Tag: cottage design

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: THE GREAT PORCH DEBATE

In the last Saturday Sketchbook post, I discussed the three outdoor spaces I have been working on for the cottage. I casually mentioned that the front porch may or may not have railings. Then someone on Instagram posted this picture, and it sent my mind spinning.

image source

Do you see what I see? Isn’t this porch just gorgeous? I had never considered using planters as a buffer between porch and ground before I saw this image; But as soon as I saw it the wheels in my head started turning. Here’s a close up of the planter boxes.

The sea of color slays me.



I tracked down a photo of this same porch, updated with different flowers in the planters. It’s a simple change that has a big impact. As someone who loves to rearrange furniture, the thought of updating the look of the exterior without lifting a hammer is really piquing my interest. Additionally, I am almost certain our cottage exterior will be all white, and a pop of color provided by flowers could really help add some visual interest.

Excitedly, I sent these pictures to Craig and asked him what he thought. I was pretty sure his reaction would be the same as mine – pure love. Imagine my shock when he texted back three simple words. Not a fan.

Gulp! Did he just really say that?! How could it be!

The conversation continued later that night when he got home from work. I used all sorts of logic to try to persuade him to come to ‘my side’ of the equation. “See how the grass can be planted right up to the porch rail? no need for expensive landscaping!” “Wouldn’t it be nice to just keep potted plants alive and not have to worry so much about weeds?” “You can change it for the seasons – bright flowers in summer, potted spruce in winter!” “The lower planters won’t block the view out of the windows!”

Not budging.

Though he couldn’t give me a firm reason WHY he didn’t like the look, he did say that it just seems to him that a porch needs railings. (*technically.. this is the architect in me speaking…per code, we won’t be required to add a railing to our front porch because it will only be about 14 inches off of ground level)



SO… I set to work on my 3d modeling program, to get a better idea of what a planter box buffer could look like at the cottage.

See how cute? I went ahead and added a few more porch details – to further the vision I laid out in this post – I even added a blue bead board ceiling, which I think would be lovely.

Pretend that you are sitting on the porch.

The view from the porch swing is my favorite.

I could probably spend all day right here. Truly.



Of course, I want to make sure and play fair – so here are a few views of the porch shown with a standard railing.

Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Help us solve this debate by telling us which you prefer – railings or planters. Please comment below!

Read more about our home design progress here.

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: THE KITCHEN

With all of the posts lately regarding food, I have been dreaming of a bright beautiful kitchen to cook in!  So today I sat down and sketched out some ideas.  They are by no means refined, but hopefully they can help you all visualize what we are planning.

First, a quick floor plan.  As discussed in THIS post,  the kitchen is located in a very convenient spot on the main level.  It has direct access to the dining room and is just a short walk from the mudroom which will connect to an attached garage.  It also is within view from the front entry – which means I will need to be extra diligent about making sure it stays clean!  And in order to keep it clean and organized, the layout and function of the kitchen itself will need to be spot on.

Here is what we have so far

From the front entry you would be looking into the kitchen from the bottom of this floor plan sketch, and would see the three large windows above the sink as a focal point.  That sink is something that we are all SUPER excited about – a cast iron original farmhouse sink that was taken out of the farmhouse we are currently living in years and years ago, salvaged from the woods by us, and stored in Craig’s parents shed.  It is a ‘one basin’ design with a built in dish drain, and refinished it will look SO great!

The three main stations (oven, fridge, and sink) are arranged in a triangular fashion – a technique referred to as the ‘work triangle’.  I can imagine that corner of the island that falls within the triangle will be a great drop zone to bridge the gap between the three zones.  I am playing around with the idea of using a microwave drawer on that end of the island as well, but haven’t fully decided on that.

Near the fridge I am planning an entire row of pantry cabinets, with the upper cabinets stretching all the way to the counter.  I want to keep the look really clean, and was thinking that the large doors could be telescoping (slide in and out of the way) to reveal a spot for a coffee machine and toaster.

