Our New Cottage - Progress Report #8

Hello Cottage Friends,

In my last update I promised to tell you more about the garden shed.


The shed will double as a greenhouse with windows on three sides -- south, east, west -- and room for our lawn mower and garden tools in the northwest corner.

Those little openings above the windows will be covered with siding.

The multi-pane windows were salvaged from the house behind ours. When Dennis saw workers dismantling the house he walked over and asked what they were going to do with the windows. They said he could have them. We'll have to replace one glass pane. The upper corner windows on both sets are designed to open, and they're still operable.

House demolition

We previously scored a free door and bought large windows removed from an old farmhouse. When we were able to get these additional windows for free, Dennis redesigned the shed to accommodate them. Two of the farmhouse windows will be installed on the west side.

He raised the windows to allow for plant shelves with storage underneath.

May 19, 2015


The hardwood flooring is delivered.

Sheathing is installed on the garden shed roof.

I give the bedroom a coat of paint. Here's the color chip - Valspar Alpine Peak - taped to the wall after one coat. It sure doesn't look like the color chip yet, does it? 

Valspar Alpine Peak

I chose Valspar French Urn for the bathroom, but after I painted one coat I discovered it's almost the same color as the bedroom color and I didn't want that. (Yeah, I'm weird that way.) 

Valspar French Urn (color chip from website)

I don't usually have a problem picking the right colors, but for some reason this one just didn't work. On my monitor this color chip looks gray.  On the bathroom wall it looks pale green. 

What to do?  More about this later.

May 20, 2015

The guys start laying the hardwood flooring, beginning with my room (this is my writing/quilting/creating/dreaming space).

I apply the second coat of Alpine Peak to the bedroom walls and ceiling. 

This photo was taken at 6:00 PM. Light here is from the west and north.

The green intensity changes throughout the day and into the evening.  I like it.  A lot.

May 21, 2015

Dennis sculpts the landscape. Soon top soil will be brought in to fill in the lower areas and allow for some intense flower planting.  Can't wait!

This guy is working so hard.

I apply one coat of red paint to the front panel under the porches before the rain moves in.

One of the farmhouse windows is installed in the garden shed. (The door seen in the background will be installed, too.)

May 22, 2015

It's raining. 

Dennis and I run errands. We buy paint for his studio, and another can of paint for the bathroom.  This time I'm going with Sherwin Williams Copen Blue. 

  
There'll be a lot of white and neutral colors in the bathroom and this color will look great.


Mitch the floor installer has been dividing his time between our job and another.  My room is completed.

And the kitchen/dining/living room is progressing.

May 23, 2015

I begin the repainting of the bathroom.  Here's a photo I took just for you, to show the contrast between the French Urn and the Copen Blue.

I actually like the French Urn on the ceiling with the Copen Blue walls, so I left it.

Dennis is on a mission to keep critters from getting under the porches.  His solution is to add landscape timbers and nail screening to cover the gap.  I like this because the screen won't be noticeable when all this is completed. The black plastic will be completely covered with soil, and there'll be plants and shrubs and such planted there.

May 24, 2015

I get some painting done on the north exterior.

Dennis starts painting his studio.  He gets the ceiling completed and begins work on the walls. I step into help and we get 'er done.

I love the colors Dennis chose. The ceiling is Valspar Shrouded Lace.  The walls are Valspar Sage Slate. He selected a carpet in a milk chocolate color (he likes carpet under his feet in his studio. . .easier on the legs and back when standing and painting).

Time for a break!

May 25, 2015

Johnny our gravel guy delivers more gravel to the site.

Dean delivers the interior doors and their hardware.  I love the beadboard and the arch on the door.  Just the cottage look I want.

I didn't get a photo of the door knobs, but they look similar to this one.

I paint the second coat on the bathroom walls.  See how the incoming light changes the shade? The walls are all the same hue.

I paint the hall closet where the stacked laundry will reside. The color is Natural Canvas to match the hallway.

Now that I've completed the interior painting I can get back to painting the exterior. Still lots to do there!

Thanks for your concern about my computer problems. Miraculously, on the morning I was all set to take my laptop to the repair shop, an automatic update to Windows 8.1 took place. It cleared up all my problems.  Thank you, Lord!




If you missed previous progress reports, you can find them here:

Progress Report #1
Progress Report #2
Progress Report #3
Progress Report #4
Progress Report #5
Progress Report #6
Progress Report #7


You can find our awesome builder at their website:
BLH Construction.