Penny's Little Dream Cottage
I'm trying to figure out what I want with that little house, and how to fit a growing family into a 2 bed 1 bath (or if I have my way, 2-3 bed, 1½ bath) on a limited budget. However, one can dream! I don't need my house to be off the grid, but it would be helpful, if the house could stay warm through extended power outages, in the event of similar construction site SNAFUs to this summer's. We would have been lost without candles, battery operated radios, boardgames and a little butane stove for cooking while waiting for the power to return. In February, one would really really miss the heating without a good wood burning stove.
We ended up buying a 1945 cottage, with about 1,680 square feet in stead. More on that later.
The fencing on the street side of the property should add curb appeal, and lavenders and roses would mean the whole neighborhood would smell nice to boot. (The flowers in the photo seem to me to be lupins, which are notorious for taking over whole gardens, if not contained, so I'd be compelled to pick something else)
Some kind of wall-mounted drying rack is always a must. Cleaning rags, delicates, or what have you can be dried with ease, and kept within easy access.
I love the dictionary definition artwork, although I could swear it's spelled accordion...
This is perhaps my favourite version of a wooden laundry drying rack. It folds flat against a wall, and has less moving parts than the accordion models.
Some more color options for the beadboard drying racks.
If space is tight, a ceiling-mounted drying rack would work. They've worked since time memorial, often mounted in the kitchen, close to the fireplace to provide a little extra heat for quick drying.
Herbs scattered across the house for various uses. I would probably keep Sage close, ready for smudging, if need be.
Masonry heaters are one of the best types of wood burning fireplaces. Its thermal mass gives off heat after the fire's gone out, so it's a safe way to provide heat overnight after the evening fire's done with, or during the day after the morning fire has gone out. Some square footprint masonry heaters actually come with a built-in baking oven. Perfect for prolific bakers, who need a hot oven regularly. Most masonry heaters sit neatly outside EPA regulations, as their emissions are second only to pellet stoves in cleanliness. The benefits are, a pellet stove needs electricity to run, a masonry heater requires firewood, a couple of hours of tending the fire, and then stays warm for 12-24 hours after the fire's gone out.
If there is a door into the kitchen, odds are, it'll be a Dutch door, to keep animals out, and kids in.
More herbs and a spitting image of my favorite hat!
I like free standing furniture, as the house I am looking to furbish was built in a time, when a family moving out would take everything from the kitchen that wasn't plumbed in. Hence the saying "All but the kitchen sink".
A lovely farmhouse table.
And more herbs. The house these are from, is in Salem, MA. It's called Shy Rabbit Farm, which strikes a chord of recognition with a pagan. It could all be in my head.
Lovely colorful dining set.
In stead of a formal dining room, I could go with a casual glass encased porch. Some insulation, and baseboard heaters, and it can be a year round room. Again, a common thread appears to be the horizontal board detail, that looks fresh and more contemporary in a whitewashed finish.
A gorgeous dining set, laid out on a glass porch. I could see myself bumping out a space adjacent to the kitchen for a dining area like this, and as a bonus, gaining additional daylight.
A whiteboard for the kitchen, for the "mommy command center", shopping lists, to-dos, honey-dos, and chores to remember. I will probably put another one into my barn in the tack room, so I can keep track of those chores separately.
I'm not shy of a pop of color in the kitchen, however the general design of the cabinets is what caught my eye.
I like free standing furniture, as the house I am looking to furbish was built in a time, when a family moving out would take everything from the kitchen that wasn't plumbed in. Hence the saying "All but the kitchen sink".
What a lovely pop of colour.
If I have a few square feet to spare, I would consider something like this for the kitchen. Winter mornings aren't snowy in Seattle, but they definitely are chilly, and a tea kettle sitting on top of a small wood burning range would definitely warm achy "old" bones before going to the barn to tend to the livestock.
The Esse Ironheart can be plumbed into your hot water heater, to add another function to this neat little British-made gem, made a few years ago to celebrate the company's 150 year history in the business of range making. I would totally love a brick nook in the kitchen for this kind of a gem. Sadly, the nearest place that sells these is in Canada. I foresee paperwork and duties, if I want one.
A lovely old (reproduction, in the photo of this home) incorporated where a stove would have originally sat in the house.
Gorgeous vintage stove.
A gorgeous orange Big Chill refrigerator.
Big Chill makes an assortment of retro appliances. This stove comes in orange, too.
A Big Chill retro dishwasher. Perfect for a bit of a retro flair in a home.
The lines are clean, and I love the open shelving, with simple, off-the-rack looking cabinet doors... I could stick in the Big Chill appliances in red or orange, give the walls a bit more colour, and move in.
Herbs drying in or around the kitchen is a classical country kitchen look.
The bluish grey hutch is a neat sideboard, and goes with my interest in furniture over built-ins in a cottage style kitchen.
Same kitchen as before, so lovely.
The varying width New England beadboard, and the modern take on a farmhouse sink (looks like maybe soapstone?) make me step back from my orange-teal-butter yellow colour scheme obsession.
A small scale kitchen with a gorgeous vibe.
A couple of layers of paint on a classical ikea stepstool.
http://amishloft.com/cabinetry/ Their website says this about cost... Linear Foot Pricing begins at: $295 per/lf for Base Cabinetry $190 per/lf for Top Cabinetry Wood Counter Tops From $27 Per Square Foot The cabinets are custom made to your specifications, and can be either fitted with wood counter tops at the workshop, or heavy stone counter tops by a contractor. These units are freestanding, so they can be changed around
A charming little breakfast compatible station. Add a coffee maker, under counter sink, and a toaster, and you have a simple way for guests or kids to feed themselves in the mornings.
A gorgeous pantry cupboard with rustic charm.
This little pantry looks like a nice storage space, with plenty of natural light flowing in. The little footstool is an Amish-style "Time Out" chair, intended for - well you get the idea - but are a swell way of reaching up without stooping to move the stool.
A gorgeous pantry. I would love an old-fashioned larder, with "cold stones" and other features that help store food that doesn't need refrigerator temperatures for storage, such as butter, and some soft cheeses, or fresh eggs.
A lovely, more narrow pantry, fit for a smaller space. Old timers had a slab of stone on a shelf or two, to keep foodstuffs like butter colder.
A gorgeous little butler's pantry with a vintage farmhouse sink. This type of a pantry would probably flow into my mudroom/laundry area, as I don't think I have the real estate otherwise.
A traditional scullery (essentially the room where the scullery maid did dishes). I looked the contractor up, they are based in my general area!
I could see myself keeping my home office set up in one of those small awkward nooks and crannies under a flight of stairs.
Small, simple and elegant.
A lovely bathroom for some cottage charm.
Changing things up for a 2½ bath configuration requires some compromises. I'd still love a good soaking tub, and am willing to compromise space from everywhere. Taking a bath after a long day is a good way to decompress and relax for the night.
The perfect "curtains" for a bathroom. Café blinds provide privacy, and allow for light to pass through.
A shelf to add some visual interest to a bathroom.
If there is something someone like me appreciates, it is a little "me time", after all the day's chores. (And I think I can make that caddy on my own, it doesn't come off as a hard project for someone who built wobbly birdhouses in elementary school, right?)
A little dormer nook off to the side of a master bedroom could double as a nursery for a little one.
A simple white house can be dressed as much or little as one cares. I'm all about the gardening.
Q