Month: July 2019

Hello to all my friends who have traveled the journey of this fun transformation along with me! Life has once again intervened, convincing me to leave my beloved Kilgore Cottage…. passing it on to its new caretakers, as I go off to more adventures in the beautiful mountains of Colorado!

Before closing this chapter, I wanted to share the final reveal with you….and how better to celebrate transformation than with BEFORE & AFTER photos! I hope you’ll enjoy reliving the “before” & celebrating the new life for this special abode!

LET’S START WITH THE EXTERIOR:

The front, corner & side were mostly cosmetic, though we did open up this bedroom entrance, where it had been closed off to make a nonsensical interior closet!

But I really loved tearing off the unsightly, smelly, inefficient enclosure between the garage and the house ~ to create an inviting breezeway…which has made me smile EVERY day I’ve come home to it! See what you think:

Then there is the scary LOW-ceiling-ed shed behind the garage that transformed into a lovely covered outdoor living area + the icky enclosed patio that became an inviting deck off the new master bedroom:

Even the gazebo got a facelift, and the rickety fence was replaced with a new one:

So…..(drumroll!) Who wants to see what happened with this 60’s-era kitchen?! First I’ll show you a few views, then some shots taken from the same spot:

Here’s the hall bath before…and after!

Design note: if you’ll remember, I picked up the black bookcase from a resale shop, then added the base with the cubbies (to elevate it) and new shelves – voile’! A linen cabinet that still opens up the space!

I’d like to show “before and after” of the master bath, but since it wasn’t even a bath, but just a strange pass-through room to the “sunroom”….I’ll just show the spa bath we carved out of a useless room!

Just a quick view of the other 2 bedrooms – now there really are 3!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what became of this little cottage that needed some attention & tlc – it has been restored to new life, and has provided me a welcomed & safe haven from life, while providing a fun & stimulating project!

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the main living area, and a challenge: go, create a living space that you love & that loves you right back…whether it’s the home or apartment you have now, or the next one to come, whether you tear it down to the studs as I did, or simply add a few touches…..make it a reflection of your soul, and a place that welcomes you home daily. Humans can survive and thrive pretty much anywhere, but one must not underestimate the value of a joyous environment!

Decorating & design is not just a plaything, and it’s not for the wealthy: good design is a matter of thought & reflection, and can be achieved literally at any price. Create order & beauty in your spaces: simplify, sell/donate/toss excess, clean, create. Allow yourself to revel in the blessing of whatever abode you have, and make it truly yours.

(stay tuned for adventures ahead ~ the adventures & misadventures of picking up stakes & relocating to the Rocky Mountains…& daily life surrounded by intense beauty)