Puppy Love and Other News

Hello Cottage Friends,

I'd like to introduce you to Hazel.

Isn't she cute? Hazel's the newest addition to my son's family, and she's brought a lot of joy into this home.

When she's not rough housing with the other two dogs, or playing footsie, she likes to sleep.

And she's not very discriminating as to where she gets here zzz's. We were playing outside, when she suddenly dropped on the step and conked out.

She loves to snuggle, and sometimes Hazel crawls into a stray throw and dreams of chasing squirrels.

As  my son put it the night he came home to find a new puppy had appeared, "At this time with the stay at home restrictions, the kids need something to look forward to." They do, indeed. And every day this little charmer brings a smile to their faces, as well as to the rest  of us. She's a blessing.

I'm going to miss her when I finally get into my own place. I'm several steps closer to that happening, as I'm now in contract on a manufactured home in a 55+ park. We've got some maintenance details to work out, so it's still not a done deal. However, I'll give you a little peek at my, hopefully, new cottage.

I have a new full-time job with a major retailer, which I'm really enjoying. I work in online order fulfillment, and log between 7 and 10 miles a day walking the aisles and filling baskets. It's just what I wanted. A job that keeps me moving, lifting, and physically fit. Yesterday I had a doctor visit to remove some stitches from a lesion I had removed from my arm and my blood pressure was 114/72. Not bad for a senior citizen, right?

Seriously, I'm so grateful to God for my good health. I'm grateful, too, for His constant provision for everything I need. If all goes well with the home negotiations, I'll be moving into my new "cottage" the first week in June. I'm already visualizing my life there, and how I can create a peaceful and joyful cottage.

So, that pretty much brings you up to date on my life back in Colorado. Oh, I almost forgot! In our free time, my son and I have been visiting garden centers, and getting ideas for the flower beds around his home.

On one of our outings I spotted this rose, and oh! The scent was intoxicating. In a world of beautiful, but scentless roses, this treasure made my heart sing.

I took a photo of the tag for future reference. If there's any way I can plant one of these in my new abode, you can bet I'm going to do it.

It's been too cold to do any planting here, but we should be seeing some warmer days later this week, and then we can go dig in the dirt. 

Hope the weather is warming where you are.

Hugs,

Living Large In Small Spaces - Sandy Point Cottage

Nineteenth post in the series 

"Living Large in Small Spaces"

4348 Point View Walk listing by Amy Raymond, Windmere Real Estate/South Whidbey

Hello Cottage Friends!

Thank you for joining me for another edition of Living Large In Small Spaces. 

Today we're going to tour a beach cottage full of character, and I also have some personal news to share with you.

But first, our tour. . .

The cottage is located in Langley, Washington on Whidbey Island. What I admire about this vintage shake-shingle charmer (besides the fantastic Sandy Point location) is its condition and historic integrity. I think you'll appreciate it, too.

The 1220 square foot cottage, built in 1917, has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a sleeping porch. 

From the entry to the rear of the cottage -- and all points in between -- beadboard reigns.  On the walls, on the ceiling. . . and I believe it may all be original to the cottage, which to me is pretty exciting.

Built-in shelves run the length of the entry hall and reinforce the casual tone of the home.

Lots of windows mean an abundance of natural light and fantastic views of the Saratoga Passage.

A wood-burning stove in the fireplace ensures warm, cozy living room chats, or naps.

Furnishings are an eclectic mix of vintage, antique and a little bit of modern whimsy. 

The scale of this dining set is perfect for this small room. Natural wood looks so warm and makes a nice contrast against the white walls .

I'm in love with this bed. (Why is it I always want the beds from the homes I show you?)

The kitchen has no doubt been updated over time.

The owners did a great job of maintaining the vintage look while adding modern conveniences.

Notice the little pail hanging on the antique hook? It appears to be holding a chalkboard eraser and extra chalk. Cute idea.

Like the kitchen, the bathroom is pure vintage cottage.

French doors lead to the back deck.

This cottage offers an abundance of outdoor living space.

There are a quite a few exterior doors, but in my opinion that just adds to the charm. And probably provides nice cross breezes in the summer.

A vine-covered trellis in the back of the house offers shade and privacy.

An outdoor shower is a good idea for cleaning off the sand from the beach.

A charming cottage on the water. Who could ask for more?

I received no compensation for featuring this cottage, and I'm not endorsing its purchase, nor the realtor, nor the real estate listing. 

For more information about this cottage, see Amy Raymond's listing at Windermere Realty.


Now, friends, for my news (drum roll, please).

We'll soon be breaking ground on our new cottage! 

Yes! The building permit was approved on Wednesday.

Here's a sneak peak of the cottage: an architectural rendering compliments of my husband, who is the architect and artist.

