cottage home design Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

While it is still fresh in everyone’s minds, I wanted to take some time and say ‘thank you’ to you awesome people for all of the help you gave me last weekend.

When I wasn’t sure which layout was best for our future upstairs bathroom, I went ahead and made a post about it – offering three options, and asking you to choose your favorite. I thought maybe two or three of you might comment or offer suggestions. I was completely blown away by the amount of interaction that post received both here on the blog and on social media – especially through the AHC Facebook page!

I will need to go back and look at the stats to be positive, but i’m pretty sure that it was my most engaged post of all time. Kind of crazy, considering the subject matter! If you would like to review the options, you can read the post again RIGHT HERE.

The post went live right away in the morning, around 7am; And as the day progressed, I could see that there was a strong trend emerging. Barely anyone was choosing Option #1, with the smaller shower stall. Most people agreed that when given the chance to have a larger tiled shower, they would choose it over a fiberglass or plastic unit.

people were not loving the idea of a small shower stall!

That little tidbit was interesting to us, as Craig and I have never lived in a house with a custom/tiled stall. We have always either had the smaller stall units or a bath/shower combo unit. I guess we don’t know what we’re missing!

That left option #2 and #3.

And, between the two, another common theme emerged. Many people agreed that seeing the toilet first thing as you walk up the steps would not be attractive. Seeing the vanity first, as Option #2 showcased, was the primary reason given by people who made that choice.

However, I have a feeling that not everyone who chose the second option fully realized that the ceiling behind the vanity was sloping, hindering the ability to install a full height mirror. This was Craig’s biggest worry, I believe. He felt that a vanity with a small mirror (or no mirror) in front of it would, essentially, be useless.

toilet is hidden, but the vanity is small and there is little to no space for a mirror

The final trend in comments that we saw was regarding the counter space itself. Many of you pointed out that the larger vanity in Option #3 far outweighed the negative aspect of seeing the toilet first thing when walking into the bathroom. As one person commented, “Everyone knows it’s in there!” I’ll admit, there is a lot of truth in that statement!

people didn’t like the toilet directly in front of the door (I didn’t either) – but some thought that the additional counter space made option #3 their top choice regardless.

You know how sometimes when you stare at something for a really long time and it starts to get fuzzy and not make sense anymore? That is what I think was happening to me. But you guys… you helped me bust through! By the end of the day, the topic had received so much discussion, that new ideas started popping into my head.

And from all those comments about how you and your families use your bathrooms, questions about swinging vs pocket doors, and thoughts about what is most visually pleasing – a brand new OPTION #4 was born!

By ‘stealing’ a mere 8 inches from the girl’s bedroom, I was able to figure out a layout complete with BOTH the large tiled shower and the extra long counter space, a pocket door, and a toilet hidden from view. I figure there is even room for a small linen cabinet or hamper in the corner.

I brought it into 3D – just to verify that all of the fixtures will work out. And I do believe we have a winner!

Rainfall shower head? check! Extra large vanity? check! Pleasant view into the room? check!

I like the idea of a round mirror and a rectangular sink. Still debating about adding a second. As you can see, the headroom will be a bit more tight on that side of the counter. The back wall behind the toilet is 4′-9″.

At your suggestion, I am also planning to allow for a glass shower door.

This is the view a person walking up the stairs will see. I am loving that the door is essentially centered on the back wall. I am planning a pendant light fixture for the hall, to hang in the center. I think it looks pretty balanced! I envision colorful art pieces hanging on either side of the door – maybe a ‘kid gallery’?

Just for fun… here is an aerial view of the second floor as it is right now. I’m just getting started on the girl’s bedroom design – so it isn’t detailed. Also trying to determine what height knee walls, if any, will need to be added.

I will be working some more on the 3D imagery – adding color and texture – and will give the big reveal of the room right here on the blog when it’s finished.

