Finally

There can be a negative side effect to blogging. The feeling of dissatisfaction with what you have and the feeling that you need to strive for perfection. A perfection you will never attain, no less.

I think this might be the reason I have been slow in sharing pictures of our new cottage with you. This is not one of those blogs where the budget is endless and the projects come together in what seems like days. I have been working my back-side off since we moved in, but I'll be honest, I've just scratched the surface. I'm just focusing on the bones of the place right now. And my budget? Well, there's not much of it left right now. But you know what? It's okay. We love our cottage. It's cozy and homey and it's ours. The projects will get done as we can manage them and that's okay too because we plan to stay here for the rest of our lives.

To thank you (or punish you, depending on your opinion) all for being so patient in your wait, I'm going to saturate this post with pictures. You've been warned.

These are the before pictures:

This room is very narrow. Our cottage was originally 1 story and when they added the 2nd floor the stairs took up a lot of real estate in this room. It is also long which can give you that bowling alley effect if you aren't careful. We plan on getting a slipcovered sectional in the not so distant future which will help this area work better. The rug is from Dash and Albert. LOVE it.

This is the media console formerly known as a dining room hutch. I'm going to paint it a medium grey. I'm thinking about trying that new chalk paint that I'm hearing so much about.

The as-of-yet still unfinished stairs. I have high hopes of getting them done soon but I have to say, even like this they are a big improvement.

This is Sweet Hubby's drafting table which is to the right of the sofa. I love this piece and all it's industrial beauty.

To the right of that is my time out corner which you have seen before. It's where I am likely sitting whenever you and I are talking. My feet are up on that soon to be slipcovered ottoman right this moment. Also, someone asked me about the fabric I have thrown on here. I know nothing of its origins. I purchased it recently at a favorite shop.

This is to the right of my corner. It's not much of an entry by suburban standards but for an old house it ain't too shabby. I still want to get an antique dresser to replace the table so I can organize and hide all our scarves and mittens for the cold months. I also have a rug on the shopping list.

An overview from the opposite side of the room.  The room to the right of the entry area is my studio. You can see one of our 2 ugly ceiling fans. I look forward to seeing them gone.

This is the view from the sofa. The door on the left is Maddie's room and the door on the right is the downstairs bathroom. The doorway to the right leads to the kitchen and dining room. That is a rip it all out to the studs project that will not be happening in the near future. The print helps me to remember to choose joy before I walk in that room. I often need the reminder.


We've made good progress but still have a way to go. I'm starting to work on window treatments for this room and I'd love to hear what you picture there. I feel like the room is telling me it doesn't want full length panels. It's a bossy house. Originally I thought cafe curtains 3/4 of the way up the window but now I'm having doubts and thinking about other options. What do you think?