Friday, June 28, 2013

Tybee Here I Come!

IKEA.  When our closest IKEA store opened a few years ago it was announced in a huge headline by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  What?  I thought it was strange that they 
should herald one store opening.  What's the big deal?

For weeks it was reported that you needed to make an appointment to see the new IKEA store.  The lines were so long that you had to have a reservation to get in.  Really?  I thought it was strange that anyone would be willing to stand in line just to see a store.
Then I went to IKEA....
And then I got it.  Love at first sight.  This is the perfect place to shop for high style-reasonable quality- low budget goods that don't have to last for a lifetime.  Perfect for our beach house.
It took a couple extra days to obtain a U-Haul truck--seems that June is a busy month for many people to move.  No matter how many times I have driven a big truck, it always seems to be a little nerve-wracking especially when I have to drive to Midtown Atlanta!  This pictures captures my feelings pretty well!
 It was mid-week and the hubs was not available to drive me since he was working so I asked Loretta to go with me for moral support and because she is very strong (IKEA is self-service.)

We shopped my list and thankfully, Marvin, one of IKEA's finest, was available and came to our aid.   Good thing because we had 4 huge, heavy shopping carts to maneuver!  Marvin loaded the big boxes onto the carts and helped us get everything to the cash register. 



 Then Tiffany checked us out at the cash register.



 Did I mention there was a lot of stuff?

Oh yeah...gotta pay.


At long last we got our things out and loaded onto the truck.  A nice employee came over and offered to assist Loretta in getting the larger pieces on the truck.

And we managed to get out of Atlanta before rush hour!  Next comes loading all the Tybee goods that are at home--then the drive to Doc Holiday!  Tybee here I come!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Coast Awhile Cottage Kitchen: Come On Over For Dinner!

I've been showing you the good, the bad and the ugly of renovating the kitchen at Coast Awhile Cottage, a cottage we recently sold to another family...well, I've mostly been showing the bad and the ugly.  Today it's time for the good!

It took several orders from Target, Wal-Mart, Amazon and Overstock to get all the dishes, servingware, cooking utensils, pots and pans, small appliances, and kitchen linens collected.  Then more time to wash and organize it.  


Here is a small portion of the goods awaiting their place in the drawers and cabinets.  This home needed to be able to service a large family!


Aren't they beautiful?
We found cool nautical-looking chandeliers and used them over the bar and kitchen sink.




The kitchen colors were very soothing and organic.  I was afraid it was going to be a bit too soothing so when I saw these counter stools on Overstock I wondered if I dared?...Jane Coslick, who helped oversee this renovation, said YES!



Peter Dittmar built me a pantry. 


Source

Jane found these fabulous knobs from World Market. Hardware is akin to the jewelry we use to accessorize our clothes.  These knobs give a polished look to the cabinets.  Love them.


All in all I'm really happy with this kitchen renovation.  


We went from this...



To this...


 
To this!

 I wish it could be as quick and easy as it looks on a blog but it took several months to complete. I didn't want to do as much as we did but it was necessary for safety 
(and beauty--that's important too) and I love the results!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Doc Holiday Update: Nearing The Finish Line!

I've scheduled a move-in date for Wednesday of next week--a move-in of many of the furnishings, that is.  We will have to wait for a certificate of occupancy before we will be allowed to stay in the house.  There are lots of inspections that must happen before we get that precious certificate---so that's what we're working toward.

This week our electrician and his crew finished installing light fixtures and putting on the electrical cord for the range (you have to buy them separately--who knew?)

Georgie, one of the electricians just finished installing the power cord for the range.  How do you like my chandelier?  It was an inexpensive new one from Home Depot that we sprayed blue and now it is time to decorate it with shells!




 The plumbers have been working and all the toilets have been set, the faucets are in, and 
the showers are installed...


There is just one problem that I can't live happily with and that is the water heater--it is sticking out too far into the doorway.  


We've got to solve this problem because I want to hide it and I don't think I can cover up a water heater that juts out like that.  Nope, not gonna happen--we are working on a solution.

 The kitchen is coming along.  All of the cabinets and counter tops are installed and they are working on building me a little pantry.  
If you look very carefully above the sink to the left you can see the breakfast bar that the carpenter, Steve, built out of wood reclaimed from the house. It came from the wall that used to separate the living room and dining room.  I'm a little bummed that I forgot to take a better picture of it.



The door leaning against the wall may wind up being the wood source for the pantry door.

And that is what has been happening...stay tuned.  We're nearing the finish line and
next week is a big week!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I'm Putting My Foot Down--On A Brand New Floor!

 Coast Awhile Cottage's kitchen was almost complete.  We still needed flooring and I needed to find something affordable that would be close in appearance to two different colored 
adjoining wood floors.

We found our flooring at Home Depot.


There were little squares of free samples so I picked a few possible candidates to take to the house so I could select the best one.


Thankfully the best choice happened to be in stock and available immediately.  I went with


Peter and Steve let it sit in the house a day or two so it could acclimate to the new environment--then it was time to install it.



It's looking good!


Time to clean up and bring in the prettiesWe'll be back!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Going From Awful To Awesome!

I hope I'm not making you confused by jumping back and forth between Doc Holiday and Coast Awhile Cottage.  This Friday I'll give you a new update on Doc Holiday but today and tomorrow, let me show you how the kitchen at Coast Awhile went from awful to awesome.

I showed you in this post and this one the "Before".  It seemed like demolition would never end but finally the day came when we could put it back together again.  Once the wiring and the plumbing were completed, Peter Dittmar hung bead board and we brought in new cabinets from Lowes to replace the ones that were damaged.


 We painted the walls with Sherwin Williams paint SW 6469 Dewey.  It was a very soft green--sort of like a pale sea glass color.