Again, I want to thank you for hanging out and helping me with this! I have other tricky spaces that have been leading me to dead ends. Maybe if I post about them, you can help me another time or two (or twenty)? Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

I hesitate to call this room the ‘Master Bedroom’, since it lacks some of what would be considered standard features. There will be no on-suite bathroom or walk-in closet. But it is the bedroom that Craig and I will use – and since we are the ‘masters’ of the property, per se’, I guess the phrase will work. Ha!

As I mentioned in this recent post – the room is not at all large. When dividing up square footage in the floor plan, we made the decision to give more to the shared/ public spaces in the house (such as the living room and kitchen) and to make the private spaces (such as bathrooms and bedrooms) a bit smaller. This is a decision that we are 100% okay with, as the members of our family tend to rarely spend time in the bedrooms.

The location of the bedroom itself was something I thought about for a very long time. Because we intend to live in Arrow Hill Cottage for as long as life allows, I wanted to be sure and include at least one bedroom on the main level. Our kids are old enough now that it works for our family to have their bedrooms upstairs – giving them (and us) a bit of separation and privacy. Besides the bedroom, the rest of the main level is shared/ public space – In order to make the room feel as private as possible, I used the stairway as a ‘buffer’ and also located the closets, fireplace, and built-ins between the living room and bedroom – which should help to reduce noise transfer.

The Master Bedroom is 10′-4″ wide by 12′-5″ long, 128 square feet. But even with it’s small size, it should be able to pack a good design punch – with a few key features.

NATURAL LIGHT

I have said before that I love natural daylight. The Master Bedroom will have three large South facing windows that overlook the front porch. They are sure to let in some great light, which I am very excited about! And because they are across from the bedroom door, the view out of these large windows is likely to be the first thing you notice when you walk in. For privacy and light filtration, these windows will likely have some sort of covering.

I like the look of a simple natural roman shade.

TRAY CEILING

We have a large amount of tongue and groove barn-wood, which was removed from an old summer kitchen on Craig’s parent’s property. I am hoping to re-purpose some of the wood in the trayed portion of the Master Bedroom ceiling. I think it will add a bit of warmth to the room, as well as sentimental/ personal appeal.

I also love sleeping with the white noise of a fan, and want to find a pretty ceiling fan to replace the chunky box fan that we are currently using.

FRENCH DOORS

The closet, though not the walk-in variety, is a decent size. We plan to use a set of vintage french doors (from the farmhouse we are currently living in) to access the closet space. Of course, the glass on the doors will need to be frosted in some way so that our clothes and shoes aren’t on display!

The doors have such a great patina, but I may need to sand and stain them to mix a bit better with the other wood tones.

TUFTED HEADBOARD

We have a queen size bed with the world’s most comfortable mattress. Although it has probably outlasted it’s life expectancy at this point, we are not ready to part with it. I have wanted a diamond tufted headboard for a very long time. The thought of aqua velvet keeps popping up in my mind, but I think a more neutral fabric choice would better suit the room – without overpowering it.

There are a ton of great DIY tutorials for tufting, such as this one from Homeade by Carmona. It looks pretty straightforward and the directions are detailed enough that I may just get brave enough to tackle this project, and save a few dollars.

A nightstand and reading lamp with an operable arm will be situated on either side of the bed – giving the bed wall a very balanced and symmetrical look.

At the foot of the bed, I plan to position a special pine chest that my uncle built for me as a seventh birthday present. It is full of memories and keepsake items – and I cherish it!

READING NOOK

A few years ago I found this cute chair through a local online ad. It’s in a bit of rough condition currently, but it has a great shape and I can see a lot of potential! I am thinking of reupholstering it and maybe painting the frame, or staining it a different color.

There will be a series of shallow shelves behind the door, where I plan to house our book collection, as well as a few mementos and collectibles.

And of course, there will be baskets. No room is complete without baskets.

The rest of the accessories and art for the room are a bit sketchy in my mind at the moment – but I know that I want the vibe to be calm and relaxing, yet not too stuffy or formal. I am envisioning pops of color to add interest, and lots of visual texture. I love textiles such as rugs, pillows and bedding – and will surely have plenty of fun making each of those choices. Here are a few that have already caught my eye.