Hello everyone! Our contractor has been busy renovating our beach house kitchen and adding a tiny cottage. Every time we call our home a beach house, it sounds like we need a second home, but really, this is our only daily home. Everyday feels like I’m on vacation. We live near the San Juan Islands, a lovely place to visit and easily accessible by car or ferry to many beautiful destinations.
For those of you who are new here, or just caught up recently, we moved to the island from Seattle a year and a half ago. My parents moved in with us, so we added a little cottage for them at the back of the house and are in the process of renovating the rest of the house. In fact, it’s not a big house, just over 1900 square feet, but Tiny Cottage adds about 450 square feet to it.
My husband and I are now officially vacant, but we want this beach house to be our family gathering place, so we are trying to make it as comfortable and welcoming as possible.
You can see the post about the mods here.
There are still many important details in both areas, but it’s been fun to share the latest progress on the project.
Finally, I shared that the walls and ceiling weren’t finished yet. These are painted in Classic Light Buff by Sherwin Williams (same as the kitchen cabinets). We love the cozy warm whites here and the beautiful golden glow when the sun hits them (thanks to the new windows and doors!) The natural light we are getting right now is unbelievable. yeah!
still waiting Beatrix brought in (our new turquoise stove) to the new kitchen. Of course she’ll be the star of the kitchen (and the color style-setter for the rest of the house, lol!) but we can’t wait to see the faucets and lights (these pendants across the island and This chandelier in shades of blue above the dining table), stripping the wood floors, installing the other appliances, and doing all the finishing touches to make the space exactly the way we envisioned it.
While each new addition is very exciting, we are always looking forward to the next big part of the design as well, so we can finally see and enjoy it as a whole.
Check out this kitchen design mood board to see what’s coming next.
My vision for the renovation was to create a beach house that is happy (in any season), warm and welcoming. Thrilled with the cozy and timeless features added through the architecture.
Once the renovation is complete, we’ll be layering fabrics, furnishings, and accessories throughout in blues and greens, warm whites, and other hues appropriate for a Northwest seaside cottage. As I said earlier, we want this to be a happy place. I also envision adding a nice coral color and a touch of yellow to the palette, so I’ll keep looking for the right fabric.
I love decorating seasonally and playing with color combinations all year round, so I’m super excited to have a backdrop that gives me so many creative opportunities to decorate seasonally.
Last week, we started considering fabrics for the dining bench, considering window decorations, and coming up with a vision for the adjoining living room. I’ve considered painting the living room walls blue (I plan to paint all the trim new as well), but I’m leaning toward blue grass cloth now.I just ordered a sample This blue imitation grass I decided to try it.
By visualizing the new elements, I tried arranging a few books on the bookshelf, and then a few more. pillow on the dining bench. It’s still a start (laughs), but it helps me set up the accessories and get a sense of the space.
I can’t wait to set up my table and chairs and be able to do simple homely things again. I am very grateful to be able to go home.
A small cottage for my parents will also be completed soon. It’s so cute that I can’t stand it anymore, it’s really cute! The blue cabinets on the bottom of the kitchenette are a nice touch (there is also a blue dish display cabinet on top, which will be installed soon). The color is Sherwin Williams Langid Blue.Coming soon white sink, cooktopand beloved fridge. I have a window box right outside my sunny kitchenette window so I fill it with flowers.
You can see a moodboard for a small cottage kitchenette design here.
Although now covered, the luxurious floors were recently installed. The flooring is the same as the rest of the house (European White Oak). All walls and ceilings are covered with simply white painted panels. Light and bright, yet soft, warm and comfortable.
The cabinets in the living room have new tops, Beloved checkered tiles is added. It’s a multi-use spot (as is the entire Tiny Cottage, ha!). They used the cabinet as an extension of the kitchen as a coffee station, counter top ovenadditional storage, and their frame tv on the wall above. Speaking of cherishing every inch! My mom planned every detail to make this little cottage as functional and pretty as possible.
The natural light here is really nice and she’s in the morning sun and southern light all day, so she’s super happy! There is a lovely blue fireplace by the window. Like a charming bed and breakfast getaway, it’s the cutest and most cozy place to stay in any season.
Some of you have asked how to get to Tiny Cottage and where it connects to our cottage. You can see the connection in this photo above. This is the mudroom right next to the kitchen. Go through the door in the back and go left into the small cottage and right into the garage.
Stay tuned for future updates!Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our newsletter here and get all of our decorating posts and resources.
Other posts about remodeling:
Tiny Backyard Cottage (My parents’ extension is in the works!)
Kitchen Renovation Update: Marble, Soapstone, French Doors, Beadboards
Moodboard in the design of a small cottage kitchenette (addition of parents)
Discover our new coffee station cabinets with pocket doors
The Beauty of a Soapstone Counter (+ Why I chose a soapstone counter for my kitchen)
Kitchen renovation updates: floors, cabinets, sinks, hardware and more
New kitchen design mood board (and 5 questions to help you make a decision!)
Adding Personality to Your Kitchen Remodel: The Story of New Ranges and Faucets
My new kitchen floor plan + my parents’ addition and exterior elevation
