A Joyful Cottage

Living Large In Small Spaces - The Owl's Nest

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Thirty-fourth post in the series

"Living Large in Small Spaces"

Hello Cottage Friends,

Welcome to another edition of Living Large In Small Spaces.

Today's small home is a little converted stone barn near the Forest of Dean in Wales. I'd like to thank Blaentrothy Holiday Cottages for the privilege of sharing this enchanting place.

There's an abundance of outdoor living space to show you, but first we'll tour the interior, entering through the loggia into the kitchen.

This is a clean, streamlined space. A modern home with subtle nods to its humble barn beginnings.

A rustic wood door opens to the bathroom.

The row of raised mirrors make the bathroom appear larger and brighter. I like this idea.

The barn wood siding has a lovely washed out appearance. Dark wood would have overwhelmed this space.

The kitchen is quasi-open to the living space.

Tucking the table and chairs under the loft creates an intimate dining nook. Painting the wall charcoal defines the space. Charcoal accents are repeated throughout the cottage and tie everything together.

Not only is this cottage an architectural delight, it's decorated beautifully in an eclectic style: contemporary, industrial, with a touch of farmhouse and a smattering of romance.

Natural stone floors and chunky pegged beams that came from the owner's own oak trees lend character to the home.

The overall effect is warm and welcoming.

French doors open to a little patio on the lawn.

With spectacular views.

This just might be my favorite bedroom of all time.

A sanctuary of stone, wood and lots of natural light.

An exterior door takes us to a private raised deck

Stairs lead to additional outdoor living space on the ground floor.

I'm in love with this outdoor room.

The Ryland sheep that reside here are very tame and "will come and say hello, if invited by the rattle of the feed bag, and rewarded by a handful of sheep nuts in their tray in the stall by the loggia."

This is country life at its best.

All photos are the property of Blaentrothy Holiday Cottages and were used with their permission. I received no compensation for featuring The Owl's Nest.

Join me next Saturday for another post in the special series

Living Large in Small Spaces

See more home tours in the

Living Large In Small Spaces Series here.

From the comments I've received, many

people have been encouraged by the homes and lives
shared in this series.

If you live in a small space (approx. 1200 square feet or less),
I'd love to feature your story, too.

Send me an email and let's collaborate.

(See the "Contact Me" page for my email address.)

Cottage Decor - Metal Wall Art

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Recently I was invited to review a product of my choice from Graham & Brown, a home decor company based in the UK.

Graham & Brown's website has a plethora of lovely wallpaper, paint, wall art and home accessories for any decorating style.

I've been searching for unusual cottage style decor with a bit of shabby chic flare for our new home. Graham & Brown's Birdhouse Multi-Frame Metal Wall Art certainly has all that.

Birdhouse Multi Frame Metal Wall Art by Graham & Brown

Cottage style? Check.

Shabby chic? Check.

Unique? Check.

The wall art arrived in perfect condition. I took some photos to show you the actual product I received. This is straight out of the box. I haven't hung it on the wall yet, as we're still in the middle of construction.

On the website the picture frames hold bird images which I thought were a permanent feature of the wall art. I'm a little disappointed that the actual product contains typical stock marketing photos of people.

However, it's an easy enough fix by removing the backing and inserting my own images.

Sure family photos could be displayed in the frames, but it would be really fun to get creative and show off nature photos or sketches, mini watercolors, inspirational quotes, fabric or wallpaper remnants.

Something like this Graham & Brown wallpaper would be very sweet in the frames.

Chinoiserie Imperial Yellow Wallpaper by Graham & Brown

Change the images with the seasons. Do a holiday shout out.

The possibilities are endless.

I love the little birds in the cages.

This metal wall art is well made and I feel it's a good value for the price point of £45.00 (approx $69 US). It's definitely something I'd purchase for myself or as a gift for a cottage friend.

I can't wait to dress it up and hang it in our cottage. I'll be sure to show it to you when I do.

Except for the photos in the frames, the product as depicted on the website is an accurate representation of the actual piece. I think it would be helpful if Graham & Brown indicated on the product description that the piece is designed to hold personal photographs or artwork of the buyer's choice and that the bird images are not included.

You can see more pretty home decor, paint and wallpaper selections at Graham & Brown's website.

Graham & Brown provided the Birdhouse Multi Frame Wall Art for this review free of charge. All opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Living Large In Small Spaces - 10 Clever Ways to Maximize and Organize Your Space

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Thirty-third post in the series

"Living Large in Small Spaces"

Hello Cottage Friends,

Welcome to another edition of Living Large In Small Spaces.

Today I thought it would be fun to share some nifty space saving/organization ideas and products that help small spaces live larger. (And declutter castles, too.)

No compensation was received for sharing these ideas and products. If you pin any of them, please do so from the original site.

Ready? Here we go!

#1 - Pull a wheely.

For a small kitchen where counter and floor space is limited this rolling cart really fits the bill. Roll it out when you need extra prep space and then tuck it back under the counter when you're done. Neat.

Traditional Kitchen by San Francisco General Contractors Mascheroni Construction

#2 - When is a step more than a step?

Our friends at Small House Catalog are brilliant. This is such a super solution for stowing shoes, boots or garden clogs before entering the house. Conquer the clutter!

Freshly stained deck, door and storage steps

Small House Catalog

#3 - The cat's meow.

This ingenious built-in stairwell laundry is part of a Montreal loft renovation. Miss Kitty has her own lounging spot, too.

Eclectic Laundry Room by Montreal Architects & Building Designers John Hannah Architectural Design & Rendering

#4 - A real page turner.

An under-the-stairs library with a place to curl up and read. The only thing I'd add is some storage under the bench.

See this and more great under the stair ideas here.

cozy nook How to utilize the space under the stairs

Float Project Design & Ideas

#5 - What's under your bed?

This pretty bed is practical, too. The platform has real drawers for storage. So much nicer than pulling out plastic boxes and canvas bags from under the bed (which is what I've done the past 5 years).

Pottery Barn

Sawdust Girl has a free tutorial for a DIY version of this Pottery Barn Queen Size Platform Storage Bed here.

#6 - Think inside the wall.

Claim the space between your wall studs for storage. The Family Handyman has directions for building this wall niche here.

The Family Handyman Build a Wall Niche

(Our new cottage has room for a built-in wall cabinet next to the shower. We've blocked out the space between the studs, should we decide to add it later.)

#7 - It's a wrap.

Repurpose a common stool into a movable gift wrapping center. Or how about an umbrella and outdoor wear organizer in the mudroom? Get the tutorial at 2 Little Hooligans here.

2 Little Hooligans

#8 - Here's the skinny.

In tiny bedrooms where room for nightstands can be tight, this repurposed desk really knocks it out of the ballpark. Check out how it was done at Mandy's Sugar Bee Crafts here.

Sugar Bee Crafts

I did something similar in our last home, removing and painting the drawer units from a beat-up 1940's vanity.

#9 - Don't stub your toe.

Your kitchen storage solution just might be hiding behind your cabinet toe kicks. The Family Handyman has a tutorial for building under-cabinet drawers here.