Living Large In Small Spaces - Converted Barn Loft

A one-bedroom apartment, once a horse stable, is this week's featured small space.



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



Welcome to the ninetieth post in the series
"Living Large in Small Spaces".



Located in Smyrna, Tennessee, this beautiful 600 sq ft living space is part of Bloomsbury Farm. Originally built as a temporary residence for Teresa and Myron Palmer while their forever home was being built nearby, the apartment is now available as a luxury suite rental.

The entire renovation was accomplished by the Palmer family without outside help. Since there was no loft space in the barn, they removed the roof and created the required footprint for the apartment. 

Equestrian decor reflects the structure's history. A rustic farm door leads into the loft foyer. Outerwear hangs from repurposed metal pegs that once were used in the barn’s wash stalls.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


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A simple iron chandelier lights the foyer. Shiplap walls set the casual tone of the space.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


Thanks to high ceilings and a plethora of windows, the interior is light and bright.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The kitchen is open to the living room, which makes the space seem larger. 


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



Weathered pendant lights hang over the kitchen's workspace.



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



This vignette illustrates how stowing kitchen tools in the open is not only practical in a small space, but it actually adds charm when incorporated with vintage finds.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The loft is filled with antiques and natural elements the couple has collected over time. 



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



Reclaimed hardwood was used for the floors.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



The hutch is home to a collection of pottery, glassware and other eye-catching pieces.



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



Floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light to flow into the bedroom and provide an expansive view of the farm.



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The leather headboard was once an old wrestling mat. 



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The door to the laundry room -- just off the master bedroom -- was made by the Palmers from wood found on the farm.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



In the bathroom a custom limestone sink sits atop a vanity made from a vintage cabinet. (The vanity can be seen in the first photo of this post.)


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The wooden mirror makes a strong statement against the white shiplap.



My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



I love the little built-in shelves.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville



Subway tile is paired with hexagonal marble tile in the shower.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


The horse stalls in the barn's lower level are still in great shape.


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


A rustic bench invites lingering outside the barn. (Notice the charming heart stone to the left.)


My Houzz: Charming Converted Barn Loft Outside Nashville


Source: Houzz

If you are a regular reader of The Cottage Journal magazine, you may have seen this charming loft featured in the Winter 2017 edition. 



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.





Serena & Lily Sheets

Recently the folks at Serena & Lily invited me to review one of their luxury products. I've been considering new white or neutral sheets for our bed, and after seeing the Serena & Lily luxury bedding range I chose the Cut Circle Sheet Set in white.


The sheets arrived Monday, which was great because that's laundry day at the cottage and laundering the new sheets fit right into my schedule. (Of course, I schedule my laundry -- doesn't everybody?)

You may have guessed from a previous post that I take special notice of packaging. (That probably comes from the years I worked in retail.) I believe a quality product should be nicely packaged. The Serena & Lily sheet set came in a matching drawstring bag. All this was carefully wrapped in a recyclable plastic bag. (I'm going to reuse it for fabric storage.) 



I followed the laundry instructions --machine wash warm/tumble dry low -- and the 100% cotton sateen sheets washed up beautifully. No shrinkage. There was some slight wrinkling, but that may have been due to the fact that I have a compact dryer that doesn't leave extra tumbling room for a queen-size sheet set. (Remember, I live in a small cottage with small appliances.)

Making our bed was a breeze. The fitted sheet has deep pockets, and elastic all the way around, which makes for a neat and tidy fit without stretching. The top sheet is generous in size, which is really important to me because our old top sheet was short on the sides and I have a husband who's prone to grabbing the sheet in his sleep and pulling it with him when he turns over, leaving me without a sheet (sorry, honey). 

So, how do these sheets feel? Wonderful. They're very soft and smooth. My old sheets seemed pretty soft, and I had been reticent to replace them for fear we'd end up with something not to our liking. But both Dennis and I gave the Serena & Lily sheets a thumbs up. When he got into bed Dennis said, "Wow! I've never had sheets like these!" 


The morning after. Lines are imprints of our bed's pillow top and not part of the sheet.

The small,cut circle pattern gives the white sheets some pizazz.

Bottom line, I really like Serena & Lily sheets. They're pretty, soft, smooth and substantial, launder well, generous in size (I didn't lose my top sheet once last night), and husband approved.

Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to use that pretty drawstring bag.



Disclaimer:  
I received a free set of luxury sheets from Serena & Lily for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own and I received no monetary compensation. See my disclosure policy for more information.

Living Large In Small Spaces - Spanish Colonial Revival Home

Located in Santa Barbara, California, a restored Spanish Colonial Revival home is this week's pick for Living Large In Small Spaces.




HT: Clark Collins Sierra


Welcome to the eighty-ninth post in the series
"Living Large in Small Spaces".



Built in 1931, this 985 sq ft charmer, the second home of a Los Angeles couple, has recently undergone an extensive restoration. During the exterior renovation the flat roof was replaced and the original clay tiles were restored.

The front door opens into the living area where the picture window offers views of the city of Santa Barbara, the Pacific ocean and the Channel Islands. The reupholstered vintage sofa was positioned to allow for traffic flow from the door to the dining room.



Lighting fixtures throughout the house are either refurbished or reproduction pieces in keeping with the 1930's period.  Furnishings are an eclectic mix of new and vintage.

An iron chandelier in the dining room is typical of Spanish Colonial Revival homes. Wire chairs were chosen for their visual openness in the small space.

The refinished hardwood floors are original to the home. To brighten the kitchen, the old green tile was replaced with yellow tile in a similar retro style and pattern. 

