Cottage Dreaming

As I wind down my 32 years in Seattle, I really look forward to a new beginning and new adventures back on the east coast.
Seattle has been good to me but after all these years, I find myself a little bored, not sure what to do with myself and ready for new challenges and experiences to jumpstart my heart and imagination again.

So I'm turning my attention to the east coast, but faced with a limited budget, I decided perhaps the Commonwealth of Virginia is going to be my new home.
I grew up in rural Wisconsin and always preferred rolling green fields and meadows with old oaks and maples, to deep, dark, cold pine forests and mountains.
I want to be around historical places, to explore and absorb their energies.
I want to meet new people and try my luck at building my cottage decor business in a new territory where the prevailing trend isn't mid-century modern in grey and teals.

And where I can afford to live!
I have no back up income, no husband or partner who helps pay the bills.  Its just me, my instincts,talent and my get-up-and-go!

I realize all the challenges ahead of me but I feel I face the same ones in Seattle where I am bored of being.
I view this as a midlife opportunity and I am embracing it!
The one thing I will miss here are my many wonderful friends.  But they all travel a lot and I am hoping they will swing by to stay with me a few days on their goings and comings from Europe!

Anyhoo - what I really look forward to, once I find a new cottage to purchase, is decorating it!!
hahaha - what artist/designer wouldn't??
Its what's keeping me sane and focused through the emotional highs and lows of selling my current home and arranging for a cross-country move with 4 cats and a young friend I've taken under my wing.
I have a lot on my shoulders but what perks me up on days when my knees feel like they are buckling, is the prospect of hanging pretty wallpapers, filling rooms with white slipcovered sofas, hanging antique chandeliers and laying the prettiest rugs I've ever seen, on the old hardwood floors.

So here is a sampling of what has been inspiring me, which I intend to use once I've landed somewhere in a simple cottage, in my new life.
As usual, its all blue & white!!  
(Although in my new place, I am contemplating wallpapering my art studio in a soft, buttercup yellow damask...)

What really gets me excited right now are the new French Blue rugs by Dash and Albert, in herringbones.  Both cotton or indoor/outdoor rugs, they are beautiful, quality rugs in a simple, fresh. clean Scandinavian style. The two herringbone rugs are must-haves for me. As soon as I buy a house, I will know which sizes to order.  They will be my anchor from which I do all the other decorating around!
Here's a link to the site where you can explore all the gorgeous rugs available:  Annie Selke
And for this who want to see my latest cottage-fresh designs for fabrics and wallpapers, here's a link to my Spoonflower shop, LilyOake.

An indoor/outdoor herringbone rug in French Blue, by Dash and Albert.  This will go on my living room floor.

Another Dash and Albert rug in a French Blue herringbone.  This cotton rug will go on my bedroom floor.

MY own design, Albertine is a strong contender for wallpaper in my future living room!

Jane's Rose Bouquet wallpaper is on my current home's dining room walls.  Its a favorite of mine.

Jane's Rose Bouquet wallpaper in blueberry blue.  This paper will grace the walls in my new bedroom.

Jane's Rose Bouquet wallpaper in blueberry blue.

Cottage Check simplified is a strong contender as wallpaper in my future kitchen.

Jane's Rose Bouquet wallpaper is feminine and soft, but holds it own with gilded frames and furniture!

Additional inspiration - my old garden lilacs and a myriad of blueberry blue and white cotton or linen fabrics in my Swedish cottage collections on Spoonflower

Jane's Rose Bouquet Stripe in blueberry blue - you can make curtains to match the wallpaper!

Blue Rose Wreath in blueberry.  My current chair slipcovers are coming with me so my cottage will coordinate.  Any piece of furniture can go into any other room and fit right in.

I love European gingerbreading on houses and whatever home I buy, I will try to add personality in this style.

More inspiration:  white farmhouse sinks.  Double bowl...?

My current home has beautiful glass and crystal chandeliers so I hope to add this detail to my new home too.

If I stay under my budget, I have promised myself the Albertine gas range by La Cornue.  White?

...or Provence Blue?  I guess I will have to flip a coin, should the good fortune befall me where I get to fit one into my budget!

My own LilyOake designs, all will be present in my new cottage home.

