Moose

Moose blanket, $19.97 from Walmart.ca  I love it! The moose silhouette is very Charles Patcher, no? 

We are waiting for the contractor to let us know when they can start the cottage reno. The guys plan to stay for a week and do everything at once. They say maybe this spring, but I think the fall is more likely. We are ready when they are!

In the meantime, I loaded up the place with new things and vintage things and old things from home. I want it stuffed with blankets, art, beach towels, baskets, books and rugs. Originally, I dug a minimalist decor, since there would be less to take care of and clean. A year later, things are settling in boho and twee.

Boys Bedroom at the Cottage

Piling on layers in the boys bedroom at the cottage.

Do you spot my DIY rug pillow (looking small)?
My mom made the yellow/fuchsia afghans;
The star quilts are from pottery barn kids;
The pirate sheets are from Target;
The truck sheets were previously owned;
The ABC duvet covers and quilts are from IKEA;
The art is from Craigslist;
The wicker basket is from salvation army;
The green woolen basket is from winners;
The rainbow rag rug is from Urban Outfitters.

I need drapes next - that window is drafty!


ps. these beds are sturdy! no creaking!

Blue Montauk Sofa

We found this montauk sofa on Clist and exchanged it for some beer. The sofa was beige and dirty. Now it is blue and beautiful!

The pictures kinda say everything, but here's a little more:

-We went over 10-12 different fabric samples of dark blues. We chose a 100% polyester with 50,000 rubs, approximately $39 a yard or meter (I forgot, and didn't write it down, sorry dudes!)
-I wanted smooth, not tweedy. I thought I wanted cotton, but the cotton sample seemed to pick up lint. This poly was super shiny on one side - what you see is the reverse side.
-I expected the couch to be darker navy (it shows a bit brighter in photos than in life).
-The upholsterer is a connection through our contractor. I never met her, and I don't have her details to share (don't have them myself, big secret!!!). She pulled fabrics and my contractor brought them to us (and he delivered the sofa there and back again).
-All in $1900.

We will move the sofa to the cottage after renos.

ps. BEST NAPS EVER!
pps. do you see the lego minifigure costume in the background? Hopefully, we can paint the lego body today or tomorrow and show and tell soon!

BEFORE:

DIY Daybeds with Trundles

Last week, we built two daybeds with trundles for the cottage. The beds are styled after Donald Judd's daybed design. Apparently, beds built during the architect's lifetime now go for $100-150,000 at auction! They are the real deal!

I am soo happy with ours. I love the size! We assembled them in the room, and they will never come out.

We started with the trundles, making them a perfect fit for our mattresses. I didn't want any extra space between the mattress and the sides of the box. We followed Ana White's plans, changing the sides to 2x6's from her 2x8's, and 1 1/2" casters (not 2"). It's a perfect fit, not too tight - still easy to change the sheets.

Then we designed the daybed around the trundle, leaving  1/2" on the sides of the trundles to slide them in and out. We used 2x4's for structure (holding up the main bed), and maple veneer core plywood for the walls. The plywood has a good side and a knotty side, which was fine by me!

We bought everything from Home Depot (not sponsored), and had to rent a van to get the backboards home (48" x 71.5"). All the cuts were done at Home Depot.

The total cost, including van rental, but not including the clear coat was $105 for the trundles and $215 for the beds (plus tax). Compare these costs with IKEA Flaxa, $90 for the pull out bed and $149 for the bed frame. We could have done it differently and saved:

Potential Savings, overall: $132
1) We could have used the off cuts from the plywood base as the front face of the trundle bed. Making it all match and saving the cost of two 2x6's. Savings: $17
2) We could have used a cheaper plywood. The cost per board was $55 each, you could get away with the 3/4 inch fir ply ($35-40) if you like a busy grainy look (like the base of the trundle). Savings: $60-$90
3) You could make the height compatible with your SUV. Seriously. Measure your truck first, you could save $25 and some hassles by making them 46" tall instead of 48" tall.
4) If you are in the USA, my numbers probably won't mean much since you can get everything for less!!

ps. There was a version of this bed in last month's Canadian House and Home Magazine and I first saw it in Sofia Coppola's living room. 
pps. I am not really great with writing a step by step tutorial because I will probably forget steps and you will fail and blame me. Plus my mistakes would live forever online! and my boys are hopping on the back of my chair..so here are some photos I took during, in case you want to try it out. Also, you can get ideas from the assembly instructions for the Ikea Flaxa Daybed:

Note: We tacked the 2x4's to the walls with screws. Then we drilled holes and added three carriage bolts along the sides and six bolts at the back. The bolts with nuts are holding it together, these screws helped us get to that point. We also put in a few screws to attach the back to the sides. Everything was glued first.

