Interior Update - Is the Ugly Duckling a Cygnet Yet???

Well, we haven't hit swan status on the Ugly Duckling, but we're making nice progress.  Seems like it's at least in the swan family at this point! A cygnet, indeed!   So now it's time to share a few update photos.

First floor - starting point

The open floor plan is really coming together.  What started as a series of small rooms, is now a big space, where the rooms flow into one another.

Removed old chimney, built new stairs to meet building codes, added new load bearing beams to strengthen 2nd floor

Of course, the large layout is helped with the dining room addition, across the back of the house.

The new floors are in and they are incredible!  We went with a pre-finished oak hardwood, in something called a wire-brush finish.  I wanted something that wouldn't look too new or modern.  This finish is fantastic - a little bit rustic, with a beautiful dark stain.  It will look great against our light walls.

Kitchen - looking towards Dining Room and backyard

I took these pictures right after the floors were installed - but then quickly put down floor protection, to keep them looking brand new until the house is finished.  So you won't see them again for awhile!

Creating laser generated countertop template

Next up:  The Kitchen.  This is a big kitchen and it's really coming together.  Around the perimeter, we've installed white cabinets with shaker style doors.











 The island is custom with a large counter-height work area and a taller seating area.  Kyle and I created a cardboard template to define the curved section.  It was a bit tricky, but as usual, he did a great job from the framing, to the beadboard and the trim work.  Now that it's complete, it will be painted a soft blue, called Tidewater, by Sherwin Williams

Curved seating area on the kitchen island

Work area of the kitchen island

And I'm in love with the living room.  Remember the antique mantle, that was the inspiration for our design? (click here to see 'before' and the plans)  It's been reworked a bit and is now the perfect frame for our new gas fireplace.  After installing the mantle, Justin built bookcases on either side.  We'll paint it all a nice, crisp white and I'll be adding a custom glass tile border around the firebox.  It's going to be a real focal point of the room!  Of course the big debate is whether the TV should go above the fireplace.  My vote is NO.....the guys are pretty unanimous that it's the obvious spot :-) 

Upstairs, the rooms are coming together, the trim is going in and it seems like we're getting close to the finish line.  The high ceilings make such a statement!

And what do you think of the custom closet in the master bedroom?

I spent lots of time getting the bathroom tile in - I love this carrara marble inset in the master shower!  And the tiled ceiling in the hall bath was a challenge, with all its funky angles.  But I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Broken marble vanity top

But despite all the progress, we have had a couple of setbacks.  The vanity for the master bath arrived with a broken top.  It will take 3-4 weeks in transit for the replacement.  The kitchen countertops got templated, but the quartz arrived at their factory and didn't meet their quality standards.  So that will add another two weeks.  The pallet of siding for the back of the house showed up with so many manufacturing defects, that we need to get material shipped from another state.  The fancy toilet I bought for the hall bath arrived damaged (seriously, I'm not making all this stuff up, how could so many things go wrong at once?!).  So you guessed it, more delays.

When will we be done?  I'm not sure!  Painting will finish this week, but there's still a lot to do!

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Wonderful Willard

Fisherman's Point - Willard Beach

As the weather transitions from winter to spring, it's a great time to appreciate this beautiful area where we renovate houses.  Should we pinch ourselves?  How did we get so lucky, to live in such a beautiful place?

Sunrise over Willard Beach

There aren't many neighborhoods with such beauty - and yet you can still walk to restaurants, stores and parks.

Willard Square and Scratch Bakery

Dogs love to run on Willard Beach

Where else can you find beaches, lighthouses, quirky treasures and beautiful antique buildings, in such abundance?

Cottages and more cottages....

And the natural beauty is just breathtaking.

Spring Point Lighthouse and Fort Gorges

Willard Beach

 This is a neighborhood that has evolved over the last 150 years..... and you can tell.

Willard Square - Early 20th Century

It's not a planned community where everything looks the same.  We have houses that were built 150 years ago - and others that are brand new - that all work together to provide an eclectic style.

