topic Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA in Home

RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Oznell — Fri, 15 May 2020 11:40:43 GMT

@GingerPeach suggested it would be fun to see a house that hadn't undergone a huge renovation, but blended the old with some new improvements. I agree. This cute house is the closest I have come across to that. It's both done, and un-done.

The back story is that a Nova Scotia photographer was moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, and in search of a house. She knew she didn't want new construction, didn't want a ranch, didn't want to spend a huge amount of money. She fell in love with this 1200 square foot cottage that needed a little TLC, because she said it looked like it would be on a Nova Scotia beach. She did spruce up the floors, painted rooms, and removed one wall to increase light.

Love the distressed picket fence.

Instead of a massive kitchen overhaul, she decided on a retro "diner" look, even retaining the vintage formica countertops with metal edging, and painting the existing cabinets. Her cheerful ceramics and appliances further the look. I like the way they styled the kitchen with even a matching lemon cake!

The impromptu charm of mismatched dining chairs. Hey, I have an old oak pressed back chair like hers-- never thought of giving it a wash of white-- it looks good! The whimsical chandelier emphasizes the period feeling.

Charming kitchen armoire. She did a classical black and white kitchen floor, reminiscent of so many Forties' kitchens. The tiles are vinyl, so a nod to the linoleum of the past.

Her color palette is so fresh and happy. Classic furniture and architectural elements like the leaning window frame, pair with unexpected zingy elements like the midcentury modern lamp.

Velvet cushions dress up a simple bench.

In the bedroom she simply painted a single dreamy blue accent wall. Love the French-looking chandelier, the weathered headboard and sweet lamp. She had a blacksmith cut a metal footboard in half, and then join those halves to the headboard to make a king size headboard out of double. Clever.

Her vignettes reiterate her overall color schemes of blue and citrus... Love her collection of midcentury ceramics...

Delightful covered porch with blue chandelier, lime chairs, hanging window frames, striped curtains. Great way to enjoy the lush North Carolina outdoors!

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

kittyloo — Fri, 15 May 2020 02:12:18 GMT

i really love the look of this. i would have to change very little. the style is all me.

the checkered kitchen floor would have to go, and some of the pieces that are white, (like the kitchen chairs) i would prefer in natural wood. i could and would move right in though

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

RealtyGal2 — Fri, 15 May 2020 02:22:40 GMT

Very charming and filled with projects you can do yourself.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

spiderw — Fri, 15 May 2020 02:26:57 GMT

This is a charming lovely house and I do like it. I would probably add some decor of my taste but I love the retro kitchen and her pretty vignettes throughout the rooms. The open porch is definitely a winner for me but I would make it more comfortable . It has the feel of a cozy place and that is appealing.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

VegasBusinessWoman — Fri, 15 May 2020 03:00:23 GMT

@Oznell Very cute. Not for me, but cute.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

ECBG — Fri, 15 May 2020 05:44:01 GMT

Very cute except for the aluminum siding on the counter tops, which I have never personally had but thought were terrible when I did see them.

High color palettes are cute to SEE but hard to live with. They wear out the eye rapidly because of the intensity.

Our son used to play with a little boy who's mother came to pick him up and said "You're going to think I've lost it! I carpeted the entire house in teal!!!"!!!

Teaching Interior Design, I knew that if your eye doesn't have enough peace (calm area) you can't live with it.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Oznell — Fri, 15 May 2020 10:45:30 GMT

Great points, as usual, @ECBG . I do think individual tolerances vary, however, and for me, intensity matters.

Her jolt of yellow in the kitchen is quite a bit too strong for me; yet the soft living and dining room blue and even the bedroom turquoise are right up my alley. I love to live with sort of chalky, "off-pastels". Intense brights or primary colors though, I don't want to be around.

Interestingly, she said in the article that that cabinet yellow turned out brighter than she thought it would, but she decided to leave it because it was "cheery". Too stimulating for me! But isn't yellow paint notoriously difficult to choose? I've heard more stories of people who thought they were getting a soft pale butter, but ended with a vibrating school bus hue!

