I've put the "foundation" of furniture into the lounge 'n kitchen and it's ready for those last few touches which will make it look warm, inviting and lived in (and more like what I showed you at my fave store, Eco-co). I have to admit though, I've found myself with a bit of decorators block. The furniture is all stuff I already had (for the most part) but it's, well, just so dam brown and white when you put it all together in one room! I want the place to seem natural and coastal but it really needs a touch of colour or maybe some grey...I'm not sure (hence the decorators block). Oh and I'm disappointed with the pendant light (which looks like a birds nest!). I think I might spray paint it white? Any thoughts?
So, new heating/cooling was installed so we could get rid of the old wood fire. I have several reasons for doing this. Firstly the wood fire was in a terrible position (near the back door in the kitchen), secondly I don't have the patience to light a fire let alone wait for it to heat up and thirdly, I want to put a breakfast booth where the old fire was! The down side, well, the whole electric metre needed upgrading which cost a whole lot of cash ($2500...eeek) and chewed up most of my budget but it's now a lot safer and eventually would have needed to be done any way.
Some ideas: a large picture/art on the wall next to the floating shelves with a subtle coloured picture or photograph and the couch could really use some nice cushions. I'm also thinking a couple house plants/ferns/palm type things?
Recognise the old wooden box that Roge did up for me? It looks good there I think. The balustrade behind the chair is still yet to be finished but I've strung some sisal rope (that still needs tensioning) through it so that Ewan can't fall into the kitchen below!
The kitchen pendant lights are small crayfish pots I purchased from a local marine shop and I've attached them to the ceiling with sisal rope. The kitchen is a flat pack/put together yourself Bunnings one which is basic but functional. The white cupboards, I figured was a good idea for a beach shack. The floor here cost $275 and it's a veneered timber floating floor. It only took a couple hours for Roge to install and it looks great.
So that's where it's at presently. I know that a coastal house is fundamentally quite natural, brown and white and all that but I also know in my heart that there's something wrong and it needs "a little something else". Right now it just looks like a badly put together showroom with no personality. Any way, plenty of time for that I guess but I'm keen for ideas if anyone has some.
Anyhoo, I'm off to look after a snotty 11 month old who is wiping boogers all over everything. Oh the joy of parenthood!
If you didn't see some of the other rooms, here's a refresher.
Oh but it looks SO much better than it did before!! You're right though, it does need a bit of colour - maybe some sage green, a hint of red, and grass-yellow? Like the plants that grow along the dunes. Curtains, cushions and pictures on the wall. But there's no harm in taking your time to find the right thing, yeah?
ReplyDeleteHugh has a cold too, caught off Liam - and Adam and I caught it too so it's been a bit of a shitty long weekend for us, in that sense! But nice to get out of the city to our own "beach shack". Had hoped to catch up on sleep but I think I got even less than usual! Ugh.
Thanks Shan, yeah the place had good bones and eventually I'll get around to giving it some serious personality. As you say, plenty of time.
DeleteAhhh, Ewan has the worst snotty nose, I've caught it too and both of us didn't sleep much last night so I know exactly what you mean. Is your "beach shack" a cottage that Adam's family has? Regardless of whether you got any sleep, it would have been nice to get away for a bit.
Yeah they don't have "beach shacks" here, they have "cottages", but it's a bit weird calling this place a cottage. It's Adam's parents', they used to have a "real" Muskoka cottage, an island really, it was absolutely beautiful but had become too much work (and the boating in bad weather was not fun!), so they sold it the year before last. Then they talked 'round in circles about renting places and so on, and then suddenly they bought this big house on the lake at Georgian Bay (the name of the lake, it's a bay on one of the Great Lakes, forget which one) at a cute little town called Meaford. Here's a shot from the weekend to give you an idea.
DeleteOMG Shan, it's amazing! Hardly what I would call a "cottage"! What did you marry into, the Canadian Royal family or something!!!??? hahaha, Adam's Mum is very glamorous too.
DeleteI think I'd like to hang at " the cottage" all summer long, it looks lovely. Enjoy the warm weather and think of us freezing our butts off here in Tassie!