On the other main wall will be the range/oven station.  Again, I am playing around with the idea of bringing the cabinets straight down tot he counter to keep things clean.  The left cabinet I can imagine housing spices and cooking oils, and the right cabinet might be the perfect spot for the dishes to be stored.

In the middle of all the action will sit the crowning jewel of the kitchen, the island.  It may have a different finish than the rest of the cabinets and perhaps a butcher block island.  I haven’t thought through all of the details yet, but I do know that at 3’0″ wide x 7’0″ long it will be large enough for all five kids to sit at!

Just for fun, I made another sketch of the kitchen – kind of looking at it from above.  I think it shows the layout pretty well.

If you want a better idea of what types of colors and finishes (and organization tips) we are considering utilizing in our kitchen, go check out the Pinterest board HERE!

 

COTTAGE ROOM DESCRIPTIONS {LOWER LEVEL}

It’s time to describe the final level of our future cottage/home!  If you missed the other levels, go ahead and click the links below to get caught up.

MAIN LEVEL

UPPER LEVEL

As I mentioned in THIS post, our building site is quite sloped.  Therefore, it was the perfect candidate for a walkout basement.  We are super thrilled about that prospect!  Not only will we have great connection to the outdoors, we will also have a basement with decent lighting – which is the stuff dreams are made of.  I’m pretty sure that natural daylight is one of my love languages.

Below is the layout of the lower level.  Use it as a guide while you read through the descriptions, and take a look at our Pinterest boards (which are linked at the end of each room description).  They show some inspiration images we have found for each space.  And here comes the disclaimer…* As mentioned before, these floor plans are currently not showing any real detail – I will be working on adding detail for future posts.

Generally speaking, the lower level is laid out in a fairly straightforward way.  The bathroom is stacked under the main level bathroom, with the mechanical space nearby – to cut down on plumbing costs.  All of the rooms situated on this level, besides the mechanical room of course, are ‘extras’ – meaning that they are not as important for the day to day function of our family.  If money runs short while we are building the house, they can be left unfinished and DIY’d or hired out at a later date.

{ELEVATOR / LIFT} Let’s get straight to the obvious. This is not a typical feature in most houses, but we felt that it was an important addition for our family.  First off, we want to be able to live in this home for as long as we can – and there is always the potential that stairs may become difficult or even impossible at some point.  Secondly, our oldest daughter {K} has arthrogryposis and even now stairs give her some troubles – we want to make sure that the entire house is comfortable and useful for her.  We have dreams that she will one day live independently, but if that is not possible, the lower level can become her apartment. Lastly, if in the future either of our set of parents live with us, we want to provide accessibility for them. Essentially, the elevator/lift will allow us to plan for multiple scenarios – and ensures that all the awesome features of the lower level are not limited to only some inhabitants and visitors.

{BATHROOM} Probably the best feature of this room is it’s location.  Located near the stairs and the lift space, it will definitely be a go-to room when the main level bathroom is occupied.  It also is across from the pool room.  Handy. This will be the largest of the three bathrooms in the house, and will feature both a tiled shower and a separate jetted soaking tub. (PINTEREST)

{POOL ROOM} We aren’t talking about a room that houses a pool table.  No, this room will feature a pool pool, the kind you swim in. Something from Endless Pools perhaps – where the water jet provides a current to swim against. It is the one surprise luxury that we are having in our house, and it’s a useful one. Our daughter {K} will be able to do her pool physical therapy at home and the rest of our family will be able to get some good exercise as well.  There will be plenty of natural light coming in through large windows and a glass door that leads out to a lower level patio. (PINTEREST)

