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.