How do you like the lights we hung over the bar?
 
Jane Coslick and I found this tile on clearance at Home Depot and thought it would 
look good for the backsplash. 


This photo may not show the color accurately on your monitor but there is a pretty green tile among these tiles--it has a watery look.


The kitchen was well on it's way!








Friday, June 14, 2013

Doc Holiday Update: People, I Need Prayer!

I'm keeping the road from home to Tybee well-traveled these days as we race to finish Doc Holiday!  Here are a few recent developments...
 
The wood floors are refinished now and they are sooo pretty!  Here they were with one coat of polyurethane in satin...
 

Now that the second coat of polyurethane is on the floor it has a beautiful sheen!

They were putting paper down on the floor to protect it.
 The painters are working hard this week.  The rooms with sheetrock are being painted with Sherwin-Williams paint, SW 6483 Buoyant Blue, with white trim.


 The wood walls are getting Martha Stewart Living's #8002 Glass of Milk in semi-gloss.  We are doing a little sanding and caulking but are leaving the more cottagey, rustic look.


Here is the main living space getting a coat of primer.  White walls, even in primer, 
make such a difference.


And on the outside we added a window to the front of the house.  And how do you like 
the coral paint on the front door?


The pace has picked up as everyone races to get us into the house by the first week of July.  My mission right now is painting furniture--with my friend Loretta and I working hard I hope to have everything ready to use in a week and a half!  People, I need prayer.
 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly!

Last time in this post I shared with you the good, the bad, and the ugly about the kitchen at Coast Awhile Cottage.  Next came what Jane Coslick called "the discovery phase" of  the renovation...and wow what we discovered!  

When we had our electrician come to move the panel box, it set in motion a whirlwind of unwelcome discoveries.  We learned that many of our circuits were overloaded---for instance, we could only work the range top if we didn't use the ovenAnd there were some damaged wires--live wires--behind the walls.  One unwelcome discovery led to another and before we knew it, we decided that, for safety reasons, the entire house needed to be rewired :-( 

Here is a picture of the kitchen after the "discovery phase".


Yep!  Everything had to be ripped out and unfortunately the cabinets fell apart in the process.  So we started over.  From scratch.  It was unavoidable.  Boo.Hoo.

Once all the wiring was redone according to code and we passed inspection, it was time to put things back together.  And that's what I'll share in my next post about 
Coast Awhile Cottage.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Coast Awhile Cottage Kitchen: Our Work Is Cut Out For Us!

I've got big news!  Coast Awhile Cottage has a new owner!  Yes, that's right--we're sad and glad that, after only one week of being listed, a lovely lady and her family made an offer and bought it as their second home.  I hope they will love it as much as we do.

With their permission I will continue to share how Jane Coslick and I transformed the cottage into a magical place--or at least that is how the first guests of the cottage described it.

So on we go to the kitchen at Coast Awhile Cottage!  Let me show you the "Before" photos taken on the day of the due diligence inspection prior to buying the house 
a little over a year ago.


One major problem was pointed out--the circuit breaker panel in the corner above the counter.  Not only it is cosmetically unappealing but it turns out to also be a violation of building code.


 On the plus side the range is new and we may be able to paint the cabinets and reuse them.  On the negative side the floor is ugly--ditto the counter top and backsplash-- and they need to be replaced. We also need some decent light fixtures.


Our work is cut out for us!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Doc Holiday Update: Holding My Breath!

I made a very quick trip to Tybee to check on Doc Holiday this week but I left a day early when I saw that Tropical Storm Andrea was heading for Savannah!  Thankfully Savannah and Tybee were spared as the course of the storm changed during the evening.  Doc Holiday is none the worse for wear--just rain without the high winds!  Here's what's been happening...
 
We are now the proud owners of an outside owner's closet!


And there is an area blocked off under the house for bicycles and beach paraphernalia to be stored away from the eyes of people passing by...


The screened area under the house is up and awaiting trim--but we have a screen door!
 
 
The front porch floor has been sanded and is ready for porch paint.  I think I've decided I want a coral colored door and there was a little paint left (see can on floor?) from doing The Coral Cottage that we will slap on the door to see how we like it.
 
 
The outdoor shower is a work in progress...
 
 
 
 and Steve from Anthony's crew built me these gorgeous doors that we can open if we want to park under the house!  But if they are closed they fit in with the Tybee lattice and 
give so much curb appeal! 

There was a big pile of granite gravel that had been dumped in the driveway.  It should be spread by the time I get back to Tybee!
We've got a good crew and we're making progress!  Will we be in by July 4th?  
I'm holding my breath!
 

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Coast Awhile Cottage: The Living Room Is Ready For Company!

Let's pretend that you and I have been enjoying a cool drink on the front porch of Coast Awhile Cottage and now we decide to step inside the front door for a visit in the living room...

Please come in!
Source: Jane Coslick

 ...and make yourself comfortable!


 As you can see, I was in an "orange mood" and it "just so happened" that Jane Coslick and I found some great throw pillows that fit the bill!  


Jane had some cool zebra print fabric in orange that we used to cover the plain tan chair cushions from Ikea  to make them more eye-catching.  The little orange table was a flea market find that was just right so the friends sitting in these chairs would have a spot to set down their beverage glasses or book.

Source: Jane Coslick


Source: Jane Coslick
And it "just so happened" that I had salvaged the sailboat painting from The Coral Cottage "before" and it worked out wonderfully here!

Source: Jane Coslick

I love sitting here in the living room but I think our imaginary dinner is almost ready so the next time I blog about Coast Awhile Cottage we will visit the kitchen.  Let me go check on dinner--you just stay here and relax!