I LOVE this Cottage

I absolutely LOVE this home for sale down the street from me on 53rd Street. The homeowners have taken great care to preserve the lovely roof, original six over one windows, and have repointed the brick with appropriate mortar.

The upstairs has been converted into a fantastic master suite with private bathroom and there are 3 other bedrooms on the main floor.

The kitchen has been opened up to modernize the floor plan but the owners were careful to retain the original butler's pantry. In the back yard you will find a winning garden with bubbling fountain and special cottage which would be perfect for a studio or home office.

This home is listed with Keller Williams Realty - 912.232.8580

Not an architect, no problem! Floorplans made easy online.

Interested in taking on a big renovation project but don't have the time or know how to develop your own floor plans? No worries.  www.floorplanner.com has just the thing to help you out. The online resource allows you to use their 2D and 3D interactive floor plan software free once a year. You can also sign up for different packages based on your use starting at $29 per year.  The program is easy to use once you get the hang of it and allows you to enter your dimensions, drag and drop furniture, and view the layout from every angle so there is no second guessing how your project will look once complete.

Thanks to my friend, Matthew Allen, who first showed me this site.

Lighting & Hardware Inspired by the Past

Rejuvenation is a Portland, Oregon based manufacturer and retailer specializing in vintage styled lighting and hardware.   The store was born out of necessity--the owners could not find enough period lighting and fixtures to properly renovate their storefront and soon found other homeowners in the same situation. They began stockpiling original period lighting, doors, windows, and hardware. As they gained momentum in the early 1980's they decided to start up their own manufacturing company and the rest is history. Rejuvenation has built its success of the past but the company has its eyes on the future.  Their company is dedicated to becoming carbon-neutral and dedicates 10% of their proceeds back to community organizations.

Check out their website. I guarantee you will spot something that delights you:

http://www.rejuvenation.com

Special thanks to my preservation-minded friend, Erin Melick, for sending along the link.

Fall window boxes

Fall window boxes, here I come! I am in the process of painting my new flower boxes that Steven Spoon built for me. Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma. Paint them white like my home? Or h'aint green or a funky fun color to complement my chartreuse door.  I need counseling.

However, I do know what I want to put into the three boxes. Semi-edible assemblies of lettuce, peppers, some herbs, a flash of color, and something that cascades down the front here and there. Maybe some mums or ivy... Inspiratin comes easy. Its the perspiration that gets me.

What I have learned online:  if you have the boxes custom made, make sure to have your handyman drill a couple of small holes at the bottom of the boxes to ensure proper drainage.  Once this is complete, fill the box up to about 2'' from the top with a mixture of peat moss and dirt.  Dig a tiny hole and add the flowers making sure to space them appropriately to allow your flowers to spread. Depending on your choice of flowers and how much sun you receive, water accordingly and feed 1 -2 times a month (http://www.ehow.com/how_4870695_plant-spring-window-boxes.html),

Cottages in Mayfair? You Betcha!

  We had such a good turn out last week for Mary Ann Forrester's Open House in the Mayfair neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia.  I always thought of Mayfair as more of a ranch neighborhood but check out the images from her listing at 23 Sulgrave Rd. tell a different story.

  Apparently the home burned while the owners were out of town. They made the loss an opportunity when they decided to work with J.T. Turner Construction to do a total redo of the home.

 


  The results of their hard work and diligence were a success! The home's strongest selling point is its spacious kitchen that is open to the living room and airy breakfast room. The home is beautifully decorated and features family-friendly design where comfort meets practicality.

Cottage of the Week - Tudor on 49th Street

Our first cottage to be featured on the Cottage of the Week is an especially adorable home in Ardsley Park: (http://www.ardsleyparknews.com/). The Tudor styling of this home with its half timbering, sloping roofline, and curved doorway is extremely charming and the curb appeal is exceptional.