{MECHANICAL / LAUNDRY} This space is definitely still in the idea phase.  Essentially, right now it is just a large open space where all of the mechanical equipment will be housed.  It is also where the washer & dryer will be located. When I was first designing the house, the laundry was for SURE going to be located on the main level.  But, because we decided on a smaller footprint, some concessions had to be made.  Essentially we took the space that could have been used for the laundry equipment on the main level and replaced it with the lift/elevator space.  Don’t worry though, I have a back up plan if it gets to annoying to haul laundry up and down the stairs or if we need a second set of appliances.  There is a large ‘broom closet’ on the main level that will be fitted with water hookups, just in case a stack-able washer/dryer is it’s final destiny. (PINTEREST)

{DEN / GUEST} Craig has been dreaming of this space for such a long time.  On a day to day basis it will be used as his ‘man land’ – a place to watch a football game in private, read a book, or work on some computer programming in peace & quiet.  I imagine the vibe in here to be pretty laid back and cozy.  The room will have a couple of small closets and a pull out couch to accommodate guests.  (PINTEREST)

{HALL} Rule number one of small house design is to eliminate hallways – and such, this ‘hall’ is more than just a walking space.  It is essentially a connecting room.  It will house some pretty important features.  On the wall that connects to the pool room, we will design some nice computer/ homework niches for the kids.  There will be high windows in this location, to allow the natural daylight from the pool area to spill in.  A kitchenette will be placed on the opposite wall.  Again, planning for all sorts of situations, the kitchenette will have a fridge, small sink, microwave and possibly a small cook top.  Day to day it will be a place the kids and their friends can go for snacks. The hall space inspiration images are included in the family room Pinterest board, linked below.

{FAMILY ROOM} We are imagining this room as a great space for our family to kick back and hang out together.  I envision lots of comfy seating and a large TV for family movie nights.  In one corner I would love to have a table that can be used for arts & crafts projects, and also as a place to gather and play games.  There is a set of multi-pane glass french doors in our current farmhouse that we are hoping to remove and install in the cottage.  As of right now, we imagine the family room being the perfect spot for the doors.  When closed, they would create a nice separate room that could double as a guest space when we have visitors.  The family room will also have great access to the outdoor patio space through a set of sliding glass doors.  (PINTEREST)

{PATIO} This will be located, as I mentioned, right off of the family room and the pool room.  If you look at the above graphic, it will fit in the little ‘L’ shape adjoining the two. As of right now, I don’t have a separate Pinterest board for this space alone, but thought I could share the outdoor board which has a few photos of what I am imagining. (PINTEREST)

And there you have it!  The entire house layout / floor plans!  My next step will be to take you inside each room and add details, colors, and even furniture.  I’m hoping to have the computer video recorder up and working next week to share a video.  Now… which shall I detail  first?!

 

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: BOYS BEDROOM

Recently, I posted about {D}’s small BEDROOM.  I also mentioned in THIS post that we will be utilizing some of these same concepts in our new house.  All three of our boys will share a room, but each will have a smaller private sleeping nook off of the larger shared ‘communal’ portion.

I wanted to jump in today with a quick sketch of how this space looks in my head at the moment.  It might be easier for some of you to visualize 3D drawings than floor plans.

You can see from this sketch that the shared space is a good size.  It is roughly 9’6″ x 12’0″and should provide plenty of space for the boys to enjoy the things that they love to do.  A corner chair and low bookcase for reading.  A pallet accent wall to house guitars when they aren’t being used (So far, two of our boys are taking guitar lessons.  You can see a recent video of {D} practicing HERE).  There is enough room in the shared area for a large dresser with a hutch, which could house clothing & toys.  Pretty sure there will be a TV in there somewhere too… they like to spend time together playing the PlayStation on occasion.

See those three little doorway openings on the outer walls of the room?  They lead into the sleeping nooks.  One for each boy.  They are each around 7’0″ x 8’6″ – with sloping ceilings that go from about 7′ high at the highest point down to the floor at it’s lowest – so, not huge at all.  But they should get the job done nicely.  Their beds will be on low platforms with the ‘head’ of the beds toward the higher sloping portion of the ceiling.  If I can figure out a way to create some sliding trundle drawers under the bed frame, that will be great.

