I'm happy to introduce you today to Jennifer and her inspiring
old painted cottage.
Please tell us about your "first meeting" with your house to be
It was an early Sunday morning, and during an online search, I came across a house
that had just gone on the market. I quickly woke my husband, we jumped in the car,
and we drove the mile and a half to check out the house. It was a foreclosure bank
owned property, and had been vacant for 7 months. The house was an absolute mess.
The front window had been vandalized, and had a huge sheet of plywood covering up
the front window. The industrial grade carpet smelled like cat pee and the seams
were held together with tape. The counter tops in the kitchen were sticky, and the
oven door was missing. The kitchen cabinets were literally rotting. And there were
brown amoeba shapes and blue waves haphazardly painted on the walls. Needless to say, this house NEEDED US.
The first step of your remodeling process
Being first time home buyers with literally zero prior experience in home
remodeling, it made sense that the first thing to do was tear everything out. We
pulled up all the stinky old carpets in every room and replaced it with new carpet
and new wood floors. Then we took a sledgehammer, gutted the entire kitchen and
rebuilt the entire room ourselves. We also painted all of the walls and ceilings.
The biggest renovation challenge you faced
It's difficult to say, because every project we faced was incredibly challenging.
But the one that stands out the most was the renovation of our kitchen. We had no
running water, no fridge, no microwave or oven for three months.
Your favorite style and colors
Stepping out of a 10 year love affair with the Shabby Chic look, I'm currently
gravitating towards vintage industrial, french country, and modern farmhouse. My
favorite colors right now are cream, taupe, brown and black.
A spot in your house that makes you very happy
That would have to be our kitchen. The cabinets I assembled myself, and my husband and I installed and hung each one. And the subway tile backsplash we cut and installed ourselves. I taught myself how to install the tile by watching how-to videos on YouTube.
Your precious accessory/furniture/art
The thing most precious to me is our 11 foot side board in our dining room. My husband and I built it ourselves, and we somehow managed not to strangle each other during the building and creating process.
Your next house project
That would be crown moulding for the ceilings and the chair rail moulding to cap off
the beadboard in our dining room and kitchen.
5 things that houzz readers need to know about you and your blog
1. I started my blog over 3 years ago, as a communication tool to keep up with my
website customers, but it has blossomed into so much more than that. Instead of
promoting my products, I like to speak from the heart, much like sharing with a
close friend. I keep my posts personal, honest and real.
2. We refer to our home as Cottage8, as it was the 8th house we bid on and finally got.
3. I have a feature on my website called Cottage of the Month, where I feature a new
home every month. I've been doing it for 4 years now, and it takes up much of my
time but I love doing it!
4. I'm an antique dealer, and my home decor is a bit of a revolving door. Fabulous
finds make their way in and out of here every day, and that's how I keep my look
fresh. I've been known to sell pieces right off my walls.
5. I'm striving to become a better photographer. It's a passion that developed
inside me when I started my online business, and I keep trying to perfect it every
single day.
Best tip for the remodeling beginner
You can do it! No matter how difficult the project may be, or how large the task at
hand, just take it one step at a time. This is not a race. You will get there, just
hang in there!
Last but not least: as a houzz friend, Jennifer has chosen a Pottery Barn giveaway gift card to one of the lucky readers that will share their thoughts about her house and interview.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful home Jennifer!
For your chance to win a $50 Pottery Barn gift card, comment on this interview by
Sunday, December 20, at 5pm EST.
