Infused with a coastal vibe
With our clean white shiplap walls, I hated the various electrical cords hanging down from our wall mounted TV at the cottage. Pottery Barn has a great burlap cord cover listed for $34 on their website but I am five hours away from the closest …
The cost of owning a vacation home is significant. Property taxes, utilities, insurance and maintenance all add up to a hefty price tag. While we love our vacation home, we can’t use it all the time so thought we could cover some of the costs …
It seems that every retailer and magazine is on the “coastal look” bandwagon. From Serena and Lily, to Pottery Barn, to Crate and Barrel, they are all featuring a coastal vibe. Of course, it is that time of year but it truly is a year …
Have you ever picked a paint colour to find that it didn’t turn out to be anything like you expected, once it was on your walls? It can be difficult just knowing where to start when choosing a colour palette for your home. It’s quite …
If you thought interior design was just about picking paint colours and fabrics, think again. Here I walk through what you can expect working with me, as an interior designer in the Comox Valley, on a full renovation, with examples from a real client. Stage …
My first victim There’s an expression in my house: you better not sit still too long in one spot or you’ll get painted. Moving into a temporary home, we didn’t want to invest money in new furniture but our old furniture didn’t suit the beach …
The inspiration I first saw the idea for this craft project in a store and (being cheap) thought that I could easily make it. As it turns out, I was right! As it was such a simple project, I’m sharing how to craft an oyster …
The kitchen was dark, north facing and cramped. The layout was choppy and non-functional. For this family who love to entertain, it wasn’t cutting the mustard. They brought me in to help them realize their vision of a bright, sleek and highly organized contemporary kitchen. …
Decorating away the post-Christmas blues The house feels so empty once all the Christmas decorations come down. To combat those post-Christmas blues, I decorate with winter white decor. As with New Year’s resolutions, white feels like a fresh new start to the year in anticipation …
For years and years, I’ve been hosting wreath making workshops for friends. It’s allowed me to hone my wreath making skills as I’ve taught countless others to make theirs. I’m now also hosting workshops at the local garden centre. Taking it one step further, I …
The driveway to our beach house is hard to spot in the pitch black darkness of the night. And sometimes even in daylight! I have ugly markers with red reflectors that I bought at the local hardware store. The markers do the job but I …
I NEVER wanted a log house. Ever. I find them too dark. But when the ideal property at the right price turned up during our search for a beach home, we snapped it up. After all, the old adage of buying the crappiest house on …
We are so lucky and fortunate to have two homes. One is a vacation lakefront cottage I have previously posted about and one is a dark and dreary log “chalet” on the ocean. We hope one day to remove the log home, repurpose it somewhere …
I remember the first time that we opened up our cottage as newbies. We were so excited to arrive for the May Long Weekend and check out the property in the spring. Would there be wild flowers? How about fawns and other little baby wildlife? …
Pronounced “hoo-guh”, there is no direct English translation for the Danish word hygge but cozy comes close. The concept is about finding contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. The word may have its origins in the 1560’s word “hugge” which is …
Want to ensure that you keep getting invited back to the cottage? You’ll be sure to find something in this Gift Guide For Cottagers which will guarantee repeated invitations next summer. 1. Game Camera I’ve set up this camera by a game trail on …
In the first year of cottage ownership, one of my brothers suggested that we all head up for the week leading up to New Year’s. I thought he was crazy as, at the time, it was an unwinterized, uninsulated plywood cabin and for the first …
Step One: Inspiration So while out on a bike ride near my cottage, I came across this barn with the most amazing colours in its roof. Quite the random patchwork but they seem to work together so well. I love how the blues evoke the …
So I admit that I am addicted to HGTV. And what seems to be most popular? Shiplap. For those of you who don’t have the same addiction, here’s what it looks like: Shiplap is the horizontal wood covering on the walls in place of drywall. …
I absolutely love this time of year. Words are not possible to describe that perfect autumn scent of falling leaves mixed with wisps of smoke. If only I could bottle that. Early October at the lake is always awesome. Cool nights make for early morning …