Coastal Farmhouse Re-model

Original cottage built in 1940.  Purchased last March (2014) after the sale of The Marsh Cottage.

Inspiration photo. 

The two pitches on this roof were decorative and so easily removed.

The window on the left & original front door were removed.

 The window on the left & original front door were removed and the roof was prepared for installation of a corrugated aluminum shed roof, same roofing as The Marsh Cottage.

Cypress siding was added across the entire front of the cottage.

Framing for the grass steps were made with hefty 8" x 8"s.

The 9 foot new entry was installed. I chose Jeldwin aluminum clad in the color of Smoke.

I had traditional barn doors built for either side of the front entrance.  These are operable and hang from two simple, galvanized barn door trolley tracks which I purchased from Tractor Supply for $100 each.

I don't believe in large grass yards both from an environmental and maintenance standard so I used truck loads of freshly ground trees through out the front and back yards.  I contacted a local tree removal service and had them dump their chipped trees at the day's end and then I spent many an hour raking it out.  It was no cost to me as I saved them a trip to the dump.

A pallet of sod took care of the spaces in between the table stepping stones. 

I planed a single olive tree to compliment the espaliered olive tree that is now planted on the left side of the entrance. 

This is an art to complete correctly with regards to drainage and stability for walking on. 

 I did opt for the impact of this sod entrance however and continue to like the interest of sod steps. 

I flanked the trolley doors with oversized barn lighting, wrapped the house in rosemary and added an espaliered olive tree on the left and a fragment vine on the right. 

Original kitchen.

Odd pass-through into the highly shellacked kitchen.  There were three types (and two levels) of flooring which had to be dealt with.

I removed the entire structure (was not an actual wall) and opened the ceiling, installing new windows & doors throughout. 

This black and white flooring was the original dining room floor.  A screened porch off the dining room later became my office. 

I had 6 inch pine flooring laid through out most of the cottage and then painted it a medium gray. The board and button was already on the converted porch. I added new windows around two of the three sides.  Paint color through-out is white.  I only use No-VOC paints so if you use the white base that is as pure a color white as you're going to get. 

Cabinet installation the day after the flooring was laid. 

Then concrete countertop installation...

Rustic, organic elements define my style.

Photograph is from a friend's trip to Italy.  I asked her to get me photos of signs...

I had custom cabinetry built because of the particular measurements from this configuration.  Extra thick ( 2 1/2 inches) concrete countertops were commissioned and they turned out beautifully. I added the cross pattern onto the cabinet doors to mimic the trolley doors at the front door. 

The 24 Via Monti is the address of my Italian grandparents, Carla e Alfonso Tomasi. 

I always incorporate a piece of furniture into the kitchen.  In it's life with me, this island was a potting table on the porch of The Marsh Cottage but before that it was part of a counter in an old hardware store.
I cut the wall at the end of fit this piece in.  

This wall was at the end of the original entry and the other side of the dining room (notice the flooring to orient yourself...).

I opened it up and created a laundry room hanging old, stripped exterior shutters from a home on Sea Island at the entrance. The contractor was throwing these shutters away when a friend grabbed the whole lot of them.

I hung my broken twig chandelier (available through my 'Market') over my large, raw edged dining table.  The light in this room is lovely.  I hung the shutters on more a sophisticated more sophisticated trolley system available through Rustica Hardware.

I added 'ship lap' in the living room using 1" x 8" pre-primed finger joint boards.  The secret for this look is to paint the wall behind it black and then leave a small space - we slipped a quarter in between - which allows the black to "show" through. 

I had a traditional barn door built of raw cypress and hung it in the front room leading to the hallway...

Then I took the doors off the bedroom and bathroom in that hallway and added additional trolley doors. 

I never paint interiors doors the color of the walls. It's an easy way to add a little more subtle style. 

The original bathroom in the cottage was added on to when a hallway and third bedroom were added.  This bathroom ended up being twice as long as what you see here.  See what I did...

I added black marble subway flooring laid in a herringbone pattern and vertical ship lap along the back wall then washed watered down black paint over it to muddy it up a bit. The bull's head was an after thought but he looks handsome with that flooring.

The claw foot tub came with the house so I had it cleaned up and replaced the hardware.

Photos of bedrooms & back yard will be posted soon.

{ Country Living magazine just finished a photo shoot here.}