We kept to our goal of a small, affordable cottage; it's 667 square feet. Twenty-seven square feet larger than our previous home. Those of you who have been following our odyssey know the effort it's taken us to get here. We've learned a lot through the challenges, though, and I believe the final outcome will be well worth all the work and patience.

I'll be posting more about the cottage design and sharing our construction progress here at A Joyful Cottage. I hope you'll join me on the journey. 

Blessings,

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.)

Amaze Me Monday    The Art of Homemaking   Tweak it Tuesday   

Wow Us Wednesday   Home and Garden Thursday   

Share Your Cup Thursday     Feathered Nest Friday   

The Laundry Room

Neightbor's Clothesline

Laundry rooms were a lot simpler when  I was a girl on the farm.

My mom used a wringer washer on the back porch for washing and a clothesline for drying.  In the winter she dried the wet clothes on chairs near the floor registers.  When my dad installed a propane gas dryer in the farmhouse "back room", clothes drying in inclement weather became less intrusive. Everyone was happy about that.

Today's laundry rooms are about as different from my mom's back room as lye soap is from HE detergent.  

Traditional Laundry Room by San Clemente Kitchen & Bath Designers Sue Murphy Designs

I looked at several views of this room before I spotted the actual washer and dryer.

Traditional Laundry Room by San Clemente Kitchen & Bath Designers Sue Murphy Designs

Aha!  There they are.

On the other end of the spectrum, consider the laundry area in our previous home.

Full-size units were stacked in a small corner of the mudroom to save space.  Honestly, I don't think my clothes would have gotten any cleaner in a laundry room ten times this size.  Although having room to roller skate while watching the clothes tumble may have made laundry day more exciting.

This is the laundry room in our rental apartment.  Uninspiring, but it beats going to the laundromat.

In our new cottage plan the laundry is adjacent and open to the bathroom.

Here's a sketch looking head on.  There's a window on the wall to the right of the dryer.

Traditional Laundry Room by Johns Island General Contractors Classic Remodeling & Construction, Inc

This is my inspiration photo.  The laundry area is compact and pretty, with a countertop for folding, storage above and a charming window.  

We're partying in the Laundry Room at Every Room In The House the month of August.  Come and be inspired by the laundry rooms linked there. And, please, share your laundry room, too.  We'd love to see it!

Click here

Sharing here, too:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
Share Your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

The Cottage - Is This It?

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,

A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.

~ Robert Montgomery

In my last post I left you with Captain's question to me:

"You wake up in your new cottage.  Now walk me through your day. . .what do you do next?"

"Well, I'd start with coffee with you," I said. 

"And if it's fair weather, we'd be outside on a porch or patio.  And I'd putter between sips.

Photo taken at our local nursery.

"I'd pull a few weeds from the flower bed.

Not my garden.  This is my neighbor's plot.  I can dream, though.

"I'm a farmer's daughter, I like to make things grow.  In the summer months I want to spend most days tending a garden.  Or reading under a shade tree until I fall asleep."

"So far," Captain said, "everything you've mentioned is done outdoors."

"Yes, I like to take advantage of the warm days."

"Winters are long here," I said.

"During the cold months I'm quilting or doing other creative things indoors.

"And the flowers I grow are in pots in front of a south window.

"Of course, all year long I write and blog."

"You need your own space for creativity," Captain said.

"Yes, I really do."

After asking a few more questions and running some ideas by me, Captain began sketching, and in a few hours he had a schematic of our cottage. Over the next few days we tweaked it until we had the cottage design that satisfied both of us.

A Joyful Cottage Rendering

This is a 970 SF, single level, 2 bedroom, 1 bath cottage, with a study.    

This is the street view.  The French door on the far left is the study (my studio).  The three windows and French door in the center is the living/dining room.  Two windows with a flower box under them give a view from the kitchen.  There is a front porch, and the window you see behind the railing is Captain's studio.  We moved the cottage farther back on the lot to allow for more landscaping on this side of the cottage.

The window on the left is at the end of the kitchen, and the window to the far right is Captain's studio. The double stair porch frames the entrance.

Here you get a side view of the porch on the far left.   The casement window is on the north wall of Captain's studio.  The French door gives access to the bathroom from the vegetable/flower garden. (More about this later.) The two windows on the far right are the master bedroom.

The extension on the west side is my space (the study).  You can see the two windows, and the little steps on the right that give me direct access to the south garden through a French door.  

We enter from the porch into a small foyer.  Captain's art studio is on the right (Bedroom 2),  and includes a bar sink for clean up.  The proximity of his studio to the front door means he can bring art customers in and have privacy.  There's a guest closet at the entry.

I'll take you into the kitchen first, and then we'll look at the rest of the cottage.  I've included some inspiration pictures for your viewing pleasure.  Be forewarned, though, there are a lot of photos.

This is a galley kitchen.  You may be wondering why I chose this particular style.  Most people don't want a galley kitchen.  Well, I'm the exception to the rule.  