Inside, the cottage there is a generous center hall with period lighting that leads to two of the bedrooms at the rear of the home. As is custom, the two rear bedrooms are separated by a Jack and Jill bathroom whose tub was just reglazed and regrouted by my cousin, Garner Creel, who owns  the Grout Medic of Savannah, http://www.thegroutmedic.com/savannah-ga.html. 

The living room has a cozy fireplace, five gorgeous windows, and french doors that lead to the dining room.  Of course there is another bedroom with a master bathroom complete with a step-down shower. I had never seen bathrooms like this until I moved to Savannah and now I adore them. 

The cottage was built in 1930 and was renovated in 2002 by some of Garner's friends. The kitchen has been fully updated and includes some very alluring features like an eat-in area with built-in window seat, island, tons of stoarge and workspace, not to mention stainless appliances and corian countertops. Designer lighting and tile completes the picture. Usually I try and appreciate a cottage's small but quaint kitchens but after being inside this home, I have decided that I must have a kitchen like this. Seriously, it is gorgeous.

Now that I have given myself over to all that is new and shiny, I must give props to the owners (present and past) of this home. It has obviously been loved and well taken care of. The windows are in especially good shape, the masonry fireplace and chimney appear to be sound, and the hardwoods are in perfect shape. All in all, it is a very livable cottage that has remained true to its roots.

This home is being marketed by the deVegter Group of Keller Williams of Savannah Downtown: http://www.devegtergroup.com/.

Historically Inspired Sheds

For anyone looking for additional storage or an office separated by the home by only the backyard, check out Historic Shed's website at: http://historicshed.com/. 

The owners of Preservation Resources, Inc. out of Brooksville, Florida started this side business as a way to aid clients find, "affordable and attractive garden sheds and accessory buildings that complement and enhance their historic homes."

I love this idea and would love to design my own backyard yoga retreat with a lofty ceiling, sunny reclaimed casement windows (complete with a window box or two), a dutch door (gotta have it), and  lush fragrant landscaping for shade and pleasure.

R.I. P. Cottage Living Magazine

I know, I know. Cottage Livng Magazine has been dead for almost a year but a girl can hope for a resurrection, right? I have many of my original copies but if I'd known they were closing their cute little French Doors, I might have been a little bit more careful with who I leant them to!

Until then, I'll have to check in on My Home Ideas' website:
http://www.myhomeideas.com/specials/cottage-style/cottage-living-style-00400000048568/ , which seems to have a lot of contributors from Birmingham, AL. Coincidence? I think not.  Many of CL's contributors were based in Birmingham. Owned by Time Magazine, the magazine laid off all but 9 of its 47 employees last November.

Most of the ideas I used for my home at 1234 McLendon Avenue in Atlanta were from CL's pages and from what I can tell, they are still here (the images are at least).  The virtual "before and after" videos are great for seeing the impact small design changes can immediately have on a space.

Still hoping for those French Doors to reopen. But until then, My Home Ideas' will be my go-to spot for ideas.  

The Making of a Cottage Consultant...

Things are nutty around 10 E. these days. My mind is a whirlwind of activity that is leaving me listless at 2 to 6 each morning. My friend, Erin Melick, has encouraged me to pursue my idea of being a "cottage consultant," and I am following my heart (and gut) in this direction. What does this officially mean for me? Honestly I can't say for sure but I believe that I will be able to serve clients interested in sensitively renovating their home or buildng in the context of the older home styles. That is enough for right now.


Who I really want to be is Jane Coslick though: http://www.janecoslick.com/ .

In celebration of my new "enlightenment," I just signed up for my first class at Savannah Tech --I'm planning on taking a course on Architectural Blueprints this fall and encouraging another friend, Beth Ann Jackson, to keep me company (purty please?).

Facing the reality of a job that I just couldn't get excited about pushed me to refocus on what gets me fired up. I am passionate about building solid neighborhoods through good design, preserving the charm of historic homes while making them functional, and creating opportunities where some may see none.

I had questioned my direction for some time but now am on board to move forward and feel so much more confident. Thank you to Drew Kane, Meredith Rominger, and Erin Kane for reminding me of that.