My Daughter's Cottage


It's still far from being finished but you can finally see some progress on my daughter's place.
 This is what it used to look like.  I've been dying to change the color for years.


 This is all new siding.  The foundation will be painted in the Spring.

 There is lots of touch up work to be done.  This is the new front door.


It's a very dark brown which matches the new wooden ceiling on the front porch.


I lightened this so you can see the ceiling.  Tomorrow, black awnings will be hung on either side of the front porch.

This is the old front door.  And yes, the birdhouse has been rebuilt and after it's painted, it will go where the old one was.  I'm painting it to match the cottage.
It was hard to get a good pick of the copper weathervane.  The Chef is a big 'Game of Thrones' fan so I had this dragon weathervane made for him in Maine.

 This is what the old patio area looked like out back.

 Sort of cute but it was falling apart.

It's a mess now and can't be redone until Spring.  However, they put the posts up and will install the fencing tomorrow.  They will have a pergola over a gate at the entry. You can see how close other houses are.....it's the city!

 Before the start of the project. 

The beginning of the project after the old balcony was torn off.

 The new balcony, new door and windows, privacy screens and wrought iron corner brackets. Two more brackets need to be installed. The big awning will be replaced tomorrow with a black one. My contractor fought me tooth and nail to go with the siding they usually use.  I almost caved in.  It had a faux grain which I ultimately just couldn't live with.  It was keeping me up at night.  I insisted that they use this flat, plain siding which looks like wood but won't need to be painted and will never rot. I love it and they like it so much that this will be the only siding they will use in the future.  Live and learn!

 A better look at one of the privacy screens.

The ceiling under the balcony, the privacy screens, the fence and balcony trim are all done in the same color of brown.  I love using gray, black, brown and white together. This has been such a fun project though it has taken forever.  This area of the city has become very expensive to live in and houses sell the day they come on the market.  I think this is a very good investment and my daughter and The Chef are thrilled with it now. This neighborhood, for as long as we've lived here, has been an old city neighborhood.  Now street by street, houses are selling like hotcakes and young professionals with dogs and kids are taking over.  They are fixing the houses up and the place is transforming before our very eyes.  It's really quite exciting to watch the change and to be a part of it.

Comments

Looks fabulous! And the new front door is much better security than the old one with all that glass in it.
NanaDiana said…
What a GREAT house/cottage. It is just lovely from front to back! I love the front door and the porch is wonderful. I am sure she is going to love it even more now. xo Diana
Susan said…
What a charming oasis! I can certainly see your amazing attention to detail - it is enchanting!
Leanna said…
Beautiful!!! Absolutely gorgeous!!!
Anonymous said…
Really beautiful!
I would love to have a dragon like that :-) So cool! Not sure it would look that cool placed on a tiny red cottage though :-) :-)

Have a great day!

Christer.
Linda said…
I love to see what you are doing. Everything you have done is exquisite. I intensely dislike glass doors, not only from a security standpoint, but for the aesthetics. I also prefer the smooth siding. The faux grain looks so faux grain! I have had to fight remodelers, too. When I moved windows in the kitchen, they did not want to use the original trim and corner blocks because it would be too hard to remove without damaging it. I insisted and they did. They did manage to rip up into pieces the ten-inch baseboards, so I had them make new ones. These details make all the difference in style.
Rain said…
It looks so great! I love that new door and the weather vane!!
Heritage Hall said…
So charming and welcoming... that outsized doorknocker...where did you ever find it...? so unique and stunning... The neighbors will be
copying your ideas...guaranteed...
Valerie said…
Beautiful! Can't wait to see the back patio finished!
Guillaume said…
Looks a bit like the Myers house in Halloween.
Leanne said…
Looking FAB!, Love the front door.
TARYTERRE said…
looks terrific. love the weathervane.