During the fall months, we ventured to the woods to visit more and more often, since time with my mother-in-law was indeed fleeting… it was good to be there so often, even though there wasn’t a lot I could do to help her, except just… visit.
We get to stay at the little cottage across the way, which is a truly wonderful thing. We’ve been pulling down stinky old curtains and making plans for lots of changes to come. It hasn’t really been touched much since the mid-sixties, so there’s LOTS to do. And it was a welcome distraction from the sad things happening around us that we couldn’t fix or change.
This kind of house-y stuff thrills me to the core. I busied myself by rearranging the furniture left behind (even though we plan to rid ourselves of nearly ALL of it) just so we can live in the space for a while, and decide what kind of pieces should be acquired, and where things should be placed. It’s a project – the kind of project I just adore.
First up was one bathroom which used to look like this:
I know. Carpeting in the bathroom. Gag me so hard. And it smelled just as you’d think – like old cottage with a side of dampness, and just a sprinkling of pee-pee. And stew. Pas bon.
But some cute little black and white tiles were chosen and laid, and the very glamourous avocado green toilet with non-matching tank and basin went bye-bye, and new white fixtures were installed instead. The walls got a few coats of matte-white paint, which makes the room feel bigger and so much cleaner than before. Amazing, I say. (I’m just so thankful the pee-pee carpet is gone.) There was a little pine table on a pedestal kicking around, so we placed it in there for setting things on.
Not bad, I agree… but we didn’t really have a good surface for proper use, since the sink is on a pedestal as well. (A lady really needs room to spread out all her beauty serums and whatnot.) So, I measured the floor space and determined there was room enough to stash this three-drawer art deco dresser that was left behind (this piece and it’s matching four-drawer dresser we will KEEP, thank you!) I made Martin help me drag that heavy sucker into the bathroom late one night (that’s when I do my best decorating, yo) and though I banged the shit out of my shin in the process, I just love how it looks and feels in there now. Especially with the Ikea sheepskin I picked up for the super-chilly floor. BOOM.
I love the glossiness of the wood veneer, and the little nicks and scratches here and there lend just the right look for the rustic cottage interior. Still a bit retro, and just a touch fabulous. And, I’m all for reusing anything we possibly can – these two dressers are so freaking choice, I can hardly stand it. The sheepskin feels glorious and tres glam underfoot, and it’s a nice textural contrast to all the hard surfaces. Plus, now we have a place to stash the towels and stuff.
I’m on the lookout for good-looking hardware like towel bars and the toilet paper holder. I think chrome might be the best idea, but it shouldn’t be too “fancy” or “city”. I’ll pass on any twig-inspired cast-iron looking things – it’s not necessary to invoke a woodsy feeling since we are in fact IN the woods already. There is such a thing as overdone.
And I’ll also look for a bigger mirror for over the dresser – maybe something with a white plaster look? Whatever – it can afford to be much larger than the one I found in the basement of the place, which is kind of puny, and isn’t my favourite. I. Like. Big. Mirrors (and I cannot lie) and the wall space available can take something BIG. The reflection will help double the look of the room, too.
I know the place the rhymes with Sinners will turn something up eventually – there’s no rush. My eyes are open…
G.G.
