Design Crew
Sat, 14 Jul 2012
Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Julie B and to begin with I need to say that we are all jealous that this is the problem that she has ... sigh ... got that off my chest :) Secondly these photos are from a real estate listing and the furniture is not Julie's but the previous owner's.
I just bought a cabin by the sea in Humlekjær in Norway. I'm willing to spend more money to improve it. Here are the areas I want to improve:
- The inside plan and the facade looks a bit messy, partly because of the windows in different sizes. So Im thinking of having a big panorama window in the front where the balcony is, to open up or something else?
- The balcony is not very elegant, it looks very old and grey, what can I do with it?
- I would love to get more suggestions on improvement from you.
Thank you so much ...
Reader Comments (14)
Congratulations! You bought a lovely house with a lot of potential! I own a similar small house (stuga by a lake) myself in Sweden. My house was built in 1959 and your house also seems to have been built around that time?
I find it important to stick to the age and character of the house and the setting when renovating a property like that.
I agree that it looks quite messy with the different height windows. You see that often in properties like this where people make renovations themselves without thinking of the big picture. I would recommend that you do not haste your renovation work but take a step back, just use the stuga for the Summer without doing any major work, and think carefully about how you want to use the rooms, what style/look do you like to have throughout the house, what are your renovation priorities and what could be step two etc.
Sorting out the facade should look like seems to me a high priority. You already have a door and 'hallway' on the left so I wonder whether you need to keep the main entry at the front? You could remove that door and that hallway and add the space to your living room, or to the kitchen (dining space?) or you could extend the bedroom (or make a walk-in closet or extra toilet?)). I would then make a glass door (same topheight as the other windows!) where the window is at the veranda-side of the livingroom and keep the windows in the corner. I really like these corner-window blocks which are so typical for houses built in 50-60.
You may later want to change the layout of the bedroom, bathroom and part of the livingroom on the other side of the house somewhat because that area seems a bit strange. e.g. make a little hallway (on top of the current bedroom- and bathroom doors door on the map) i.e. with a door to the left to the bedroom and to the right to the bathroom. This would give more privacy (and less noise from the livingroom) to both rooms and create more wallspace in your living room (since less doors).
Outside: Please keep the stone terrace, staircase and especially the railing, since so many people rip our these 50-ies details and just make a wooden decking... This makes it look so '2000' and the same for all houses... Is the stonewall original from when the house was built? Then definitely keep it. It is so lovely when the stone of the terrace and the wall collects the warmth of the sun during the day and then radiates it in the evening. You may want to clean/paint (lightgrey, concrete colour) the concrete floor of your terrace though.
I would change the colour of the house. Which colour depends a little bit on the other houses in the area and your taste. Off-white would look bright and fresh and would be nice against the concrete terrace. Since the house lays by the see I would avoid a very dark colour like (almost) black, which would be nice if the house would have been more in a greener area.
Good luck!!
What a lovely house. I wouldn't have noticed the windows being different sizes but I see what mean about the balcony. I think it would be nice to have flowers along the top of the wall and i agree a good clean up with a high pressure cleaner would make a big difference. I would be tempted to paint the wall but the comment from Caroline made sense too - have a look at the other houses and see what hey have done and be mindful of keeping the character. The outside of my house is so ugly I am envious!
Regarding the interior:
I suggest you paint the pine panels in your kitchen (and outside your kitchen) white.
Is the flooring of your house real wood? It looks a bit like plastic on the photos. If it is not real wood: Rip it out and put in (white-luted & soaped?) pine floor boards throughout the house.
Regarding my previous post. I think the new glass-door towards the veranda should be where the left window (of the livingroom) and the current main entry door are today. This window-door should have about the same width as (double door, e.g. around 1.40-1.60 m wide?) and be in line with the staircase...
Do not use sliding doors (which does not fit with the age of the house) but simple doors that open up to the outside.
The window in the bedroom at the front should also be replaced eventually. The height seems wrong and the frame is too thick. Make a bigger window there so you can enjoy the see-view in the morning?
I also want to add re. my comment about the small hallway that would run between the bedroom at the back and the bathroom: creating this hallway (with a door on the left, i.e. immediately to the right and above to where the current bedroom door is) also has the benefit that it would push the sitting group more towards the see-side of the house, i.e. more towards the fireplace. You could add a little space to the bedroom (and bathroom) if you draw your new corridor wall above the current bedroom and bathroom door. You can then glue the missing bedroom corner back on and also move the right-side bedroom wall a bit further to the right. This would make the bedroom slightly L-shaped. Alternatively keep the right bedroom wall where it is but create some storage space in the new bedroom-bathroom corridor. Looking at the pictures it seems you could use some extra storage... (e.g. for sheets and bathroom towels).
The best, and more radical, option would be though to remove the right wall in that bedroom alltogether so you would add the new corridor completely to the bedroom, creating a bedroom with 'en suite' bathroom.
If you create a new small toilet-room (in the left part of the current 'entré', just outside the see-side bedroom or in the room left of the kitchen, the new side-entry), you avoid that guests need to pass through the bedroom to go to the bathroom.
