Our Own SoPo Cottage - Before & After

Before we move to our next project, I thought it would be nice to share a recap of our own Cottage, including some photos you haven't seen before.

We started with a late 1800's house, that had been sorely neglected over the years.  Despite our best efforts to save it, the deterioration was so bad and there was so little original detail left, that it just didn't make economic sense to restore it.  So we salvaged the original hand hewn beams to use later and started anew.  This is the first, and hopefully only time, we've ever had to tear down a house.

Yes, the back of the house was a hodge lodge!

 Our goal?  A modest home that fit into the character of the neighborhood, with an open floor plan and modern conveniences.  We stayed within the original footprint, with just a small 11' x 11' addition to square up the house.

We love the resulting house.  It provides lots of room for family and friends - with low maintenance and a manageable yard.  What more can we ask for?

For the interiors, I'll start at the top and work down.  Our must have list included a deck on the third floor and after a lot of deliberation, we decided to create a home office and living space up there as well. (more photos, click here)

Ignore that dog tail on the left!!!

I love nautical charts as wallpaper!!

And while we love the office and adjoining sitting area, the deck is probably our favorite spot.  We're at the top of the hill, looking down over Casco Bay and the islands, and can't get enough of the views.

It's a fabulous perch, no matter what the weather and we spend a lot of time out there.

The see through railing was a must!

On the second floor, we have 3 bedrooms, with a generous landing and wide open staircase.

The back bedroom is ready for guests, with its own balcony and beautiful views (click here for more).

View from bedroom window - sea mist on a cold morning

 The front bedroom is a bit smaller, but cozy.

 The master suite is white with pops of bright color!

Master Bath

 And the family bath sports nautical stripes.

Family Bath

On the first floor, we designed an open concept living space, with our dream kitchen for people that like to cook (Click here and here for more photos!)

It was a challenging building process, with lots of surprises along the way (nothing like bankruptcy to add a little excitement).  But we're thrilled with the result and couldn't be happier!

Now - on to the next project.  And we have a big surprise for you :-)

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