THE HOUSE ON COTTAGE GROVE RENO UPDATE
Greetings from Lake Arrowhead where we have been enjoying beautiful Spring weather. Today I bring you the House On Cottage Grove reno update. I have a very small team of workers so our progress is steady but not fast. We have been working on the renovation for about 3 months now and my goal is to have it complete by the end of June.
Progress On The Kitchen
In my last update I showed you the progress happening in the kitchen. Since then we have finished building the custom kitchen cabinets and have sanded the original hardwood floors down to their former glory, revealing a lovely, natural patina. The following 4 photos will show you all sides of the small space. And as I mentioned in my last renovation post, we produced only lower cabinets, as I plan to have open shelving as uppers.
My painter has caulked and prepped the walls and cabinets for paint. To insure I actually liked the paint color I chose we did a little test area. I felt the sage green was a rather bold choice, as was my decision to use hexagon shaped onyx for my countertops, so before we got too far into it I wanted to make sure I liked what I saw. The plan is to paint the beadboard walls, the moldings, trim, baseboards and cabinets in the same green paint. My accent color will be the white apron sink and the white appliances. The beamed ceiling will be stained a rich brown and the hardwood floors will be left in a natural state with a flat/matt polyurethane coating for protection. The painted beadboard walls will serve as my backsplash. The verdict: I liked it! Hope you do too!
Progress In The Dining Room
Just beyond the kitchen is the Dining Room. Below is what the space looked like when I bought The House On Cottage Grove. Wallpaper, filthy brown carpet and chachkies galore!
The Before
The Progress
I kept the wall of built-in drawers but we removed the built-in buffet you see on the left wall in the photo below. With that gone the room opened up and now feels much more spacious. And, it was a glorious day when my girlfriend and I gleefully ripped off those horrible, ruffly green curtains and threw them in the trash!
The Before
The Progress
See that archway with the row of plates in the photo below. That also got ripped out, opening up the space even further. The paneled ceiling was removed, revealing a beautiful wooden ceiling above. And the ugly seventies-style stained glass chandelier was donated to the local thrift shop. The table and chairs you see in the photo I’ve kept and plan to chalk-paint. I will also reupholster the chair cushions.
The Before
The wallpaper was removed and in its place we have applied a board and batten style paneling on the walls. When we removed the built-in buffet we discovered beautiful old beadboard behind it. I have preserved it in a chair rail style around the room. The hardwood floors have also been sanded and covered for their protection while we continue the renovation.
We also built a window seat into the bay window area.
Progress In The Living Room
Below is a photo of what the gorgeous living room looked like when I purchased the property. I asked the sellers to remove the 2 gastly couches and the dated coffee table before the close of escrow. Despite its appearance, the room had great bones with the pretty stone fireplace and beamed ceiling. However, the walls were made of thin plywood and were not insulated.
So, we ripped everything out down to the studs and started over.
Next we insulated the walls…
and then covered them in the same board and batten paneling as was done in the dining room. The hardwood floors have also been sanded.
Progress On The Staircase To The Lower Floor
The House On Cottage Grove has 3 levels. The wooden staircase leading to the lower level was dirty, poorly constructed and frankly, dangerous.
The Before
The Before
So, we ripped it out and built a new staircase in its place. We also created more headroom by removing the shelf you see in the photo above and relocated some pipes that ran through the space.
The Progress
It’s still a work-in-progress but is already more navigable and more attractive. New handrails will be installed along with spindles to make it safer. Under the staircase we built-in a small bench which will serve as a little reading nook once I add a cushion and some comfy pillows. The top is hinged so it will become a little storage space as well.
The Progress
Curiously, the previous owners used the space to hang clothes.
The Before
I also went fabric shopping this week and loaded up my car with the fabrics I will use to reupholster furniture, produce cushions and accent pillows, construct window shades and sew curtains.
I think I managed to find some wonderful textiles that coordinate beautifully with my sage green and oatmeal color scheme.
I found this lovely floral that I plan to use in one of the 4 bedrooms, making it a feminine enclave for some lucky little girl. I’ll sew a duvet cover and Euros out of it and use the solid green fabric for curtains. I can’t wait to sit down and start sewing! It’s these things that will make The House On Cottage Grove a home.
What do you think of the progress so far? I’d love to hear from you!
For lots more cabin kitchen inspiration follow my Log Cabin Kitchen Renovation Pin Board on Pinterest here.
So, there you have it: THE HOUSE ON COTTAGE GROVE RENO UPDATE
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
