Our Next Chapter - Introducing Stone Ridge Cottage

My youngest child is heading off to college and in a few weeks, so Dave and I will officially be empty-nesters.

As most of you who have already seen their children go out into the world, you know the moment is bittersweet.  We decided the time was right to move permanently to our beach house. 

We have grown to love the people and the area; and know it's the perfect place to start our next chapter.

In one of life's wonderful coincidences, our neighbors decided they also were ready to start a new chapter and offered to sell their house to us. Just one moment on their porch and we knew it would be our next home.

We purchased their "virtually untouched" turn of the century shingle style beach house.   It sits up on a rather large plot of land, with several outbuildings.

This was exciting for Dave who always longed for the joys that come with a large property. The home also needed a lot of renovation which was an exciting project for me.

"Stone Ridge" was designed by architect, Ernest Boyden and completed in the mid 1890's.  The previous owners, whose family had owned it for over 85 years, left us a bag full of original blueprints which have been helpful in understanding the way in which the house was originally imagined.

  During the turn of the century Annisquam was a popular summer enclave for families. At that time there were road names but not house numbers, as each home was very distinctive and identified by name. "Stone Ridge", was named by owners, Otis and Emily Shepard. 

(old postcard)

We believe they chose "Stone Ridge" because the house sits up very high on a large, rock outcropping and ridge. 

The porches are nearly 65 feet above sea level.  We often have to look down to see the birds flying! This affords us the most spectacular views of the Annisquam river and lighthouse.

  Like most classically designed shingle-style homes Stone Ridge is wrapped on three sides by covered porches  The south porch looks over the Annisquam Pasture and down river toward Wingaersheek Beach,  the north porch looks up the coast towrd Crane's Beach and Hampton, NH.

The West porch looks out toward the Annisquam lighthouse   where we enjoy spectacular sunsets. 

Work has been underway since early Spring with landscape architects, builders and craftsmen who share our vision and who are committed to return this beautiful home to its original grandeur. 

It's been so busy to blog routinely, but you can follow the day to day work on Instagram - StoneRidgeCottage

 I hope you will join me on my next journey. There is so much left to do - kitchen, baths, porches, landscaping. 

So many areas to improve and make our own. The top photo is the before and the bottom is just the beginning of the exterior improvements- we've got a long way to go.

Here's to our next chapter- and here's to bringing Stone Ridge back to life! I hope you will come along.

PS - We also got a new puppy, Cosmo!

It's good to be back!
xox Gina 

(all photos property of Willow Decor and not to be used without permission)

Choosing Backsplash Tile like Art

One of my favorite color combinations is blue and white.

 There is nothing more striking than using it as an accent in the kitchen. One of my all time favorites is this design from New Ravenna Mosaics.  I am planning on using something very similar in a kitchen renovation. 

New Ravenna is design eye candy.  Their designs are breathtaking to say the least.  

Here is a close up of the intricate tile work, created by master craftsman and artists.  Isn't it amazing?  It is truly a work of art. And because the design is so traditional and beautiful I am quite sure I wold never tire of it.

Although I am more of a traditionalist, I am also enamored with the photo above I found on Pinterest. I love the modern design of the tile, which becomes the focal point and artwork in this kitchen.  I love how different tiles are mixed to create a very striking result. Beautiful, but over time I think I would tire of it.

I am more inclined to stay with a classic or neutral palette. This gorgeous backsplash, also a creation of New Ravenna, is breathtaking and very neutral, which I prefer.  

Tile can be a big expense and a more permanent part of a renovation,  so I like to choose more timeless designs.  

This design would never grow old or dated. It is stunning.

Of course, New Ravenna also has floral and colorful designs,

both are works of art and very beautiful...  

But my heart remains with the more serene styles.  This particular one is a favorite for more modern applications.

 Here is a close up, notice how translucent the tile is; it almost glows.  I hope you love these inspiration photos as much I do.  To see many more stunning tile applications from New Ravenna, including many beautiful baths and floors click HERE.

For more inspiration please click HERE to follow me on Pinterest where I have thousands of images and folders all organized to help you with your design projects.  Click HERE to follow me on Twitter. Finally, never miss a post by getting them delivered to your email - sign up above in the right corner.  

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year, and looking forward to sharing the year ahead with you!

xox Gina

(all photos New Ravenna or Pinterest)

My Return & Barn Wood Fireplace Surrounds

 Time has raced by and I'm happy to be back to blogging!  We finished renovating the beach house and spent the summer enjoying the ocean and the beauty of Cape Ann.  

I will post photos of the transformation in the coming weeks. But until then, above is a photo of the Annisquam Lighthouse at sunset that we took on our last night at the beach.  Wasn't the sky amazing? 

Here is a photo of the house with the new roof and all the new windows installed. The roof lines are all rounded and curved, which is difficult to do.  I am so glad we found a master roofer to take that challenge on.  We have done so much to update it - I will give you a tour when I get back up there and take some proper photos.  For now I wanted to share with you a new project I am working on.

