That is just lovely. And peaceful looking. Just staring at the photos relaxes me.

Beautiful!

ML

Glad I popped in today. Not only is it wonderful but I have that exact same table! LOL! Marvelous! Love the D&A rug - which one is it?

How sweet is that! Where are the birds, bunnies and fairies? Snow White?

It is BEAUTIFUL! I love it all. I can't decide which is most beautiful, the cottage and it's decor, or the beautiful grounds!

tina

ps - put me down for a weekend also!

It's magical! I've been looking forward to the finished project. Thank you so much for sharing. It's truly inspirational. Now...where can I find my own itty bitty stone house?

I love the little dormer windows. And the crystal lights and everything. I can imagine little girl sleep overs and all the giggles that will take place there. This will be the little stone house of memories.

Enchanted! (Is there a hummingbird and butterfly garden in the plan?) Even a falling down shack would be wonderful in that setting!

Thank you so much Pugga, Tina, Kelly, FoxesPad, Maddie, Grey, Annie, Mustangs, Cat_Mom, Funky art, ArlosMom, GScience, Cam and Eandhl.

(btw, for all of you interested in booknig, I am very impressed with your bladder control!)

Mustangs -- don't be silly! I am going to go look for that post now!

Annie - is that like a chamber pot?

As to the furnishings:
The sofa is MGBW, throw pillows Garnet Hill and Etsy and a local store.
The ottoman is a copy of a WIndsor Smith.
The rug is D& A Zanzibar.
The floor is overstock european tiles found locally.
The stove is Jotul.
Curtains and rods are West Elm.
Doorknob style tiebacks are Etsy.
Lamp on table is Pottery Barn.
Loft sconce is Circa.
Chandy is one I owned.
Sconces are tarted up ones I already owned.
Mirror is LaBarge, a refugee from our last house that did not go anywhere.
Chairs are outdoor furniture we bought from PO; they are comfy and sturdy, yet lightweight and can go outside.
The railing and ladder are old apple orchard ladders DH found locally on Ebay.
Ceiling color: wood painted BM Gentle Butterfly (thank you Bronwyn's Mom.
Trim - FnB Lime White
Exterior trim - BM Hampshire Grey

The gateleg table was my grandmother's. It used to be painted cream. When I was in high school, i redid my room. I put in a hardwood floor and a rag rug. I had my Dad's old desk, a pineapple bed, and this gateleg table as a night stand. My dear father carefully stripped and stained the table for me. All those turned legs! I've had a use for it in every apartment and house since. The last time they slept in the stonehouse (last Saturday) I opened it up, pulled up the chairs, and served my girls a "room service" breakfast!

I was thinking the table is the only dark mass and should be painted again ... but I don't have the heart to do it!

In re carpentry. I cannot say enough good things about my carpenter. Or masons, or roofer, or electrician! All of them worked so hard and were so amenable about turning my ideas into physical reality, with no real plans to use. They worked in the rain, and asked if it was ok to arrive early on weekend mornings. It cost about double what we planned (I stopped counting) but I don't regret it at all. Having seen their work every day, and paying by the hour, all i can say is, where we live, that is what this highly custom project costs. Fair is fair.

My carpenter was amazing. When I described the dormers I wanted, he crafted a model first. When I showed him the bookcase gable I was looking for, he made a miniature of that, too. The ladder to go up to the loft is attached with some sort of metal bracket. You lift the ladder up and pull it out, and then it is on an angle to walk up. When you come down it goes back against the wall. Genius.

It is a b s o l u t e l y BEAUTIFUL!

Don't paint the table - please!

The rusticness of the stone and the floor can handle one medium-tone wood table,

Adorable. I'll bet your children will spend many happy moments in that loft.

I am just blown away with the loveliness and serenity.

Alright, I'll admit it. When I saw your very first posts about this way back when, I thought you were nuts, that there would be no way you could pull it off.

You proved me dead wrong. It is absolutely gorgeous and I am green with envy. Congratulations on such a wonderful accomplishment!