Each nook will have shelves built into the studs of the wall and a mounted/ hard wired light for reading.  On the opposite wall from the bed, there is space for a small dresser or shelf to house some personal belongings.  The wood floors from the main part of the bedroom will flow into the sleeping nooks, to keep things somewhat consistent – but each boy will be allowed to personalize their space with bedding, rugs, posters, and their collections.

The boys will likely be ages 12, 10 and 8 when we move into the cottage – and just about at that age when they will begin to crave more privacy.  We are hopeful that this solution will give them the best of both worlds – sharing a room with each other, as they have always done, and maintaining some separation.  They were crowded around my shoulder today as I drew these sketches and as of right now they have given me the stamp of approval on this concept.  Here’s hoping they don’t change their minds in the next couple of years!

Happy Saturday everyone!

COTTAGE ROOM DESCRIPTIONS {UPPER LEVEL}

As promised, I’m back today to describe the upper level rooms.  If you missed part 1 of the series, the main level, you can find it HERE.

Generally speaking, the second level is made up of only 3 main spaces + a hall to connect them:  the boys room, the girls room, and the kid bathroom.  We debated having a second level at all, but in the end decided that we would rather have a smaller house footprint, which will allow us to use and enjoy more of the land, than to have all rooms on one level with a larger footprint.  That meant we were going to be building a muli-level house.

Below is the layout of the upper level.  Use it as a guide while you read through the descriptions, and take a look at our Pinterest boards (which are linked at the end of each room description).  They show some inspiration images I have found for each space.  * As mentioned before, these floor plans are currently not showing any real detail – will be working on adding detail for future posts.

{STAIRS/HALL} Because the upper level is going to be fairly small, we wanted to provide a bit of ‘unexpected’ space.  Therefore, the hallway will be fairly large and will feature a small nook for a desk or a chair. The hall will serve as access to each of the rooms, circulation space really, but we want to make sure it also feels like a place where a person or two can stay a while.  The stair landing will provide a ton of natural light with a large window facing west. Depending on space, we may try to incorporate some bookcases and/or a window bench there as well. (PINTEREST)

{BATHROOM} We went through SO many different ideas for the upstairs bathroom situation.  Two smaller bathrooms, one for the boys and one for the girls, accessed only through the bedrooms to make them more private. A Jack and Jill scenario where they can share through doors entering each of the bedrooms.  No bathroom upstairs. Ultimately, we decided that because we have children of both gender, we wanted the bathroom to be accessed by a single door for privacy purposes and accessed through the hall space so that it was available to everyone (including people visiting when the main level bathroom is occupied). This room will have some varied ceiling heights due to the slope of the roof-line, but generally speaking no portion of the room should have head height less than 5′.  The shower will tuck in under the portion of the roof that provides cover for the main level living room (there is no second level above that room).  Looks wise we want the bathroom to be classy, yet kid friendly for now.  Those kids are eventually going to be grown ups who visit with their own families, and we want to make sure that the bathroom is accommodating for all types of scenarios. (PINTEREST)

{GIRLS BEDROOM} This is a room that I have had in my mind for years and years, long before {M} ever joined our family.  I had a vision of two matching beds flanking a single window, with a night stand in between.  I’m not sure that exact furniture arrangement will be what we go with – but the room is set up in such a way that it is a possibility. The decor will be light, bright and airy – with a vaulted ceiling – and there will be two closets under the roof eaves (with sloping ceilings as well) – one on each side of the room.  We may turn one of them into a little hideaway space for the girls to play in. (PINTEREST)