I am designing a new fireplace surround for a ski house in Colorado. It is a renovation project of 1970's townhouse with very boxy rooms and almost no architectural detail. The furniture is going to be modern, but I want introduce some rustic design elements. The current fireplace is gas and we will be replacing it with a new gas model. We love the look of the fireplace above. I have been searching for old barn board and corbels. We love the whitewash of the wood. The hearth looks to be stone or copper and is rounded. We decided to start with this as our inspiration.

Here is another shot of the same fireplace surround.  This photo is from the Serena and Lily catalogue.  In fact, their current holiday catalog also has another wonderful shot of this fireplace.  Here you can see a closer view of the hearth.  I love the roughness of the wood and the texture it adds to an otherwise plain room.

I found this fireplace on Pinterest. Sorry for the photo quality, but I included it because the surround has a very similar feeling.

Another example from Pinterest, but this fireplace doesn't have the heavy corbels on either side.  I think it may be better scaled for my project.  I do like the natural, aged color of the barn wood.  Again, you can see how much architectural interest it brings to the room.  Also from a cost perspective, I am able to find relatively inexpensive wood in the barns of New England.  My finish carpenter is so talented and has assured me it can easily be recreated. 

Unfortunately we haven't addressed the placement of the TV.  My plan is to somehow incorporate doors to hide the TV.  Here is an example, but I still haven't quite figured out how to work it into the design.  

When searching for wood for the project I hope to find some interesting doors.  I like these above -  but they are not exactly right. I may have to design them myself out of the barn wood scraps.  Either way, it's an exciting project and I am thrilled to begin the process.

It's wonderful to be back blogging.  I have missed hearing from you all and I do hope you stop by and let me know how you have been.  I've been keeping up with my favorite blogs, and of course, like everyone else, spending too many late nights on Pinterest.  Please feel free to follow me there, I have so many fabulous inspiration folders. You'll also be able to view some of the projects I worked on while I was gone!  

Hope you are enjoying the fall!!
xoxo Gina

(all photos property of Willow Decor, unless specified, and are not to be copied or used without permission - all other photos from Pinterest)

New Kitchens by William Hefner & Christopher Peacock

I just love the pure beauty and artistic simplicity of William Hefner’s kitchen designs.

If you are not familiar with William Hefner, he is a wonderful architect from California. He designs beautiful homes, but his kitchens rank high on the inspiration scale for me. 

Although not practical for the snowy northeast winters, I adore his use of steel windows and his streamlined aesthetic which is both sophisticated and beautiful.
 

He has just published a gorgeous new book California Homes.  William Hefner also has sent me a copy to giveaway to a lucky Willow Décor reader.  As always, just leave a comment. Or as you know, current subscribers and followers are automatically entered to win.  You can order a copy of California Homes HERE. Or visit his website HERE for even more inspiration.

In other exciting news, Christopher Peacock inspires us once again with his stunning new kitchens on display in his fabulous new 5000 square foot showroom in the D&D building in New York City.

The new showroom is breathtaking and Peacock has really created something special.  Every cabinet, stove hood, and drawer pull reflect his outstanding quality and flawless design.

It is glorious inspiration at every turn. Notice the beautiful curved cabinet and the butcher block integrated in to the center island.

The showroom is not limited to kitchens, he has other wonderful installations including a library, bar area, dining room and a terrace.  Though they wouldn’t disclose the cost of the new showroom, its clear that no expense has been spared!

To see more of Christopher Peacock’s latest designs click HERE. 

Finally congratulations to “Yoga Girl” for winning the Magni Giveaway – please email me your shipping address.

(all photos used with permission. Content copyrighted and not be used with our permission  from Willow Décor)

Modern, Magni & a Giveaway!!

Work at my Beach House is nearly complete and we will be moving in by the end of May. I have decided to take a more modern approach to the furniture there. With ocean views from almost every room, I find myself  drawn to the more simple lines of modern furniture in neutral tones.  I have drawn inspiration from many places including Helene Forbes Hennie whose work is pictured above. I have ordered some lovely chairs, a bit more boxy, but similar to the ones above and I am still searching for the right sofas. I want to live in the space first so I can choose just the right furniture for us – so for now the house will be a bit of a mish mash while I edit and change up the things I kept from our old house.

Another source of inspiration has been the work of  designer, James Magni.   I adore his peaceful interiors. They are just stunning.

Of course I have no budget to change the kitchen of the beach house, but if I could, this is one kitchen I would use for inspiration. So simple and beautiful.

And although my family usually uses the outdoor shower at the beach, this bath is just dream. You really feel like you are outside.  It is so very Zen!!

James Magni has a beautiful new book, Magni Modernism.  The interiors are warm, inviting and outstandingly gorgeous in their restraint and simplicity.  Page after page is filled with stunning examples of his beautiful work.

  Willow Décor was lucky enough to receive a copy of his book to share with our readers.  Just visit James Magni’s wonderful website HERE and enjoy his work, come back and leave a comment about what inspired you.  I will contact the winner by email on May 18. If you just can’t wait, you can order the book HERE.

A special thank you to James Magni for the Giveaway -  Check out his work and I know you will be as inspired as I am!!

(All content property of Willow Décor and not to be used with out permission.  Photo 1 – Slettvoll,  All other photos – Architectural Digest/James Magni)