The new custom made kitchen cabinets are similar to the originals. Cabinets extend to the ceiling to maximize storage.


HT: Clark Collins Sierra

Colorful Heriz rugs bring warmth to the rooms.


A new Dutch door leads out to the backyard. All the door hardware is original to the home, as are all of the interior doors. 


To the left of the refrigerator a stackable washer and dryer are hidden behind the cabinet doors. Metal mesh grilles used in the panels are repeated on the cabinet doors below the sink. The Dishmaster faucet looks old, but it's actually new. I remember seeing Dishmaster units in mid-century homes and didn't realize until now that they're still available for purchase.




All fixtures in the bathroom are new, except the original tub which was refinished. The new mint green and black tile, built-in medicine cabinet and pedestal sink look like they've always been there. I appreciate the placement of  the pedestal sink between the cabinets. This really solves the problem that often occurs with sinks of this type: not enough surface room for grooming tools. Brilliant.


The lights and knobs are reproductions. Whether the apothecary jars and shaving mirror are actually vintage pieces or reproductions, they're a perfect addition to the bathroom.



The home has two small bedrooms, one of which we see here.  Though minimally furnished, it is a lovely room. A neutral jute rug allows the stunning bed to take center stage. The marble light on the nightstand is an antique and the ceiling light is a period reproduction.

HT: Clark Collins Sierra



An outdoor dining area is accessed from the kitchen. The top of the table is concrete. 


Succulents and drought-tolerant plants line a gravel path to the backyard.

Sierra Street


Many of the stone walls are original to the property. Old salvaged stone from other projects was used to construct additional retaining walls.

Sierra Street

In addition to the outdoor dining space, two other areas were created for relaxing.



You can see more of this home, including before photos and information about paint colors and furnishings in the Houzz article here.

Remodel and interior design by Clark Collins of Collins Design & Development; landscape design by Grace Design Associates.

Photos by Holly Lepere, Clark Collins and Eric Foote.



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.







Cottage Life - French Embroidery Hoop

I'm a bit of a fabric addict. It's a big reason I love quilting, sewing, rug making. . . anything that's related to textiles gets my attention. 

I can't pass up a fabric store or quilt show.

If there's an antique mall with vintage material, I'm right there.

And I've never met a box of vintage embroidered pieces in a thrift store or yard sale that I didn't like.

Hand embroidery is on my to-do list this year. I learned to embroider as a child and after noting a wonderful revival of the craft I've decided to get back into it. Which brings me to the subject of this post.

Earlier this month I ordered something special for myself, which I rarely do, and then anxiously awaited its arrival. In just a few days it showed up.




A gift to me. . .from me. 




My heart skipped a beat when I opened the package.





The pretty wrapping really did make me feel as though I was opening a gift.




And there it was. . .


my French Embroidery Hoop.


The hoop was designed by French General, a company I first discovered when I began quilting and saw their beautiful material for Moda Fabrics. After visiting French General's website I signed up for their newsletter, and that's how I first learned about the new French Embroidery Hoop.




The light-weight embroidery hoop has a brass ring and a steel coil wire which holds the fabric tightly in place.  




The hoop is just so pretty and unusual, and I can't help but believe my embroidery experience is going to be better for it. I'm already imagining winter evenings in front of the fire, French embroidery hoop in hand, stitching beautiful patterns. Très francais.

I'm not receiving any compensation whatsoever from French General for sharing this. I purchased the hoop and simply wanted to share it with you. I will tell you that you can find French General on Instagram here, and a discount code for $10 off the French embroidery hoop, if you'd like to have your own.

Living Large In Small Spaces - Norwegian Cottage

A traditional cottage in Norway is this week's feature on Living Large In Small Spaces.





Welcome to the eighty-eighth post in the series
"Living Large in Small Spaces".


This vacation home began life as a humble 409 sq ft cabin built in the 70's. In 2007 the cabin was sold to the current owners, and three years later they built a 721 sq ft addition bringing the total square footage to 1,130.

Decorating the interior was accomplished over a three year period as the owners scoured magazines, books and museums for ideas that matched their vision for a cottage that would reflect their love of tradition and nature. 


A bench purchased at a local auction is located at the front entrance.




Here contemporary furniture mixes with traditional Norwegian pieces and accessories to create a comfortable as well as stylish space. The coffee table came from the basement of the cottage owner's grandparents, where it was used to cut fish. Its legs were shortened to better suit the new use. The floor lamp's base is made from stacked stones.





The antique cabinet was purchased by the cottage owner's father at an auction when she was 13 years old. Before the remodel the wall behind the cabinet was an outside wall. The owners chose to leave the little window in the wall as it was. A gorgeous 40 year-old carpet covers the floor. 





Two wingback chairs face the windows to capture the views. Everywhere you look you'll see candles in stunning holders.






Green plants and tulips brighten the interior.




The new fireplace, inspired by those found on old farms, was designed by the cottage owner.






There is space for four overnight guests in the loft.






The French country kitchen was designed so that views of the mountains could be enjoyed while preparing meals.





The long dining table was purchased in an antique shop, the sofa has been with the family through three homes. Pin chairs were bought from a demolished company cabin. Every morning the working wood stove is fired up to warm the kitchen.





Cushions hung from an old ski make a simple, unusual headboard.



There are many things I love about this cottage, but the one decor take-away for me that I can implement in my own cottage immediately, at very little cost, is the candles. Not only to have them, but to actually burn them. They really are a beautiful addition to a room.

What's your take-away from this Norwegian cottage?


Sources:
klikk.no
minoase.no

Photos: Erik Jaeger



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.