Monday, October 7, 2013

A Cottage by the Sea



One of my favorite old house renovators is at it again, restoring the charm and integrity of a historic gem. This time, it's a shingle-style Dutch colonial in a little seaside village in Maine.

Steve Thomas, former longtime host of This Old House and current spokesman for Habitat for Humanity is documenting the renovation process of Sea Cove Cottage on his Facebook page.

He takes you through the entire renovation process, including the good (discovering maple floors hiding under linoleum), and the not so good (foundation rot), along with the many decisions he and his wife Evy make on a daily basis. They are assisted along the way by their fantastic design team of Robin Siegerman (interior, fenestration, furniture and lighting)John Tyahla (kitchen and cabinetry), and Anne Cox (landscape). Their story is set against the stunning backdrop of coastal Maine.

I love renovation stories like these because they offer the full scope of what is truly involved in restoring an old house, which goes well beyond a lot of hard work. It takes determination, vision and most of all, an enduring passion to realize the beauty of the home.

You can follow their story here.

Catherine

15 comments :

  1. Thanks for sharing Catherine! What a beautiful cottage full of potential.

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  2. We visited Maine's coast for 3 days a weekend ago and saw so many beautiful old houses and cottages. I often wonder about the work and cost involved in restoring one of these old homes. I will visit his page to see this one. Thanks for sharing it. Have a great week! Pamela

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  3. Thanks for visiting last week, Catherine. We are very excited about this project, especially because we're working with two great designers, Robin Siegerman @RenovationBootcamp, and Anne Cox @HedgerowDesign. Come visit again soon.
    Steve

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  4. What kind of flowering bloom is that?! Soooo beautiful! I hope they leave it!

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  5. How fun! So cool that he commented on your post. Love the house too.
    xoxo
    Lisa
    Leeshideaway

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  6. It is going to be stunning when it is completed, Thanks for sharing the story with us.

    Velva

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  7. I remember watching that show "This Old House" and loved every moment of it. Oh I just wanted to add to the list of what you might need to restore one of these beauties (if you don't mind)...cash!:)

    Rita

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  8. Hi

    The house will look amazing when finished.

    Lisa,London

    PS Is it just me or do the "You might like this" links all go to google error?? I tried the Alpaca's by the sea and Yellow Runuc's yesterday and today none of them will like through to older stories.

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  9. Dear Lisa,
    I've been having issues with blogger. The search box was also having problems. I'll write my blog designer and see. Sorry about that.
    Best, Catherine

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  10. What a beautiful house...one like most women dream of. :)

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  11. What a beautiful cottage and post! I am so happy I came upon your blog!

    Lauren,
    http://www.atouchofsoutherngrace.com/

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  12. I've made my way back one year in posts - and will continue to follow. Thanks for the inspirations - my husband spotted the old sauna/exercise room at your old home and immediately exclaimed how much he liked them. He gave me a subscription to Country Living last year - will have to look for you!

    Kim

    http://eckleyfarmhouse.blogspot.com

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  13. I just found your blog through a dear friend. I am so excited to look around and see everything!! I may be here a while - what beautiful pictures!!

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  14. It is going to be wonderful - I´m sure!
    Lovely hugs
    Molly

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  15. I like restorations with a smaller budget.

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

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