Tag: new build

THE SUMMER PROJECT BUCKET LIST

With the building of Arrow Hill Cottage on hold at the moment until at least the Fall, and quite possibly until Spring of 2019, I am finding myself thinking about what CAN be done in the meantime.

I started this bucket list of projects that I hope to tackle in the next couple of months, during Summer break – when the weather is decent for outside work. The list is a doozy! There is so much that can be done. I think it’s time to get to work!

 

PAINT DINING CHAIRS

I purchased an amazing set of 8 chairs this past winter at an antique store in town. They had been lovingly stripped of years of paint and stained a beautiful color, and all pieces glued so that they are nice and sturdy. The antique shop owner confirmed what I was suspecting.. that chairs of this age (1940’s) are rarely found in such large sets anymore. Groups of 2 or 4 are much more common.

A couple of months later, I found just that – a set of 2 – painted brown. They were offered at a great deal and I decided to purchase them as well – to bring our collection up to 10 matching chairs. I love the spindle details and the curved backs.

My vision for the kitchen/dining space in the cottage includes these chairs painted black. Although I love the wood grain/stained chairs, I have a feeling that the wood floor, wood chairs, and wood table might be a bit much. I am going to do some testing with the two painted chairs – to determine if I like the look before I paint them all.

 

DETERMINE DESIGN FOR A HARVEST TABLE

Speaking of the kitchen/dining space. If you remember from THIS POST we have made the decision to not use an island in the space, and instead center the dining room table. This will not only save square footage in the overall floor plan, but it will also allow the dining table to be used both for meals and for food prep.

Because the table will be a central feature in the space, we want to make sure it is very well designed and functional. We have said all along that we would like the the large trees that need to be moved from our property to be milled into wood boards. We envision some of these boards being made into a large harvest table.

This table base that I saw at an antique store is sort of what I am thinking about.

We purchased a set of table legs when on our surprise anniversary trip to Kansas. I love that the sweet memories of that amazing mini-trip will live on in our house. They came to me looking just like this – wrapped in blue. I haven’t even taken the time to unwrap them yet! I suppose that could be considered Step #1.

I will need to take some time to measure, sketch and determine the design for the table itself, and also find someone locally who is able to mill tree trunks into boards.

 



 

METAL BED REFINISHING

When thinking about our girl’s shared bedroom, I have always had the vision of identical metal beds. Over the past couple of years I have casually scrolled through websites trying to find the perfect metal bed frames. Those that I found and liked were always just too expensive to pull the trigger on.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine posted about how her family was clearing out their storage shed and unearthed a whole slew of metal beds that she wanted to find new homes for, free of charge. I asked if she had any that were the same shape and size, and lo and behold she did!

Authentic cast iron, matching farmhouse beds! I about squealed with excitement!  She and her husband were even nice enough to haul the two frames to our house so that I can begin work on them. After a good sanding and spray paint job, they should be good as new!

 

SINK REPAIR

I dedicated an entire post to the amazing cast iron apron sink that we inherited from Craig’s grandparents. At the moment it is sitting in a storage shed on Craig’s parents property. There are a couple of chips and scratches that will need to be fixed in order to get it ready for install. It’s too delicate of a job for us to take on personally; But I am adding it to my list to find someone locally who can!

 

FRIDGE CLEANUP

We also have an old fridge that we would like to have cleaned up a bit so that it can be used in the basement family room as the ‘snack fridge’. The fridge is unique in that it is a General MOTORS brand. Yes, before GM locked up a niche in the car industry, they had a focus on appliances. We scored this gem at a yard sale 10 years ago at a home in the historic neighborhood we used to live in. Because we had no truck, we carted it home on a two wheel dolly. Fun times, fun times.

We are excited to see it restored to it’s former glory. It’s possible that the same person who restores the sink could take on this project as well.

 

SAND + PREP BARNWOOD

As part of our master bedroom design, I included a tray ceiling that will feature some old barn wood that was removed from a shed on Craig’s parents property. It is really beautiful wood – that is currently stacked up in our garage, covered in years of dust and dried up mud.