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

godi — Fri, 15 May 2020 11:22:55 GMT

I love this house. That kitchen was like my Aunts. The yellow and that floor. It's just such a warm inviting and not overly decorated home.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

AngelPuppy1 — Fri, 15 May 2020 11:32:40 GMT

Absolutely enchanting! I especially love the cheerful colors of the kitchen! This house is like a dollhouse come to life! I think the outside of it is lovely. This is my taste and would be my little dream home!!!!! Very uplifting.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Iwantcoffee — Fri, 15 May 2020 11:44:55 GMT

This is very pretty. I like black and white flooring but in this kitchen I think I would have gone with the hardwood like we see in other rooms.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

beautybee — Fri, 15 May 2020 12:11:28 GMT

The yellow cabinet doors are a bit too bright for me. The pillows on the bench are a nice idea, but I can see it getting messy looking with people trying to comfortably sit there. Everything else looks charming to me.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Somertime — Fri, 15 May 2020 12:49:45 GMT

Lovely and charming! Airy and cheerful as well. The kitchen has a tremendous amount of light coming through which made me think of all the greenery outside which would reflect into the kitchen and soften the yellow. I think the photo of the kitchen was taken when the sun was directly coming through the windows and slider, so I think it sharpened the lemon yellow. I feel when the sun moves on, the kitchen will take on a softer look and diffuse the lemon yellow.

I think it looks lovely and a perfect female hideaway!

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

DREAMON — Fri, 15 May 2020 13:02:11 GMT

I love this adorable cottage as is. I am not a yellow person but this

is so appealing to me. I really like the pop of the black and white floor..so retro.

It is everything I like..cottage, bright, airy, cheery, and welcoming.

I do think sod or grass seed would be an improvement on the lawn.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

wilma — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:00:38 GMT

Not my style. The old worn fence turns me off immediately. The yellow is too bright. I am not a fan of the black & white floor or those kitchen countertops. Overall, the furnishings are too weathered & mismatched for my style. Sorry, I’m just not into distressed rustic design.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

stevieb — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:26:49 GMT

Both the wood and checkered floors look pretty and I like this armoire, but that's about it... Overall, this is so not my thing... More or less, just another version of shabby chic, for which I have no use...

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

pommom — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:32:00 GMT

This house is calling to me. Those are my colors! Bedroom in turquoise, lime & hot pink. Would settle in just fine and all I would bring with me would be luggage.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

haddon9 — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:34:08 GMT

@VegasBusinessWoman wrote:
@Oznell Very cute. Not for me, but cute.

I feel the same way...cute but not me.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

CANDLEQUEEN — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:35:50 GMT

Not for me, but very charming and there are some things that I really like!

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

GingerPeach — Fri, 15 May 2020 14:50:21 GMT

Thank you, @Oznell

I know it's hard to find homes where the owner only partially renovated. All too many featured in magazines and on the internet are completely done over. I do like seeing how what is there already informs what might be some new choices, or whether the owner maybe could not afford to do everything all at once.

Speaking of dollhouses, the entrance made me think of a dollhouse. It is cute, in which cute also implies small and cozy.

I can imagine myself on the porch listening to birds, reading a book, and having iced tea and a piece of that lemon cake.

Re: RETRO CLAPBOARD COTTAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Oznell — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:20:46 GMT

Good point about the yellow, @Somertime .

@DREAMON and @stevieb , I'm glad somebody besides me likes that retro black and white tile floor-- I love those. Makes me think nostalgically of my old Trixie Belden mysteries. I'm sure the floor in the sunny kitchen of Crabapple Farm was black and white....

Whenever decorating mags show houses done in stages, as the homeowners can afford it, @GingerPeach , I'm right on it! Those are the most fun.

Musing about this one, I'd say "vintage cottage" is the closest to what I'd call my style. This darling house is more "vintage cottage sweet", and I suppose mine would be more "vintage cottage eclectic", to accomodate my predilection for a sprinkling of Art Deco and midcentury, along with older antiques. But even she had a bit of midcentury, come to think of it. Anyway, I love the spirit of her house!