Party Deck

The best part of the cottage is the second floor 'party' deck. It's a giant, about 18x24'

The rails are red.

Yeah, red.

Do you ignore the red (can't change it), or do you work with the red? I am going to work it! Here's the plan:

• I have two red tea light lanterns (thrifted) that I am going to pull out of the utility room as soon as I finish this post. 
• We bought a basic teak picnic table last weekend*.  75" long.
• We need to buy six CB2 Rex chairs or their equivalent. I've been googling for a cheaper version of this super common restaurant chair, but I can't seem to find a Canadian website with a chair that is just as good looking. We could pick them up in the states if the savings were large enough.
• Then somehow install a 16 foot sun sail from Home Depot. I think we need permission from the condo board to attach the polls. If we can't do a sun sail, we will get one of these.
• Cushions, red black and beige.

*We talked about a DIY table, but we have several projects to tackle and no skills, so we went retail...

UPDATE: 

 

Here it is! "The Cottage"

Here are a couple photos of the new place!

It's a second story unit - not a stand alone cabin. We talked around and around this issue and came to the decision that low maintenance and amenities out-weighed having a plot of land to ourselves. It is exactly the type of place we like to stay in while on vacation, making it a perfect vacation home away from home for us. To us, it is "the cottage".

It is older but move in ready. There really isn't too much that needs to be done (besides the obvious, and the diys, and all my big ideas!)

ps. I'm going to be blogging like it's 2010 over here!

Three Bedroom Cottage

We purchased a cottage! (Probably not a huge announcement since I've hinted on the blog and more than hinted on IG.)

It's about 25 years old and needs work. Over the summer, we will take on a few DIY projects (with my Dad) and in the fall, the contractor who is currently working on our house, will give us a week or so to makeover the kitchen and bathrooms.

I am obsessed with decorating the bedrooms - getting the bedding right. I have a plan for the king and the queen rooms, but the twin room is giving me trouble. I want to use the Carol Grigg prints (purchased last year for $5 each just in case), the Urban Outfitters rag rugs (used to be in the basement), and the Pottery Barn Kids star quilts (recent buy- on sale!). This means COLOUR! It will all come together, I have to up my throw pillow game and somehow turn the room into a 'comfy mess.'

ps. Lots of content coming, I suppose: shopping, building beds, decorating, thrifting, styling, shopping & some renos. 
pps. My living room is buried in bedding - things I want to keep, things that I changed my mind on, and pillows - lots of pillows.

Didn't last a full week at the cottage

In fact, we bailed four days early.   Remember how excited I was to rent a cottage?  Well, this place was a major disappointment.

It looked identical to the photos, except under a layer of dirt.  Dingy.  The bedding and couches were clean - and that was it. The first few hours after arriving, I wiped down windows, doors, counters, furniture, floors, shelves, kitchen sink...and barely scratched the surface.  My Dad and I tackled more cleaning the next morning.  Despite this, ants took over my purse. I couldn't get the ancient vacuums to work (there were three- irony?) . The basement had a definite dungeon vibe. I am a clean freak, yes...but my husband and parents were also uncomfortable with the grime.

The other disappointment was that Upper Buckhorn Lake is REALLY weedy.  You couldn't swim.  We splashed around close to shore, played frisbee, threw rocks.  I really wanted to swim off the buttertarts I ate in abundance, but it wasn't possible.

So, if you are still interested in Bill's Cottage, let me add this.  The place may be right for you if:

- You are used to wearing shoes indoors, so dirty floors aren't a big deal
- You think cleaning the grills on the BBQ is a waste of good flavour
- You just want a tan, man
- You love old magazines and architecture books (there were stacks of Maison Francaise from the late 70's, for example...but spiders live in them)
- You want to get away THIS WEEKEND**, and you don't really care about all this stuff as long as you are out of the city

The place is COOOOL, just past its prime.  It was a much older version of what the website shows (I looked fantastic 5 years ago too!)...

Amazing design, crazy perfect decorating (perfect!)...just needs a deep cleaning...

**We were supposed to check out on Sunday before noon


(I know several people who would have driven back the first night...Liz - you would have flipped; oh and all photos were taken AFTER I cleaned...I was deeply satisfied after cleaning that glass wall between kitchen and dining room)