Kitchen in our previous cottage

Our last home had a galley kitchen.

Can you tell I have a thing for French doors?

I loved that kitchen, except for one thing: it was the traffic lane from the back door to the living room.  It's how the cottage was originally built in 1926. (Some day I'll post the before and after photos of our top to bottom remodel of that cottage.  No comparison between what we bought and what we sold.)

I've had kitchens ranging from one wall in a tiny apartment to a big kitchen with a huge island, and I find the galley kitchen to be the most efficient and enjoyable in which to cook.  I like to have things close at hand, and I don't like having to take a lot of steps to get from one work space to another.

NY Times Domains: Craft House

Tom Colicchi, the founder and co-owner of the Craft restaurants and head judge of 'Top Chef' cooks in a small galley kitchen in his NY rental apartment.  He says, "I can’t open the refrigerator and the oven door at the same time. But you don’t need to have a Rolls-Royce kitchen to make a great meal."  

Exactly.

The key for me is having a kitchen with plenty of natural light, at least one 4' work surface and good storage.  The galley kitchen we designed has all of this.

I  have no idea what the reddish marks are on this image.  It could be I spilled salsa on the plan.  Oops.

There are two large windows over the sink.  The pantry on the far left is a scaled down version of my inspiration pantry.

 Linen and Lavender

I love the raw wood and chicken wire.

Devol Kitchens

I've always wanted to do a kitchen with shaker cabinetry. Simple, understated. . .perfect.

Decaholic

Upper cabinets will have glass front doors.   

Country Living

A shelf will be built on the cabinet tops that will run over the windows -- the full length of the wall.    This will give me room for display, baskets for extra storage. . .whatever.

I already have the Ikea farm sink.  A friend was going to Portland and offered to pick it up for us.  Since we live 5 1/2 hours from the nearest store and Ikea doesn't ship this sink, I jumped at his offer. He's so very nice.

I will have a skirt under the sink.

The opposite wall will house the range, otr microwave, and the refrigerator. 

Traditional Spaces by Morrow Kitchen & Bath Designers The Workshops of David T. Smith

Remember my "hutch" inspiration photo from the other plans?  It's moving with me to this plan.  We'll be using beadboard behind the range, continuing on the soffit wall above, and we'll use the same beadboard on the sink wall.

There will be a wall between the hutch and the refrigerator.  Now here's why you should have an architect like Captain design your home: he pushed the wall behind the refrigerator back a foot so that the refrigerator face will be flush with the wall's edge. See why I love this man?  No detail escapes him.

He also gave me a window on the end wall, and that makes me really happy.  Having natural light  at the end of a galley kitchen keeps it from looking like a cave.  The fact that all the kitchen windows have flower boxes on the exterior gets him extra points, too.

I don't know, it's getting late. . .should we continue the tour? Yes?  Okay.

The dining and living room is one open space. Three windows and a French door provide plenty of natural light.  In the summer this room extends to the outdoors.  I can picture al Fresco dining just outside.

Yes.  The little gas stove and mantel is back.

Jotul.com

Ambience and an alternative heat source.  Ahhh.

The master bedroom is off the living room.  His and her closets separate the bedroom from the study.  I have to tell you that I absolutely am in love with this layout.  I get my own space away from the daily activities in the house, it has lots of natural light and a French door to the flower garden, and it makes the small master bedroom appear larger.  

And now the bathroom.  We're building a one bathroom home, for economical reasons, and how we design this bath is extremely important.

This is a home designed for the way we live. I want to emphasize this because I believe the bathroom is designed very differently from what most people would want.  As I mentioned earlier, there will be a working garden behind the house.  Captain and I are both avid gardeners, and we want to be able to come into the cottage from the garden without making a mess in the entry and living space.

Many years ago I saw a beach cottage featured in Country Living that had one bathroom. There was an exterior door in the bathroom that allowed the family to come right in from the beach and bathe.  I thought that was brilliant.  So, when Captain approached me about designing the bath with an exterior door I was completely onboard.  For us it makes perfect sense.  A utility area with a closet separates the exterior entrance door from the bath.  Dirty gardening clothes go in the washer, gardener steps into the shower, gardener comes out clean, dresses and there you have it.  No tracking dirt through the house, and we have a lovely view of the garden from the bathroom when we don't need privacy. 

The French door has privacy blinds, and the bathroom is tiled, so it's easy to maintain.  

Of all the plans Captain has drawn, this is the one that quickens my pulse.  I feel like we've hit the jackpot.  

Now we're waiting for the bid from the contractor.  

Thanks for your interest and encouraging words.  I feel like you're taking this journey with me.  I do hope you're enjoying it.

(If you'd like to see the first 3 cottage plans we considered, type "new cottage" in the search box for the posts.)





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