Thankfully the snow has finally melted!!

And of course this is Maine, so elements of the waterfront are all

around us.

View of Portland Head Light from Fisherman's Point 

View of Spring Point Lighthouse and Fort Gorges from Fisherman's Point

Whether it's the lobsterman with his lobster traps in the yard,

or the lobster buoys decorating a fence

or a boat that's almost as big as the house, there is a character and vibe that is uniquely Maine.

But what really makes a neighborhood special are the people.  You notice that, when you're chatting in line at Scratch Bakery or dancing with the crowd at the annual Willard Fest.  It's a warm, inviting place, filled with lovely people.

Photo:  Sue Lessard

Photo:  Sue Lessard

And of course, now that the leaves are coming out on the trees and the sun is shining later in the day, it just gets better and better!  We are lucky, indeed, to call Willard Beach home! 

Willard Beach on an early spring day

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Exterior: 1906 Style - Expanded and Updated for Today

The Ugly Duckling

A big goal of this project was to maintain the charming architectural style of the original 1906 house.  The gambrel roofline - with its gentle 'swoop' at the eaves - was something we wanted to highlight on both the original house and the new addition.  And the small dormers on each side of the existing house are a great feature.

So, when we designed the addition, we mimicked that design, which allowed us to add an attached garage, master suite - and also rooftop deck, to enjoy views of the water.

And while we wanted to preserve the antique style, we tried to use products that don't require frequent maintenance.  When you live near the beach, you want to spend your time on the water - not painting the house!

So here's an update!  As a reminder, this was our starting point and the design plan. This was a big project, not only did we build a big addition - we also moved every single window and door!

As the framing got going, the new design started to emerge.

But it wasn't until we got to the finishes that the house started to come together.  So let's start at the top.

We decided to use copper flashing on the roof, windows and doors.  It has a long, long lifespan and is a very traditional touch!  Don't you love the new penny glint of copper?  It will develop a patina quickly in our sea air, but it's so shiny when it's new!!

Next, a key element of the exterior design: the triangular spaces at the top of each gambrel.  They create an inverted ledge, which provides room for corbels.  The triangular spaces were finished with traditional cedar shake shingles.  We used Maibec solid shingles in Cape Cod Gray. (they have a 50 year warranty....so won't need to be replaced for a very long time!)  Below that, we added a freeze board and the corbels.

I have to admit - this might be my favorite feature on the house!

Woven corner shingles installed on the dormers

We also used the shingles to highlight the dormers.  We did woven shingles.....something that's pretty rare nowadays.  Instead of corner boards, the shingles are cut by hand and 'woven' together, to provide a long lasting watertight seal.  It's a painstaking, time intensive process, but it looks so much nicer than corner boards on a small dormer like ours.  This is something you see on old houses all across New England!

The porthole window has been trimmed out and adds a nice nautical flair to our beach house!  That window was a late breaking design decision (it's not in the original plan, see photo above) - but what a great addition (and it adds some nice light to the upstairs hallway!)













For the body of the house, we installed Hardie Plank siding, in a color called Cobblestone.  It's got a 30 year guarantee - and a 15 year guarantee on color - so no painting for a long time!!  The trim is all AZEK, so again, no painting!  I love a traditional look, with low maintenance!

Is it starting to look like a swan?

Rear view - Before addition

But we still have more to do.  The guys hoped to finish up the exterior siding quickly, but we hit a roadblock!  We ordered the custom basement door weeks ago - the first one was the wrong size, the second one was damaged and now we're hoping that the third one is the charm!!  Once that's in, it will be full speed ahead on the siding.

And once that's done,  it's on to the rooftop deck!  I can't wait till we can start sharing photos of that!

There is a lot to do around the yard as well.  We need to have the property graded with fresh loam and landscape beds.  And once that's completed, we can install the front steps and new front door.  Whew - that's a lot of work ahead!

But the progress is pretty exciting!  The Ugly Duckling has disappeared, what do you think of our 'almost'-swan???

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