My husband, Richard and I live in Texas, and 30 years ago we moved from Dallas to East Texas, to the beautiful, piney woods on the banks of Cedar Creek Lake.
The first time we saw our “Cottage Green”…it was in a general state of disrepair and would have been more aptly named, Cottage Brown! We pulled into the pine-needled driveway and walked up the rickety, steep stairwell that led to the dark brown front door. When we opened the door, broken Spanish tiles covered the entryway and led us into the large, great room. The dining room and living room floors were covered in worn, brown, shag carpet and the walls of the room were covered in brown paneling. A huge fireplace was in the center of the north wall, with brown bookcases flanking both sides of the fireplace, and there were brown drapes covering six large windows. Everything was brown!
However, when we opened the drapes the view of the lake beyond was spectacular! It was like being in a tree house, and it was enchanting! Architectural elements like the high, beamed ceiling, the built-in bookcases, 2 fireplaces, a grand staircase with angles and turns that made us want to put our hand on the banister and begin our descent, and 2 charming triangular windows high above the bookcases gave us a peek, not only of the treetops and blue skies beyond, but a glimpse of our “Cottage Green.”
Slowly, we began the transformation. Richard sledge-hammered away all the broken, Spanish tile and wooden floors were installed in their place. He tore down walls and cabinets in our kitchen, and re-routed copper pipes, while I applied gallons and gallons of white paint to the paneling, the cabinets, the built-in bookshelves, and the stair railing. Harvest gold appliances were replaced, old fixtures were discarded, new decks were built in the front and back of the house, a coat of red paint glistened on the front door, and an aggregate driveway was poured and stood in place of the needle strewn, dirt driveway that first greeted us. Our brown house began to disappear and the “Cottage Green” we had envisioned began to emerge.
Now, many years later, that’s what this blog is about…a chronicle of our family’s lives here at Cottage Green on the Lake, a journal of sorts, filled with pictures! However, I also write about our favorite recipes, seasonal tablescapes, decorated ideas, DIY projects and crafts, building and landscaping ideas…all the integral parts that have helped us put the cozy and heart into our home on the lake.
I hope reading my blog will be an inspiration for you as you feather your own haven and nests.
From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
Cottage Green on the Lake 