The Cottage Challange

I have been so anxious to get this project started. It was a lot of fun to see the transformation. If you have a room that has been begging for a REDO, I hope this post gives you some inspiration.

We Need To Lighten and Brighten

This size of this room is 10×24, separated into a living room and dining room. The corner shelf was a built-in unit from previous owners. The shelf was removed and the loveseat moved to the other end of the room. I made this area the eating area/dining room.

Amazing What Paint Can Do

I wanted to give the cottage a warm coastal look. I choose Benjamin Moore Simply White to paint the room. This is a warm white with a touch of yellow in it, but most of the undertones are warm grey. I feel so calm and relaxed now when sitting in this room.

The table and chairs were purchased at Veranda located in Bracebridge, ON. This is the Lauren schoolhouse set and seats 4 comfortably but could accommodate 6.

Antique Mirror Steals The Show

I found this mirror from an antique dealer in the area. The frame was painted white and distressed. I repainted it with this soft green to keep the antique look. This color is repeated throughout the room.

To the left of the mirror is a poster from Cottage Life. It shows 20 cottage life magazine covers from 1988- 2007.

To give height to the corner I bought a large vase and filled it with twigs. It gives visual interest and balances out the opposite corner with the tall chimney.

This Sign Says It All

I thought the little wooden sign that says “Summer House” was quite quaint on the windowsill with the rooster.

This Clock Picks Up All Elements

I removed the coat rack from the sidewall by the chimney. I found this beautiful wooden clock that picked up all the elements and colors in the room. I just loved it for this space. The black metal on the hands of the clock repeats the black from the chimney of the freestanding woodstove.

Original Hutch In Dark Cherry Wood

The original hutch had quite a wide base that took up a lot of floor space

Let’s Brighten It Up

This Buffet hutch is from IKEA. I bought a tall 14″ depth unit to maximize storage space and minimize floor space. The bottom of the unit has two shelves that hold my good serving dishes on one side and acts as a liquor cabinet on the other side. The glass doors allow me to display my pretty dishes and favorite finds.

Dining Room Area Before Reno

Seating Area with A Lake view

This dining area is now the living room. I removed the dining table and arranged a seating area around the beautiful maple coffee table. The view of the lake makes it perfect.

The coffee table is the main focal point in the room. Arranging the sofa and loveseat facing each other with the coffee table in the middle creates a cozy conversation area. The large coffee table balances out the sofa and loveseat.

Seating Area-Angle from Dining Room

The flow of colors from the dining room is repeated in the throw cushions and throws on the sofas in the living room area. Because of the small space, I used a standing lamp in one corner that has two-way lighting. The uplight creates a nice ambiance in the room, and the downlight is perfect if you need direct light. Since I love reading at the cottage the right lamp was a must-have.

Custom Made Coffee Table

This custom made coffee table was a labor of love. The top is solid Maple that was reclaimed from a kitchen table used by the previous owners.

It was sanded, stained, and given three coats of urethane. The legs were made out of pine and painted a basic white.

The small rug fits under the coffee table perfectly. The rule of thumb is that the rug must be large enough to fit under the legs of your furniture. This anchors the entire living room.

In this case, the area is rather small and I wanted to leave more of the pine floor exposed keeping it simple and easy to clean.

Close-Up Shots

The Floor Reveal

There were many surprises, layers and hard work before this beauty showed up.

The first layer of material was carpeting, then there was a layer of tar paper (this must have been used as an underlay in the day). The tar paper was removed revealing a grey painted floor. Painting wood floors must have been a trend in the ’70s.

The floor was sanded and 3 coats of urethane applied to give it a hard finish. This gorgeous floor shown above was the final result.

The natural pine floor keeps the cottage vibe, looks wonderful and is super easy to clean.

What is Your Next Project – Get It Started

The reno’s to this little cottage gave the place a whole new look and vibe. With some paint, a few new pieces and some styling it is a completely different room. It is light, airy and so relaxing. So if you have a project you have been wanting to do, let this post inspire you to get started.

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