{BOYS BEDROOM} We also debated back and forth about this room.  A LOT.  We were initially thinking that we would have 3 bedrooms on this level, with the smallest going to the oldest child living at home; But carving space for 3 bedrooms meant that each bedroom was really quite small, and maybe not as functional as we would like.  Taking some cues from {D}’s small bedroom that he occupies right now at the farmhouse, we realized that a small space for sleeping is actually quite cozy and serves as a nice private getaway.  He loves it.  Therefore, we decided that we would have one large bedroom for all three of the boys, with a shared common space to include the closet, dressers, books, toys, chairs for reading, music, etc – and three smaller sleeping nooks that surround it.  They are not labeled on the image above, because we have not yet decided who will get which nook.  I’m really looking forward to designing these little sleeping spaces, and I know each boy is excited to make it his own. Oh, and did i mention that this room will have vaulted ceilings as well and there is potential for a small loft/ fort space for the shared part of the bedroom? Yeah. (PINTEREST)

There you have it – the basic Upper Level floor plan.  I’ll be back next week to describe the final layout of the home, the lower level!

In the meantime, check out ALL of Arrow Hill Cottage’s Pins!

 

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: PRELIMINARY DESIGN

If at first you don’t succeed – try and try again.  That’s the mantra anyway.

In architecture we call this stage ‘Preliminary Design’.  We know that it might not be quite right, just yet; But eventually the pieces will all come together.

If any of you reading this blog have mistakenly thought that we came up with the design for our future cottage overnight, let me put your minds at ease.  It’s been a labor of love for years.  YEARS!  Let today’s sketchbook installation serve as proof.  This sketch was done almost 10 years ago to the day!

I have an entire folder full of proof, in fact.  Sketches done on little scraps of paper.  In pencil and in ink.  Sketches of floor plan ideas and exterior details.  Sketch upon sketch upon sketch. And although I am not a fan of clutter, I don’t think I will ever have the heart to throw them.  They are a sacred collection.

Though they informed the design choices that eventually led us to that perfect layout we were looking for, each sketch has merit of it’s own.  And someday I would love to revisit each idea and come up with a set of simple plan books based on them.

Someday

COTTAGE ROOM DESCRIPTIONS {MAIN LEVEL}

It seems that this blog has been taking on a bit of a mixture – some family, some DIY, and probably not enough of the future cottage!  I thought it would be helpful to explain a little more about each level of the cottage and how the rooms are positioned + why we decided to have certain features (such as a pool!).  My fantastic IT team (aka: Craig, my husband) is working on getting me some software that will allow real-time video recording while I design with my computer programs.  That’s going to be really fun to work with in the future, but it isn’t quite ready  yet – so for now I will give you the text + graphics version.

I’m going to start out the series today with the Main Level of the cottage (*Keep in mind that for now these are shown as just basic spaces without detail/colors added… in fact, no windows are being shown yet either.  The details will come, I promise!) Use the image below as a guide as you read through the descriptions, and take a look at our Pinterest boards (which are linked at the end of each room description).  They show some inspiration images I have found for each space.

{FRONT PORCH}  (This is likely to be one of my favorite spaces).  My vision for the porch is complete serenity – a place to sit and read, listen to nature.  I also want it to have a fun vibe – with pops of color.  It will be the main point of entry for guests, and probably at times for our family as well.  (PINTEREST)

{ENTRY}  Entering through the front door, to the left is a space for a small bench and some coat hooks overhead.  I’m thinking of incorporating some special artwork, maybe some family photos.  I would love for this space to be a glimpse of the life of our family.  The piano will probably also be in this space, along the other wall. (PINTEREST)

{DINING ROOM} I am dreaming of some partial height walls between the Entry and Dining spaces, perhaps built in cabinets for books or special collections.  Our table will need to be large, obviously, maybe a rectangular farmhouse style?  I definitely want to find a cute antique hutch to place along the wall.  Filling it with amazing glassware would make me SO happy!  (PINTEREST)

{LIVING ROOM} As mentioned in this post, the living room will be the place of gathering in our home.  It will be given the most detail attention for sure.  There will be vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and TONS of windows.  The windows facing the backyard/ wooded area will be accented by a lovely window bench, something I have been dreaming of for years.  The window bench will be made of two slip covered twin sized mattresses (maybe tufted?!) and will serve as extra sleeping space for guests (and also probably naps for us! yay naps!) (PINTEREST)

