Front Door Friday: Turquoise & Chevron

Chester, Nova Scotia

If you've ever visited the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia, chances are this charming turquoise coloured chevron panelled door has caught your eye - as it did mine a couple of years ago.  I've posted a photo of this door before on the blog and on twitter but I think you'll agree its worth repeating.  A shingled house always stops me in my tracks but the unexpected colour of this front door paired with the grey shakes is truly sublime.   And the antique brass seashell door knocker,,,,hello, can I come in please!

Chester is a picturesque little village on the South Shore of Nova Scotia popular for sailing enthusiasts.  Its tree canopied streets are lined with charming historic homes.  Many of them are summer homes so this turquoise door colour perfectly suits the quaint coastal style of the community.  The closest colour match I can find is Sico's Paris 1900.  I think its especially interesting that here its paired with linen coloured trim as opposed to white, I think this evokes a more nostalgic vibe.

Photo by:   Carol Reed

The TBB Blog: Summer Cottage 2013

I was thrilled to participate this past week as one of 4 guest Designer's contributing to the TBB's Blog series "Colour Fabric & Style 2013".  My friend Sonya of Sonya Kinkade Design (and TBB contributor) asked me if I could submit a favourite paint and fabric scheme of 2013.... and I of course, not having the patience for an imaginary concept, decided to pull a scheme that I love from my client files.  The timing couldn't be better to share this classic navy, white and green scheme which is part of a total renovation of an Ontario summer cottage I worked on during this past winter.   The cottage at this moment is still being pulled together for its first season with its new homeowners, and no doubt over the course of the summer will continue to receive some finishing touches.

You can check out the story behind this scheme along with the colour and fabric specs here on The TBB's blog and I'm sure you'll enjoy the entire series.  Thank you Sonya, Maureen, Lisa, Donna, Nicole and Mary Ann for including me -  it was an honour to contribute along with such talented company!

Front Door Friday: Grey & Green

I've amassed a large collection of front doors over the years, its seems whenever I travel or am simply out for a walk or drive in any neighbourhood one of my favourite past times is to admire front door designs.  I'm drawn to them for many different reasons whether they're rustic, modern, traditional, formal or utilitarian,,,,country, city or lakeside - they all make a statement that speaks to the architecture, the inhabitants, and the location.  The image the front door conveys to me is like a mini story of the life, history and style of the home and the homeowners.  Many of the front door photos I have are just too beautiful not to share, like this one above.

I drive by this cedar shake house almost every day, its located about a mile or so down the road from my own house on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.  I actually remember taking a photo of this door when we first visited this area a couple of years ago because I was so captivated by the colour combo.  Although this appears to be the main door of the building its not one that's used very often and hence the storm door is permanently in place.

This is a classic East Coast style that I see a lot of in Nova Scotia, and I love everything about its traditional coastal charm; the weathered grey cedar shakes, the coloured door, the white trim, the strap hinges, the nautical style lanterns.  If you look close you can see the hooks for the window shutters too, the shutters are painted the same colour as the storm door.



Photo by:  Carol Reed

Stoney Lake Cottage: Bathroom #1 Progress

Here's a sneak peek  of one of several bathrooms in the Stonely Lake cottage project that are undergoing a light renovation.  The objective was to work with the existing elements as much as possible but give the entire bathroom a fresh new cottage style.   Its actually one of my favorite things to do - to explore the potential of existing space without completely gutting it and starting from scratch.  It is possible to transform an interior by implementing some straightforward changes.

Before - Existing Bathroom

The modifications for this bathroom involved replacing the ceramic tile floor with a wide plank knotty pine.  The existing solid pine vanity was great quality and in excellent condition but we replaced the synthetic countertop with new quartz counter, new hardware, added a new sink and faucet, and new lighting.  In addition to the new chrome fixtures the wall tile was removed and replaced with beadboard wainscotting with built-in mirror.  On the opposite wall to the sink I replaced the shiny brass towel bars with a row of chrome towel hooks.  A navy blue wall paint above the crisp white beadboard creates a classic cottage scheme.  To complete the bathroom we'll add colourful striped towels, a graphic area rug, and polished chrome and ribbed glass vanity accessories.

After - Bathroom in progress


This is just one of 4 bathroom remodels that are nearing completion in the cottage and getting ready for their first summer season.  I'm looking forwarding to sharing some after photos of the other spaces here in the coming months.