Not only do I want to get it cleaned up – I want to make sure that there is even enough here to get the job done! I am kind of thinking it would be good to get some 5/8″ plywood and cut the sheets into the size of the tray – which is 7’4 x 9’6 – then clean the barn wood and attach it… so that when the time comes to actually install on site, it will be as simple as screwing up a few sheets of plywood. Could save our builder some time I think!

 

CHAIR REFRESH

Another master bedroom project involves this sweet chair that I bought second-hand, about 5 years ago. I absolutely love the shape of it, and think it will make a wonderful accent piece for the room.

Problem is, it’s run down. Though it is a solid piece, the fabric on the cushion is beginning to fray and the wood portions are stained an odd color. It needs a refresh, and I think the summer will be a perfect time to do that.

 



 

TUFTED HEADBOARD

Rounding out the future master bedroom is one of the projects I am most excited for – the tufted headboard!

The headboard we currently use for our bed is the very first piece of ‘furniture’ Craig and I ever bought together. We scored it from the bargain bin at the very back of the furniture store. I have an idea to use this dated headboard as the framework for the new version – and add a little height with 1×4’s. I’ve never tufted anything before, but I’m a big fan of the look and the tutorials I’ve seen online make me feel like it isn’t super complicated.

 

DOORS FOR GIRLS BEDROOM

Way back, a long long time ago, at the very first house we bought together – Craig and I had a backyard ‘mini barn/shed’ that was filled to the brim with corn cobs, electrical components, and a few treasures. Hidden within was a set of cute wooden doors.

Though I haven’t finished designing the girl’s shared bedroom yet, I have been working on it; And have found the perfect spot for the doors as access to their closet! One of the doors has a bit of wood patching that needs to be done, but for the most part this should be a semi-simple sand and re-paint job. Famous last words, I know.

 

DOUBLE CHAIRS RE-UPHOLSTERED

Another of my discount finds were these two overstuffed arm chairs with matching ottomans. I got all 4 pieces for $125 – which is an absolute steal! They are super comfy and sturdy, but ugly as can be. I’ve got to figure out if this is a reupholstering project that I am willing to tackle on my own, or if I need to hire the professionals. Either way, I don’t want these pieces to make their way into Arrow Hill Cottage in their current state.

 

PAINT THE PIANO

Our piano will reside in the entry space of the new house – and I want it to really make a statement. It’s kind of a dull/aged brownish color right now and I think that a fresh coat of paint will make a world of difference. I’ve never painted a piano before though, and I will admit it does make me slightly nervous. The good news is that it isn’t a super fancy baby grand or anything – and we got it for about $100 – so if it does happen to get ‘ruined’ we won’t be out much dough.

 

CABINET REPAIR

Last on the list, but not least – is this set of semi-matching little cabinets. The antique dealer who sold them to me said they came out of a historic home in which they were installed as built ins. They are each about 5 feet tall, 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep.

One of them has a glass front, and shelving. I think it would look cute as a small linen cabinet in the upstairs hallway

The other is in a bit more rough shape, but has some really neat features. I believe it will make a perfect mail sorting station in the mudroom, and also serve as a spot where we can charge all of our devices. I imagine it as the Family Command Center for the cottage.

Both cabinets will need some work done on the side faces, where they were previously built into the wall. I might also do a sand and re-stain, although I do adore the patina – especially on the glass front cabinet.

 

Whew! That is quite the list! And since it’s already mid-July, I had better get in gear if I want to accomplish all (or most) of these items before school starts! What do you think I should tackle first? Leave a comment below!

As I work on these projects, I plan to share them on Instagram Stories. If you aren’t following me over there – here’s the LINK! Have a wonderful weekend!

UNDERSTANDING WHAT MAKES HOME ‘YOURS’

We are in waiting mode, as three local contractors are pouring over our house plans in an effort to get us accurate bid numbers. They have seen plenty of house designs in their day – and no two exactly alike I’m sure.

There were some questions when we had our meetings with the contractors – and some comments made by friends and family, regarding the design choices we have made that make our home what it is. And I have been thinking a lot lately about how tailor fit this house is for OUR family.