Some more suggestions:
Could you use the room on the left (with all the windows) as a small breakfast room or would that be too cramped since there is also is a door there... I think it is always nice to be able to eat immediately in connection to the kitchen
As I wrote before, the room called 'entrè' does not make sense, especially not with all these doors... Remove it all together (if you don't mind stepping straight into your living room) through the new glass doors (or through the door in the room at the left) and just make a closet 'box' (for coats/boots) (or small toilet-room?) between the bedroom-door and the current front-door. This room should be smaller than the current entrè and somewhat shifted to the left, i.e. in the middle of or a bit left of the vertical line bedroo, the wall bedroom-kitchen-fireplace. You may want to move the bedroom door of the seeside bedroom further to the left to create more space for the clockroom/toilet cubicle. Use sliding doors to save space. The door to the 'box' would be on the right, i.e. left of the new glass frontdoor t if it is used as a 'cloakroom'.
Do you need three bedrooms? If not, close the door from the kitchen to the top left bedroom and make these two bedrooms at the top of the picture into one big 'master bedroom' with connecting bathroom (with a small corridor/storage room in between).
What a sweet little house! It seems to me that the only thing the outside needs is some cleanup and a paint job. The harsh red and white color scheme does nothing but pull out every discordant detail. I'd go with a dusky moss green with cream trim and burnt orange door and accents. This would be pleasing, earthy, and look pretty with the stone. Fix the facia on the rain gutter on the left. Get rid of the vine and the trellis that is attached to the house. Pull out the plants (honeysuckle?) in the planters and put in some low-maintenance, sculptural ornamental grasses instead. Move the bench somewhere else completely. I bet the stone wall and foundation is pretty on it's own and if you clear some stuff out, it can be a highlight. Is that a tiny window in the lower right? I would do a concrete stain on the deck. Also, put in some pavers to define the walkway, which will create a neater hardscape in front of the house.
The interior is pretty awesome aside from the weird ceiling lights.
Some more suggestions:
Could you use the room on the left (with all the windows) as a small breakfast room or would that be too cramped since there is also is a door there... I think it is always nice to be able to eat immediately in connection to the kitchen
As I wrote before, the room called 'entrè' does not make sense, especially not with all these doors... Remove it all together (if you don't mind stepping straight into your living room) through the new glass doors (or through the door in the room at the left) and just make a closet 'box' (for coats/boots) (or small toilet-room?) between the bedroom-door and the current front-door. This room should be smaller than the current entrè and somewhat shifted to the left, i.e. in the middle of or a bit left of the vertical line bedroo, the wall bedroom-kitchen-fireplace. You may want to move the bedroom door of the seeside bedroom further to the left to create more space for the clockroom/toilet cubicle. Use sliding doors to save space. The door to the 'box' would be on the right, i.e. left of the new glass frontdoor t if it is used as a 'cloakroom'.
Do you need three bedrooms? If not, close the door from the kitchen to the top left bedroom and make these two bedrooms at the top of the picture into one big 'master bedroom' with connecting bathroom (with a small corridor/storage room in between).
It's a very nice house with a lot of potential! Congrats!
I am a Swedish interior design blogger and I just find your blog, consider yourself bookmarked. (My blog is in Swedish but my iPad-magazine is in English.)
Have a nice day // Frida
What a gorgeous cottage. I agree with other comments. Paint the exterior (I would choose a warm stone color), remove the trellis and trim back the vines. Power wash the concrete veranda and get some good quality wood benches and chairs. I would paint all the interior walls a soft warm white, it would look better if all walls were exactly the same. I would convert the windows by the dining table to large sliding doors out to the veranda. Then I would leave it alone for a long while and just enjoy it. You are so lucky to have such a pretty place.
I love the balcony, I wouldn't change a thing! except pots with flowers... :) If it were mine, I would build two or three more levels of decking and stairs to take you down. gardens beside. What a beautiful cabin! love the panorama window idea.
Bying a cabin by the sea is all about the view i think. So where would we get the best possible view in this cottage? Well i think in the front bedroom. But it has only one window! What a waste of view. I'm suggesting putting what we in Sweden call a "punchveranda" here, that means windows all the way around. I would then put the kitchen table here. This will also let in some much needed light to the kitchen. The third bedroom can be moved to the rear.
Inner walls of the entrance should be completely removed, it only obscures the view and you could use the left entrance as your main entrance. The left entrance has lovely windows and would be perfect as a hall with built in seating with storage under the seating for shoes etc.
In the "stue" I would put in floor to ceiling sliding windows all the way. Or perhaps just add double glass doors out on to the veranda. I would also paint the fireplace white to make it less noticeable.
Walls and ceiling in kitchen and stue should be the same color. If you like the red outside keep it, otherwise look at the neighbours as already suggested.
The veranda i would keep, but tear down the low wall and replace with a see-through version - safety glass railings perhaps?
Made a quick design layout: http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii579/sibbsan/stuga.png
I love this house! There are so many things you could do with it... but I would begin by living in it for a while to check morning and afternoon sunlight... I love the white.. I'd add more shades of whites to break it up a little.. to give it some warmth.. and go up? I would if I could afford it.. so many things - but take your time.. and enjoy the process.
Love your home!! Can I come live with you?!!:) You're doing a beautiful job so far. Regarding your vernada, I would suggest that you have it sandblasted or lay a fresh coat of coloured concrete as it looks to be sound structurally. Add some quality loungers and a table and you'll be able to enjoy the view and the outdoors even more. Good luck and please send pics when you've renovated it.
I agree with Sibbes suggestions except tearing down the wall. I also like Christines suggestion wrt whites
WOW! Thank you all so much for the great help and detailed suggestions. This made me really inspired. I will note all your suggestions and let you know about the final result!! Again, thank you so much!
Best regards,
Julie B.