Our Waterfront Cottage ~ 2 Years Later

What a crazy adventure the past two years have been!  On June 24, 2013 we closed on our 1980s waterfront cottage and on June 27th we rented a jack hammer to start work.  It has been non stop projects ever since.  Our house has transformed into a beautiful home and I can't wait to get it finished!


To read a detailed list of what we did the first year in the house read my post from last year.  Here are a few before and after pictures.

DIY Kitchen Makeover

Photo Credit: After picture taken my Ever & Anon

My Current Kitchen & Dining Room Crush

Y'all.  I have found a new favorite kitchen and dining room.    

Many of you know, I have an unhealthy strong obsession with the beach and water and the NEED to live there.  I love where we live now, but my dream is to live on a small, sleepy island with gorgeous blue water and white sand.  Blittle hears it all the time.  Running a bed and breakfast is part of that dream.  He can be a fishing guide and I can run the B&B and the dogs can have free run of the property and greet all the guests (in a perfect world)  I have it all figured out.  :)

I came across the show, Bloodline, several months ago and it is set in the Florida Keys (yes, please) and the family runs a pretty B&B (yes, again).  As usual, I got pulled in by the set.  I can't help but notice the design and furnishings on TV and movie sets.  Of course there are the popular ones and they are all gorgeous...

Dining Room Table & Banquette Seating Area

Happy Thursday!  I hope everyone is finishing up their Christmas shopping and getting things wrapped. :)

Over the past few days, I have shared a hutch to wine bar makeover and a custom coffee table.  This same client needed dining room furniture.  We decided to go with the same rustic, farmhouse feel I created with the coffee table for the dining room table.

Back to this picture.  The dining room table is the second something beautiful I made with these supplies.

Finally an update...

Hey everyone!  It has been a while since I have updated the blog.  Really, I have taken a step away from all social media the past month, not just from the blog.  Things have been busy and I haven't been interested in spending much time on Instagram or Facebook so there have only been a few posts on those, too.

The past month I had several large custom projects and I decided to wait to share those after the projects were completed and in their homes.  Also in the past 4 weeks we celebrated Thanksgiving, my parents were home from Germany for two weeks, celebrated my birthday and now prepping for Christmas.  Needless to say, things have been hectic.

Tomorrow I am going to start sharing my largest custom project to date.  My clients built a new house and asked for some design advice as well as had several pieces made to fit their new spaces.  All the pieces are finished, in the house and look amazing.

Here is the before shot of a hutch that I turned into a wine bar!

Check back tomorrow to see more before pictures and the beautiful after shots.

A Year Later....

Today marks one year in our waterfront cottage.  June 27, 2013 was the first night we spent in the house and the next day we rented a jack hammer and started the updates.  It has been 12 months of work.  A LOT OF WORK.

Blittle and I were sitting on the dock the other evening baffled by how we did so much in a year.  No wonder I am so tired!  Once I am done with the dock furniture, we are taking a break from DIY for a while.  People have repeatedly said, it doesn't have to all get done right now.  I know this. But I want it done right now.  When I am home there are constant reminders of what needs to be done and I have a hard time ignoring them.  I get anxious.  If I am not crossing things off the to do list, I feel like I am wasting time.  The past month has shown me it is time for a break.  My body is tired, exhausted, drained, done...I can't really find a word to describe the level of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that I am on.  It is time to rest and slow down a little.

The next few months are for working on client furniture and saving money.  There are some HUGE projects on the list for 2015!

DIY Coffee Bar

I have an obsession with coffee.  It could also be called an addiction.  An unhealthy dependency. Whatever.  Point is, in the mornings, I love drinking coffee.

Its not just about the need for caffeine by 8:30 am or my head will explode and I become a not so nice person.  Its about my waking up process.  My routine.

The sun is just rising and the house is quiet.  The birds aren't making tons of noise yet.  The water outside is peaceful.  It is my favorite time of day.  Just me on the couch, with my coffee and sometimes a dog or two, mentally prepping for the day and slowly waking up.