I just wanted to take a little time today to encourage each of you to understand the home that YOU want to live in. What works for you and your family may not be the norm. It might not be what the real estate market expects, or trending on Pinterest. And guess what? That’s okay!

 

This is a list of a few of the unconventional features that have been incorporated into our new house design, and why we are happy with our choices:



 

LACK OF SQUARE FOOTAGE:

We understand that our house is on the small side. The primary dimensions of our house are 28 feet by 32 feet, making a rectangular footprint about the size of a standard two car garage. The smaller footprint was a function of both our challenging site, and also for monetary purposes.

We have said all along that we do not wish to live in a large house; but rather one that can accommodate today’s needs while we raise our five children, and won’t seem too spacious when they are all grown and gone. All told, the finished square footage of the cottage, including lower level and upstairs half-story, will be just over 2,000 square feet.

 

NO MASTER SUITE:

Most newly built homes feature a main level bedroom, complete with a large walk in closet and attached on-suite bathroom. Though our cottage will indeed have a main floor bedroom, so that we can age in place, the room will not have the features to make it a ‘suite’.

We have instead opted to have a large shared bathroom on the main level, near the mudroom/ back entry. It is only a short, accessible, distance from the bedroom; But it’s location through a public shared space will make it convenient for guests as well.

The closet for the main level bedroom is large – about 5 feet in length – but it is not a walk in style. We have justified the smaller closet space by realizing that we try not to keep items that are not useful to us. In fact, the only other closet on the main level is a small broom closet near the bedroom door.

 

SHARED KID BEDROOMS:

This design item seems to get a lot of attention. The idea that we can fit five children into two bedrooms gets a few raised eyebrows. For us though, it is the perfect set up. The kids will have the entire second level, which simply features two bedrooms (one for the girls, and one for the boys), and a hall bathroom to serve both rooms.

To be honest, our kids have always shared bedrooms and I think they would be a bit lost having a room all to themselves. We do, however, anticipate that as the teen years approach (our oldest son is 11) – they will want more privacy. The sleeping nooks in the boys room will aide in that regard – while still keeping them close.

Fewer bedrooms mean less nagging from mom and dad to get the rooms in order, and hopefully will develop some shared responsibility among the siblings to do their part in keeping things clean.

 



 

COMBINED KITCHEN/DINING:

While this design decision was driven primarily by the budget, during the simplification process, I have to admit that I am actually looking forward to the combined kitchen and dining space. The table, though standard height, will serve somewhat as an island if need-be.

I have been tinkering with the plan, and was careful to maintain a functional kitchen work triangle – with the table slightly offset from it. The large area of open shelving, with shallow cabinets below, almost mimics a hutch – which signifies a ‘dining’ space ever so slightly

 

RELATIVELY LITTLE STORAGE:

Because we know that, for us, items stored behind doors rarely get used, we have opted to have very few storage/closet spaces in the cottage. There is one small broom closet incorporated in the plans for the main level, but no coat closets. Instead we will use cubbies or hooks in the mudroom to house our outerwear. Upstairs, each bedroom will have a closet, and there are a couple of small unfinished storage areas in the eaves which will be useful for Christmas decor and other seasonal items.

It is standard to build three stall garages for new homes. Most families now have two vehicles, and will use the third stall for either an accessory item such as a boat/ ATV, or as storage space. Though we have been told that garage square footage is cheap and we should consider making ours larger – perhaps with a bonus space above – we have decided that a two car garage will be just fine for our needs. We are hoping that by setting the garage back from the house and making it only one story, it’s appearance will be minimized from the curb view. The fact that the garage will be attached is a huge bonus for our family, as we have never owned a home with that luxury. It will especially be appreciated during the cold winter months!

 

 

There you have it! Though these design choices may not be popular in today’s market – we aren’t looking to ever sell our house (instead hoping it will passed down through the generations) – and so feel no hesitation in making these changes that will allow the cottage to function in the best way possible for our family.

What makes your home personal? A unique shade of color on your walls? No formal entry space? Mix-matched cabinetry? I would love to hear, in the comments below!