cottage tour

I recently shared a peek into this charming little cottage that belongs to my aunt.

At the end of the path that follows the curve of the lake, a few doors down from our cottage, sits a little red cottage, formerly belonging to a fishing lodge.

It's red logs and stacked stones make for an inviting entrance, made only more charming by it's interior just beyond the screen door.

Inside is a classic log cabin, simple and open, with pops of red and the perfect balance of Waverly prints and a few carefully collected antique pieces.

Cottage life is simple living at it's best. A slow morning with a coffee, a long afternoon on the dock and an evening spent fireside. And this space is perfectly suited for such days.

(This pair of tartan lunch pails were from a tag sale I had years ago.)

 She has such an eye for balanced patterns - a bit of toile, a bit of tartan, a few florals and classic stripes and checks.

She repurposed an old duvet cover into curtains.

(This antique monogrammed dish towel was a find on a trip we took together to Hudson, NY)

The cottage has two small bedrooms. One with a double bed with hints of pink, and another in blues with two twin beds. Each has a small closet and while open above to the rest of the cottage, still feels private and separate.

 

Some antique china in a mix of patterns adds character to the tops of the kitchen cabinet.

 

The living room has the best views of the lake.

And while the cottage may be small and cozy, it's high ceiling with it's exposed beams makes the space feel much larger. 

Just the right amount of decor - a few favourite pieces to add character but not clutter.

(I found this pillow made from antique quilt scraps, by a local artist, and couldn't resist getting it. It was like it was made just for her!)

A removable hammock is strung in the screened porch which looks down at the lake.

It's everything a cottage should be - a calm escape, inviting and personal.

And I'm so glad that I get to pop in for a cup of tea and chat.

An Outdoor Tour

This past weekend, my sister in law got married at our home. It was a lovely, small backyard wedding with immediate family. We had perfect weather and enjoyed the outdoor ceremony all the more with cozy blankets and mugs of hot chocolate. Afterward, we spent the afternoon getting to know each other and nibbled on cheese and meats and hor d'oeuvres and of course, wedding cake!

We did everything ourselves, and with everything going on just before guests arrived, I had no time to take any photos. So, I will just have to wait until she gets her photos back to share the day with you in detail.

I can, however, share some photos of our home all decorated for Christmas. It looks so cozy and inviting. Every time Ryan and I walk past still get giddy and can't believe that it's ours.

This is the front entrance.

We hung cedar garlands and filled our urns with some fresh green, Eucalyptus and birch poles. There is also a Boxwood wreath on the door.

This is the side of our home, which is used like a back yard since we really don't have a back yard. 

You can sort of see the different parts of our home that have been added over the years. The stone part is the oldest part and consists of our living room (bottom floor, left side), entrance, dining room (bottom floor, right side), master bedroom (top left), bathroom (top middle), and boys bedroom (top right). The white part in the middle is our kitchen, which runs along the back of the home, and is also the access to our back deck. The blue part of the house is our family room, bathroom and den/playroom. Beyond the blue addition is our apartment, or in law suit, which mirrors the blue section and has a living and dining room, two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and enclosed porch. 

You can see out Christmas trees waiting to go up. One is for the Family room, one small one for the boys' room, and the others for the side entrance.

Juniper and Evergreen wreaths were put on the bottom floor windows of the original house (there are just too many windows to do them all).

This is the other side of the house.

This part is mostly garden - our herb garden, and an entire section that's ground cover.

We use this entrance most as it's closest from our driveway.

The door enters into our family room which connects with the kitchen.

We just hung some simple garland, and added some fresh boughs to a vintage sleigh.

I also tucked some greens into the planter and added an antique ceiling tile.

One day, we would love to remove the siding and match the exterior to the blue part. I would also like the paint all of the blue details, and replace all of the doors with wood doors, but neither of these things will be done for a while.

Here is the entrance to the apartment. There is both a door to the enclosed porch (straight ahead) and to the living room (to the right). The apartment is attached to the house, however you can only access it from outside.

Here are the gardens from the driveway. In the background, to the right, is the canal. I'm looking forward to being able to spend some time in the gardens next year.

And that's our home. I'm still working on finishing the inside, now that the wedding is over. 

Inspirations - White Living

[All Photos from Australian Country Style - White Living]

This article has been my greatest source of inspiration this spring.

I cannot get enough of this gorgeous home.

Happy Monday girls.



Dream Home Drive - By

[ All Photos - The Growers Daughter]

I feel the need to explain a few things prior to getting right into this post.

1 - I am not crazy, I simply enjoy scouting out dream homes and photographing them while driving past. I swear, the owner was home, and he probably thought the paparazzi had arrived.

2 - I don't feel bad about this because for one thing, I'm sure many of you girls do the same thing. And two, I would take it as a compliment if someone wanted to photograph my house!

In summary, this is a house that my father discovered. Clearly this is something I've inherited, and thus can't help. He took us past last weekend while we were out antiquing. I was so inspired that I had to take some photos to share! I was so close to jumping out and knocking on their front door, begging to come in for a tour. I just kept thinking, if the outside looks this amazing, what does the inside look like?

Don't worry. I stayed in the car. I literally clicked  my way around the corner to show you the whole view.

So here it is! Isn't it going to look amazing when it's finished?

Clearly, this is work in progress. But look at all the amazing salvaged finds - and how the owner has incorporated them into the house - like the corbels and old moldings on the garage!

This is the view coming along the side of the house. It's a massive two storey garage, which I'm assuming doubles as a studio or workshop. I mean clearly this person has some serious skill.

I want to meet this person... and then go shopping with them!

How great is this back entrance?

 I zoomed in a bit for a closer look. I am in love with it, along with the great little things they've added to it. I love all the huge trim work and the rustic grey door and cute window. It's perfect.

This is now coming along the side towards the front of the house. It's a gorgeous brick century home that looks like it was once an old store!

At this point, I'm totally blocking the street... luckily it wasn't busy (and the blinds were closed!). I love the simple rustic urns with boxwood shrubs framing the front door.

This is coming along the other side. It gives you a better idea of the size of the addition. I love how they created this little room with walls of windows between the main buildings and did it in white. The whole thing just looks great together. Notice that old Gothic style window? And how about those corbels above the man door to the garage in behind?

And, just in case you couldn't really see what was tucked under that overhang, I zoomed in. I love my zoom! It's the perfect little vignette! Seriously, next time I'm knocking.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour! It was just too amazing to not share.