Cozy Cottage Renovation

Here we go, it's renovation time again.  What to do with this neglected cottage in Coloma Michigan a couple blocks from all sports 1,000 acre Paw Paw Lake.  It is an average looking stick built home in need of a major face lift.  I decided that we were going to give it a "woodsy-cottage" look.  The cedar board and batten was in good shape, so lets just give that a coat of earth-tone paint.  However the trim around the exterior windows is too narrow, so lets put some 4" Mira-Tech trim around them.  To balance the roof-line out, we next put a 1 degree sloping dormer in the center of the house, with 3 16" square equally divided lite windows by Anderson.  We then decided that a pergola would give the house an inviting and aesthetically pleasing appeal.  So we anchored that with 3-24"x24" pillars finished in treated plywood, and trimmed out in Mira-Tech.  Finally, we put a small metal roof/overhang over the garage door to dress that up a little.  Throw in some dune grass, and cone flowers, and Ah Ha, you have a cozy "woodsy-cottage."  Check out the before and after:


Before





After

Lakewood Renovation/Makeover

This is a complete renovation that we produced in 2009.  It was a small cottage in Coloma Michigan, in need of some TLC.  It had partial lake views, and a double lot.  I took it to the drawing board, and came up with a suitable look to maximize the "lake cottage" look.  We combined natural cedar Batt & Board Siding, Cedar Shakes, and a clear cedar garage door, to maximize the green effect.

Multiple dormers or all different shapes, sizes, and heights adds some great balance to the 1,600 square foot cottage.  To finish off the look, we added some decorative gable trim, tapored pillars with a river rock base, flower box for the kitchen window, and a screened in porch for relaxing on those hot summer days, when the pesty bugs are relentless.  Believe it or not, this is the same house, same foundation, We just added on to the existing Structure to greatly enhace the curb appeal.   

The After picture.  The renovation was a success.  Amazing what a little detail, and a lot of hard work can do...!

After.