I keep coming back to white cotton canvas slip covered furniture because it really fits my lifestyle.  And with 4 kitties, I can wash them any time!

A new white cotton canvas slip covered sofa is in my near future.  I can fill it with a mix of LilyOake cottage pillows.

A pretty detail - having packed most my house up already, I kept out a few things to keep close to me during the move

farmhouse sinks....single bowl...?

If I get a porch or sunroom, I would love to build a replica Swedish daybed to grace the space

A dream:  A Swedish tiled stove in blue and white.  IfI cant have the real thing, I can add tile to the kitchen backsplash or to a fireplace surround!

I've loved this image for years - an old Swedish desk in a soft white with a surprise bright blue interior!  I will paint all my furniture in this manner.

Building a Swedish Gustavian Style Sofa Frame

I first fell in love with Swedish Gustavian style in 1989, when I was starting interior design school.
I loved the simple lines, the fresh, pastel colors and respect for light.  The style used simple fabrics which I have always felt more at ease with then fancier fabrics that might require one to keep up appearances to a level I did not aspire to!

In other words, no pretensions here, I was a small-town girl born and bred, who loves simple florals, checks, stripes and a fresh coat of paint.  Cottage style.

But I also am attracted to a bit of bling in unexpected places, like a bit of gold leaf on the trim of a chair or table skirt.

Swedish Gustavian seemed the perfect fit for my style, which up until then, I couldn't really define on my own.

Its been a dream of mine for years to own a Swedish Gustavian style sofa but up until now, I certainly couldn't afford a real one!  I also have "real life" to factor in.  (Pets and messy partners)
I need everything slipcovered and washable.

I began designing my own fabrics a few years ago and have 2 places online where you can find them, to shop.
LilyOake on Spoonflower
and
LilyOake on MyFabricDesigns.com

A few weeks ago I stumbled across an image on Pinterest....an outdoor bench by Ana White, on her blog, here:
Weatherly Sofa Frame

Ana White's gorgeous Weatherly Sofa, on her blog. All the plans are there for download.

OH MY!  Exactly what I have been looking for all these years.  The "X" back is a very Swedish look and I knew I could take it beyond the outdoor look it had in her blog, to an indoor look that would work for everyday use.

Well, I have yet to get the thing painted (lots of prep involved) but I did get one built, with the help of my ex, with the second one planned this weekend.

After we get both built, I can begin filling holes, sanding, conditioning the wood, priming and painting.
My two sofas will end up being all white with gold leaf ormolu in certain places.
And the seat cushions will be slipcovered in one of my own check fabrics printed on linen cotton ultra through Spoonflower.
I named it "Harold Check" in blueberry.  It will be a great neutral print that can travel from room to room should I need to do some furniture rearranging!

Enjoy the construction photos and check back for more posts as I work my way through this exciting project.

The real thing 

Love the higher, solid carved sides on this antique Swedish sofa as well.

I will add matching pillows along the back of mine too.

These are some real, original Swedish Gustavian wooden sofas.  You can see why they appealed to me - so fresh, clean and unique.

And here are the photos I took of the construction of the Weatherly sofa, made with the downloadable plans off the Ana White blog.  The shopping list was easy to follow.  I just went to Home Depot after work and bought what she had on the list.  She had estimated around $35 in wood - pretty much right on!  I was making 2 frames so I doubled everything, plus bought a few extra pieces in a few of the sizes (just in case) and my total was $90.  Not too bad for TWO sofa frames.

My handyman helper comes with tools!

After precutting, we were ready to roll.

Precut all the pieces and the project will go much quicker!

Building the sides on a table.  Precutting pieces meant construction went quickly and smoothly.

Laid out the back on the ground and cut a 1" wide piece of wood as a spacer guide.

Once the sides were attached tot he back, we could see how beautiful this sofa was going to be!

The finials can be found at Lowes for $2.98 a pair.  They add loads of personality.

Adding the front rail - we were very excited at this point, seeing the project nearly completed!

Just needed to add the slats!  We took her advice and lowered the support in the back by 1.25", to make it easier to sit on.

The Weatherly sofa in its final stage of construction.  I could only find two of the finials for the corners but have since bought more, to complete the look.

HAROLD CHECK in blueberry and white.  A classic Swedish Gustavian style fabric to use on this sofa.