This is a very special place, and I have to just ditto everyone else's comments. You did a great job! Looking forward to the future photos!
Suzi

ok, i'm just swooning over this transformation!

i recall reading about your idea for it last fall and just looking at the setting (and the STONE!) i knew it would be a jewelbox....but quite honestly your design is even better that i would have expected! thank you so much for the pics....just love 'vicarious design'

betty

:)

Your reno is perfection . . . stunning. . . beautiful and very cozy. You need to send these pics into a venue such as House Beautiful, as it is truly magazine-worthy. BIG congrats and thanks for sharing it with us.
Lynn

Lovely, lovely.

What is the opposite of schadenfreude? Taking great pleasure in the success of others? I'm feeling that for you.

On the other hand, you've forced me to reorder the Seven Deadly in order of preference. I used to be partial to Gluttony and Sloth, but now, thanks to you, Envy tops the list.

Everywhere you look, there is something to delight the eye - the scale is perfect, the editing is sharp without sacrificing warmth and comfort, the effect is both simple and elegant, the craftsmanship is superb, and the character of the original is intact.

I think you should publish it.
After I've had a week or so to stay in it and write the article ...

It reminds me of something out of a fairy tale. It is so precious and I would love being inside. You did a wonderful job!

What a place to make fun memories in :) You did such a great job with the execution! I love the stone courtyard with the bench and the peekaboo windows near the bed. Just perfect!

We have an antique set up in the attic....a large pitcher, a washing bowl, a chamber pot....we always called it a thunderbowl...I suppose it was due to the noise it made when in use....

The song "At Last" suddenly came to mind when I opened this thread. Thank you for the update, the decorating is just perfect.

Yes, the outside looks different, but still charming none the less. It's wonderful and like I said before "I want one, too!!!".

I'm afraid I can't add anything to the list of accolades, Mtn.
but could not let this post go by without saying that it is
all that I imagined and MORE. Your tenacity and decor
sense are enviable! Thank you for sharing as I also live
vicariously through the many talented people on this forum.

Mtn thanks so much for sharing. I'm not sure I've ever been so jealous of a GW space. It is absolutely perfect.

Beth P

I haven't visited this site in months... and I thought -- I wonder if there are any updates about the Little Stone House.

And there it is. It's so beautiful I want to weep.

Miraculous.

Aaahhh...that is the most wonderful space. Your vision certainly became reality and kudos to your craftsmen! I do agree with you that the exterior was more charming before, but what you did with the interior makes the change well worth it. Love the doorknob tiebacks, the chairs by the door, the D&A rug, the...oh jeepers, let's just say everything and leave it at that.

You have a magical space there. I have no doubt it will be enjoyed for many, many years-if you can manage to ignore the constant stream of strange women wandering in when you least expect us...um them, I mean them.

WOW! That is so charming and special for your girls and your property. What a great vision you had for your stonehouse. Thanks so much for sharing this incredible project.

oh my! The best eye candy ever and everything said above....

What everyone else said X 1,000! My cozy storybook home come to life... with class!

Magical!!!!!!!!!!!

Echoing all the others: simply perfection!

It's gorgeous mtn, great work. I just love it. Enjoy it.

I guess you could call it a folly....

I just showed my ten year old dd...and she immediately cried out, 'It's a fairy house!" :) Absolutely divine...kudos to you for having the vision to create this lovely space for your family.

Sweet perfection!

Lovely and done to perfection.....my only question, what's next?!? You're on a roll :)

Lovely, lovely little house. Is this the new GW clubhouse? If not, it should be!

The little table is perfect as it is. Love the touch and warmth of the wood. If it were painted it would fall over a bit too much into shabby twee chic (vs. enchanted), I think.

Could you please gift us with info about those linen curtains?
TYVM
Suzi

So charming. Just a wonderful retreat. I'm wondering about the ladder to climb into the loft. Is it just affixed to the wall, and you climb up and then over? We have a very small cabin that we lived in while building and many things need to be redone. Ours has a pull down attic ladder (ugly!!) that takes up room & that I would love to replace. Thanks for your info.

It's wonderful! Every detail is perfect.

I think you have a folly, mt'deux, an old English folly! Actually not a true folly since yours is actually a useful space, although you couldn't actually live in it.

If not a folly, a smaller version of Bella's cottage. Definitely story-book perfect! ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: Folly

Thank YOU for the update!

It is beautiful, everything you dreamed of is there! Even the silver tray!

Congrats, and I'll be right up.

Bee

A totally adorable 'playhouse' for both children and adults!

Please do not paint the table - it, and the ladders provide a nice darker accent.