{KITCHEN} Open to the dining room and right around the corner from the mudroom, the Kitchen is in a prime location.  Right now I envision it as an all white/ mostly white space, with maybe a colored tile back splash.  It will have a large center island – eeeee!!! – and a entire wall of pantry cabinets.  I have been finding all sorts of fun storage ideas on (PINTEREST)

{GARAGE} This will be the very first attached garage that our family has ever experienced.  I personally have seen so many examples where the garage overtakes the look of the house, and when planning began I was thinking that the cottage would surely have a detached garage.  However, soon after bringing {K} home, we realized that it made the most sense for her sake that the garage have direct access to the home.  And so, with a little more designing, I was able to come up with a solution that kept the garage somewhat ‘hidden’ from view – though it will cause more expense for a longer driveway.  Worth it I think! (PINTEREST)

{MUDROOM} Since our marriage 15 years ago, Craig and I have lived in three different houses and not one of them has had a proper mudroom.  This space is more important than ever now that we have a large family.  As described in this post, I dream of a well organized space with lots of storage and functionality. (PINTEREST)

{MAIN BATHROOM} I am probably way more excited about the location of this bathroom than I should be.  The thought that we will be able to just walk in from outdoors and use the bathroom or wash our hands without having to track through the entire house just makes me giddy!  It will be a 3 piece (toilet, sink(s), shower) bathroom and will also serve as the bathroom for the main floor bedroom. (PINTEREST)

{MAIN BEDROOM} We hesitate to call this the ‘master’ bedroom because that label evokes the idea of a very large space with an attached walk in closet and bathroom.  It will be our bedroom, but won’t have all the bells and whistles that are considered the standard these days.  We decided to make this room a little smaller so that more square footage could be devoted to the common living spaces (kitchen, dining, living room).  Despite it’s small size though, it will still have plenty of style.  See our inspiration for this space by clicking on the link! (PINTEREST)

That’s it!  7 rooms + the garage and front porch.  Simple!  I’ll be back next week to describe the second level!

In the meantime, check out ALL of Arrow Hill Cottage’s Pins!

 

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: MUDROOM DREAMS

The last part of this week our boys have been at grandpa and grandma’s house.  It has been a yearly pilgrimage and something the boys really look forward to.  I also anticipate the stay, and use it as the prime opportunity to go through clutter, toss out/donate unnecessary items and just get more organized all around.  I tackled many spots around the house over the last few days, and will share some of the big transformations in future posts.

Today though, I wanted to give a little glimpse into our farmhouse mudroom.  It is quite literally just that – a room of mud.  There were mud hand prints on the walls, I kid you not! I have put off doing any sort of organizing in this space for a long time with the excuse ‘It’s just going to get messed up right away – what’s the point?’  But alas, it had to be dealt with.  It’s not perfect, it’s not pretty, but it is about 85% more functional than it was before – a place for everything.  I tidied up, stood back and admired my work, then promptly took this photo as proof that for one moment of time it was, in fact, clean.

For the cottage I envision a super functional mud room where everything has it’s place.  It will be the first time in our adult lives that we have EVER had an attached garage, which will be monumental.  I fought that decision (more on that later), but now realize that an attached garage is for the greater good.  A hallmark of a well organized mudroom is it’s connection to other spaces.  Ours will have connection directly to the garage, of course, plus direct access to the kitchen and the main level bath – both rooms that are most likely to be needed when coming in from the great outdoors.

Other key features of the mudroom include a command center – complete with charging station, a bench for removing shoes, a broom closet, a small seasonal closet, and my all time favorite – a series of five cubbies/ lockers – one for each child.  I daydreamed about them in more detail today as part of the Saturday Sketchbook installation.  Hope you enjoy the doodles!