Lake Cottage Lovelies
I don't want to get TOO philosophical this early in the a.m. here but I really believe houses are like people. They each tell a story of where they've been, who's been around them to influence them and how they got to where they are today.
We all have scars, bruises, and wounds that speak of our past. God always uses those to tell His story and that's what makes for the best story. That being said, we want to use lots from this house. This is by no means a complete tear down. We want the history to come through to tell the very best story in the very best way.
With that in mind I am so excited to share with you some of the details of the cottage that I have fallen in love with.
But first, a little about the cottage...this cottage is located at a ministry site for our church's denomination...good old Church of God! It sits on a quiet lake about an hour south-ish of our home. It is (in my opinion) the perfect distance away...far enough away that you feel like you're on vacation and not so close you feel like you could just be there all the live long day.
Our family has been going to this campground for as long as I can remember and as long as my grandmother even can remember. I have very fond memories of being on the property with my great-grandmother. She used to stay two doors down from our cottage at a dormitory that was fondly referred to as "The Holiday Inn".
When I told my Grandma Jean about us purchasing a cottage she was beyond tickled. "Your Grandpa always wanted a cottage, you know. He would be so proud." I think that right there is all I need for the rest of my life. Anyway, when I was a girl (a teenage girl mind you) I was a lifeguard at these campgrounds (my chair is now 3 houses down, still at the beach!). Every day I would walk down to the beach and look at all of the cottages. Each summer I committed them to memory: Their angles and lines, their porches and balconies. I always dreamed of how nice it would be to have one for my very own.
And now we have one!
***If you missed it before, here's the post that shows you a broader view of the cottage. Today we're diving in a bit deeper :).
Today I am so thrilled to show you some of the little details that I absolutely adore about our teeny, tiny cottage.
Floor!
First things first, let's talk floor. The floorboards are exposed in the kitchen and I can see from a lip they left that they are under the laminate flooring that was installed. We are going to pull up the laminate floor and see what they look like underneath. I love these floors and can't wait to give them a good scrub and some new paint.
Handles
In the bathroom there are some details that I thought were just precious...things you can't find today at your local Home Depot.
These are the handles/lock of the cabinet in the bathroom. These suckers are old by the looks of them as we have them in our house too. I love small details like this that are just so gorgeous in a utilitarian way.
For me it's all about the details.
Can you tell? ;)
Lights
I don't know why but I am really digging this light. Does anyone say "digging" anymore? No? Oh, phooey. Anyway...
I think it's really cool but I am not sure if I like it enough to keep it. What do you guys think? Comment below with your love or distaste for our mid-century bathroom light fixture!
Another thing I would like to point out is our outside light. How gorgeous is she? I love this thing and it is beefy!
There's another one in the kid's nook. I think these are neat, we will just have to see how they look in the new space.
The Doors!
The backdoor and screen door are so neat! I am hoping we can just give these some love and bring them back to their glory. I love the "whap" noise that the screen door makes when it is closed...super fun! Can't wait to see wet, sand covered kids running through here! How blessed I will feel!
I am not sure what will happen in the end (a lot of times Nick and I have completely different ideas) but I am really loving the contrast of the white and green against the blue of the lake in the background.
The door is actually barricaded from the inside by a set of kitchen cabinets (those are leaving). The door is missing it's handle. I can't wait to find a gorgeous beauty to install here!
Cabinets
I am not sure if I am so "in love" with the upper cabinets but I think they are going to stay for now and we are going to make them work. Of course this place would look completely different if we had an unlimited amount of money to work with. But we don't so we are doing this renovation on a budget.
I do love that they are solid wood, old school cabinets. They have character and I am sure that with some fresh paint and new handles they will look great!
The View
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the very thing that we love the most...the view.
How gorgeous is this?
I can't wait to wake up to this view every morning. Eek! I am so excited!
So those are the details that I love.
Nick and I are a really good fit (or not so depending on how you look at it) because he can look at something and see the big picture...how the roof is supported, all of the big things. I on the other hand see the details...those are what really stick out for me. It's a bad thing when Nick sees a project as completed but I don't because there are some details that are still left to do. (see how this can be bad?) :)
I would love for you to help me with the question on the bathroom light conundrum I mentioned way up above. I am planning on going kind of farmhouse/fixer upper-show style. I love that style but it doesn't come super natural to me...I am generally a very formal decorator so this space will be perfect to try out decorating like that. I feel confident I can make everything else work but I am unsure of that darn light.
Let me know your thoughts on the light and comment on what features you love tooo!