Goodness, thanks again everyone!

Thanks, Mama , Arapaho, Roarah, Sochi, Pipdog, Yvette, Merry, Maryanne, April, Bethpen, CLblakey, Irish2,Schoolhouse, GWlolo, Sis2Two, Desert_Solitaire, Texanjana, Walnutcreek

Lynnein NM, what a nice compliment! Thank you.

StephF, LOL, I may still be nuts! Thank you.

Desertdance,
In re the curtains, you are going to be very happy. They are from West Elm, come in many sizes and are dirt cheap! (see link below). They don't have a great hand and provide almost no privacy, but there you go. I still have to put up the pair on the double window and the doors. The industrial rods (also West Elm, very happy with them) were back ordered.

Luckygal, Tuesday_2008, and Beckysharp,
Thank you!
In re the dark table. One thing I had kind of "learned" on the boards here is to balance dark and light in a room. I was thinking the table had no tonal counterpart, but I am glad you mentioned the ladders. Yes, you are right. Dad, I will not be "ruining" the table.

Bee,
Thank you! You remember the silver tray hunt! I ended up getting one very cheapo from ebay --- i think like 80 bucks. It has irreparable damage in spots but it is perfect for this use.

Patty cake,
Yes, it is a folly. Certainly a per-sq-foot folly! I seem to be folly-prone. Thanks.

Nini804, aww, that's so cute! I'm glad my target demographic likes it, too!

Cyn427, I think the exterior looks a little like a toll booth, or worse yet, those security booths in gated McMansionvilles. I know dirt and a faded roof will help! And as you can see in one photo, we are starting vines to encircle the doorway. Any other ideas for the exterior? I need something that makes it look less tall --- like a big horizontal stripe! Ideas???

Mclarke - really? What a coincidence. I really wanted to wait until the vines grew in and the roof faded, but ahh what the heck. Glad you like it. It's actually prettier in person because in the photos you can't tell that its next to the pond and that is the view from most windows.

Kitchendetective, Hmm, no, but there is actually a new bee box you can see in one of the photos! Not a bad idea to at least plant a butterfly bush. You are right about the setting. These types of mini vistas are why we fell in love with and bought this house, despite having no intention of moving and knowing no one here. You can't create some of what's here. I have always loved the moss-covered, fern bedecked, meandering, pond-view path to the stonehouse, and now we have a reason to go down it!

Annie, i thought maybe it was because, in the thunder, you won't want to make the trip to the outhouse? lol

BronwynsMom,
Leave it to you to "pen" such a clever and charming review. It means a lot to me to earn your accolades, with your talent!
Thank you!

Jab65, Thanks! As for the ladder. I don't know if these pictures below show it better. The ladder is attached to a metal bracket drilled into the wall. When you want to use it, you lift the ladder upwards, it disengages from part of the bracket, and you pull it out. When you are done it goes flat against the wall again. All we did was show the carpenter the ladders and he figured out the rest.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Curtain source

Quaint, stunning, and oh, so inviting. Such great use of a tiny space and so well done. Not overly decorated and all the detail touches fit perfectly. Hats off to your brilliant vision.

Perhaps a cute iron table and chair set outside would add a nice touch for a morning tea since all of of GWers wanna book a weekend. LOL.

I love everything about it!

Oh, Mtn, I didn't mean I don't like the exterior-I just loved it so before, but I think once you get used to the difference, you will like it. The vines will look wonderful. Really, had I not seen the 'before' I would have felt the same about the 'after' which is lovely.

Once you add some pots with enchanting flowers on the stone patio, it will be perfect. Of course, the interior is perfection itself. You do have a marvelous eye and we are so lucky that you shared this journey with us.

Hooray! What a treat to see the finished product. For some reason, your inspiration picture would pop into my mind every now and then. Lovely to see what you have done and what you have done is sure to become someone else's inspiration picture.

Best, oldbat2be

BEAUTIFUL!

I would have given anything for a place like that growing up. Charming and beautiful. Le sigh.

Just so dang gorgeous!!!

I've been missing in action for months now due to life getting in the way of vegging out on the computer. But...I'm so glad I checked back in and found your post. Have often wondered how it turned out. I knew I didn't have to worry that you would succeed on in your quest perfectly :)

Now to find you most recent post on the beach property!!!