A Fresh Start

Well, it's finished! I like to think we gave this 80 year old cottage a fresh beginning, and breathed some fresh life into it!

To refresh your memory, I've started with a picture from the first day we looked at the property!

Now, with the trees down.

And finally, project completed.



Well, I say it's completed, but of course it's crying out for planting in front of the new wall and fence now...but all in due time.

I'm Floored!

Well, unfortunately the courtyard wasn't 100% completed by my last trip to Maine, but we're getting very close!

The French drain was installed through the center of the floor area, and that drain--along with the new gutter downspout installed on the front of the house--were all channeled to a dry well dug on the low spot on the property.

Then gravel was installed as a floor base, and random, large pieces of fieldstone were laid for the floor areas.

Finally, several inches of pea gravel were added as top dressing, and to bring the level of the gravel up to the level of the large fieldstone pieces.

This entry pad will be mortared with a swept-in, flexible epoxy grout to help resist cracking during the winter months.

In this photograph, the fence posts have been wrapped in cedar for extra heft.

Now, all that's left is the fence rails, caps and gate, then all wood will be painted white!

And yes, I couldn't resist adding a little whimsy! What in the world could be wrong with that?

As Seen In The Paper

For the past several months, Interior Spaces has been a regular contributor to the Expert Advice column, printed in the Home Section of the St. Petersburg Times most Saturdays. I thought it would be fun, periodically, to share some of the ideas we send in that are picked up, for those who don't catch them in the paper.

Green Idea: Metal/Glass Tops for Tables and Mantles

Don’t throw older furniture pieces away. Update your favorites. Sometimes a quick—and removable—top can refresh a small table, nightstand or your mantle. We’ve used stainless steel, bent like a box-lid—sometimes as a solid piece, sometimes combined with glass—to bring a “today” look to yesterday’s keeper. It’s just dropped on.

Most metal shops—in this case Hillsboro Sheet Metal (813-252-5191)—are more than capable of following your sketch for fabrication. Glass shops, too, can provide the square insets. Make sure all edges are “eased” for safe handling.

We also had these bedside tables painted with a high-gloss automotive finish. This is another fun way to add a fresh perspective to existing furniture. Most automotive shops can help you with this.

These are simple treatments, but transformative!

I'd love to hear what you think of these tips.