We bought a Keurig 3 years ago and I love it.  The only problem is, ours is one of the bigger models and takes up too much counter space in my small kitchen.  I decided to use my grandparents' dresser I refinished as a buffet and coffee bar in our dining area.

It has tons of storage for baking dishes and other pans I don't use often plus our nice utensils and coffee supplies.  The refrigerator is just opposite of the buffet so it is not a far reach to get the creamers out.

Many of you saw it in the dining room reveal  and saw the buffet but I didn't share any details yet.

Photo Credit: Ever & Anon

DIY Kitchen Reveal Update

January 2016 Update: Visit our new blog www.brianandkaylor.com  


It has been over 7 months since I revealed our kitchen makeover.  It is hard to believe it has been that long and I am speechless about all the opportunities and attention that came with this experience.  I never thought I would be doing anything other than teaching much less having a blog, guest blogging on Remodelaholic and being featured in Better Homes & Gardens Kitchen and Bath Makeover Magazine.  How is this even my life?

When I first revealed the kitchen in October, it was bare bones.  Just finished and barely used.  Naked.  Nothing on the counters, no curtains, nothing.  Now it has some personal touches, curtains and it is definitely more lived in.



To see the first reveal click here.


Here is what I started with.

Here are the updated photos.  Thanks again to Jessica of Ever & Anon Photography for taking the amazing pictures.

Photo Credit:  Ever & Anon Photography

Photo Credit:  Ever & Anon Photography

Dining Room Reveal

January 2016 Update: Visit our new blog www.brianandkaylor.com  


The day is finally here. Eleven months after moving in, I am finally showing you our dining area.

Over the past year, y'all have seen most of the room.  My DIY lantern, DIY dining table and my grandparents' dresser that I now use as a buffet have all been shown in earlier posts.  There have been many sneak peeks in pictures but I have never shown everything.

All of our hard work has paid off and the house has transformed.  The sad, dark, orange-y house we bought a year ago is gone.  It feels bright and airy and comfortable.  We LOVE it!

This is what I started with.

All of these beautiful after shots are the work of Jessica of Ever & Anon Photography.  She did an amazing job!  Thanks again, Jessica.  

And now,  this is what my dining room looks like. 

Photo credit: Ever & Anon Photography

DIY Dining Room Table Tutorial

Happy Friday Eve!   Today I am going to tell y'all about how I built my table that I showed you in yesterday's post.

This is a what I am calling a semi-tutorial.  The Ana White plans I used are good so you can download and/or print them out here.  This post tells you about some details that aren't in the plans and what I added or did differently.

DIY Dining Room Table

Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday, I told y'all about my office and how messy it was (read about it here).  It is coming along great.  Organizing and purging is extremely time consuming but I made great progress.  I am still not sure about my furniture placement but you can see the top of my dresser and desk!  Also, the closet is now clean and organized.  Hopefully, I can get it finished in the next week.

Updates and Some Exciting News!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope everyone is having a great day!  I have many, many, many things to be thankful for every day.  Today I am especially thankful BLittle, the dogs and I get to eat lunch with my family,  my dad's fried turkey, and my mom's mini pecan pies.  I am thankful my bootcamp instructor inspired me to work out the past 3 days like a crazy lady so I can enjoy all those wonderful foods guilt free :)

Things have been really quiet on the blog the past few weeks and I apologize for that.  The weather here was super cold and rainy and when the rain stopped it stayed super cold.  This Texas girl HATES cold!  We are installing an AC/heater in the shop soon so I can stay warm while working and it will keep the temperature high enough for me to paint.  Did y'all know if its too cold, paint does some weird things?!  I am using that as my excuse for not being productive but if I am being honest, I am really just a baby when it comes to being cold.  I am looking forward to the slightly warmer temps next week and the heater in the shop.  I can't wait to show y'all some of the projects I have been working on.  Remember the Drexel, Bow Front pieces I told y'all about?!  Their new looks are in progress! So excited!