Phase One – Garage & Guest House

You can design, create and build. But it takes people to make those dreams a reality

My husband and I received the keys to our new property on January 10th, 2022. It has been a bittersweet journey relocating from Houston to New Jersey.

We are always on the move from country to country, state to state and city to city. I believe this is our last chapter of moving, as we come to terms with the reality of retirement and settling down.

In some ways, the transition from full time hustle to a laid back lifestyle is very appealing to us. My father told me so many years ago, there are two kinds of people: those who work hard and those who try to take a shortcut in life. He told me to always be in the first group because there are no shortcuts to any place worth going! Through sweat and determination you can make your dreams your reality:)

You can tell by the “original” photo of our new “old garage” it needs a major overhaul. My husband and I have NO FEAR when it comes to a new real estate purchase, we like to wing it. We love a challenge. The gambrel roof is outdated and and badly designed. However, everything is “fixable” when it comes to renovations. The gambrel roof of the garage is my anchor, or perhaps my visual to carry over to Phase Two which will be added to the new addition on the main house. We will remove the old exterior trim, windows and siding right down to sheet plywood. For the garage door openings, new square corners will be framed below the top header. The overhang which extends vertically above the garage doors is too short and needs to be framed to reach the end of the exterior side walls and blend in with the bottom portion of the roofline, so it flows effortlessly and seamlessly. Window choice comes down to style and scale, as you see the front windows are oversized and does not reflect the design of the building. Two new smaller windows will be added to the front. The old shingles on the roof will be removed and we will need to replace some of the decayed plywood that was exposed to leaks under the shingles. New shingles, new cedar shake siding, exterior doors, new garage doors, soffit and rain gutters will be updated. Dormers will be framed and built on the right side of roof. This will help bring in more natural light for each new bedroom on the second floor in carriage house. On left side of the roof are very large windows, those were never installed properly and too large in scale; we need to replace those with new smaller windows. The front and back of the gambrel roof is missing the rake overhang, this needs to be framed and extended out so we can add soffit and trim. Trim is so important when designing an exterior building. It highlights and beautifies the architectural accents.

A few more notes add: The interior main floor of the garage is large enough to accommodate (frame and design) a large private entry way with a closet and seating area by the stairs leading up to guest house. There is a separate exterior entrance door for guests to access the second floor, this is so handy! The main floor garage needs new wiring, insulation, drywall and lights. Second floor will accommodate a kitchen, dining and living area. Two bedrooms, bathroom, washer/dryer, storage and utility room.

There is a ton of work to do for Phase One, both exterior and interior. We are so excited to start, we are waiting for our architect to finalize the drawings and for the approval.

l have added a gallery of photos for the upstairs interior, located above the garage. This was already framed to accommodate a large guest house. I apologize in advance for the lighting. When you are working with only natural light and dirty windows, its difficult to take photos!

Happy New Year! Bring on 2023 and all the dreams and goals each of us are seeking. Its been quite a few months witnessing the transformation of Phase One. Phase One went from an old ugly garage to a miracle, a masterpiece, a work of art. The design of this building was something I had envisioned and our architect was the one who brought my vision to life. Kevin and I are so incredibly happy with the hard work and dedication thrown into Phase One. We applaud our architect, builder, project manager, and framing crew. The framing crew worked tirelessly and through some of the worst weather here along the coast to bring Phase One to this beautiful stage! UGH…it was so cold and we had so much rain, the weather literally made it impossible for the framing crew to work a full day without tarp and extra coffee breaks to warm up! Yes, it takes a village and we still have a few more months of work to finish this gorgeous building, however we are enjoying the process:)

Kevin and I had carefully sought out premier windows and siding. Searching for the right products can be challenging, we wanted to stay within the authentically of the original cape cod design you come across along the east coast of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine. The white trim is maintenance free so we do not have to deal with peeling of paint. The siding contractors and myself worked together as we navigated the exterior of the building. Last minutes changes with the trim design were made to give our carriage house a timeless presentation. All in all, we are so happy with how beautiful the exterior of our garage turned out. Still on the hunt for the perfect garage doors…#staytuned:)

What a hectic 2023 we had with permits, a partial demolish, framing, new roof lines, insulation, new windows and new doors, beautiful dormers, charming shingles, state of the art plumbing, electrical, drywall, cabinet work, flooring, painting and accent finishes. I dragged home a vintage door from Vermont to use in the Guest House bathroom and a vintage sink for my potting shed. I ordered a custom bathroom vanity from Pennsylvania which was made from old oak barn wood. I had my plumber install vintage faucets and a rain shower head for the new curbless shower. I purchased and had shipped a gorgeous seagrass pendant light all the way from California for the staircase landing. Adding vintage touches throughout the Guest House along with a traditional design gave my new found build exactly the charm I wanted. My potting shed is the cherry on top:) I am so incredibly proud of all the talented and hardworking contractors who brought my vision to life! I still have a few minor details to do like painting baseboards, a built in bookcase for the TV wall, some extra furniture pieces for the bedrooms, a bench for the mudroom….. As we rolled into 2024, not only were we working on the interior but we had to tackle a courtyard design to pull the exterior of the Guest House together. BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!

The Guest House has a mudroom on main floor with security cameras and radiant heat flooring under herringbone design brick tile. The second floor has one bathroom with radiant heat flooring and a cute curbless shower! You will find a W/D closet, tankless water system, central vac, two bedrooms (The Bunk and The Nest). The Nest is the main bedroom. And The Bunk will eventually host bunks for overflow guests. Large size living area and full equipped kitchen. The flooring on the second floor plus stairs was installed with 8″ wide weathered oak engineered plank flooring. Please enjoy a peek into the final stages of Phase One!

Side note: My potting shed photos will be added to the outdoor patio column once I get this up and running:)

Main floor mudroom!! weathered oak flooring has been installed on stairs and landing. Narrow rectangle brick tile in herringbone design. Radiant heat flooring and built in large closet to hold all seasonal jackets and footwear. Staircase accent light and oak handrails. There will be a built-in bench between the staircase and closet.

Bathroom with curbless shower, vintage oak vanity, and cobblestone tile with radiant heating flooring. White granite countertop with vintage hardware and faucet. I found a cute vintage medicine cabinet at a garage sale here in our community. The vintage prints are from Houston. On my list to install is a single glass shower panel:)

The kitchen was a challenge !! we have vaulted ceilings in the kitchen, eating and living area. Window wall is 8′ in height with 12′ height opposite wall. I drew my kitchen design on a piece of paper, my contractor and I did a “wing it” as we went along LOL The room took about 8 months to complete with many custom cabinet pieces to fit into my vision. The cabinets were painted a soft vanilla white with chrome pulls and knobs. By the window and sink area is a breakfast cabinet and it contains a coffee bar station, toaster and frother. Also, the cabinet hosts a ton of tableware, linen and bar glasses. All Smeg appliances and yes my fridge is white:) A garburator and drop in farmhouse stainless steel sink. The mothership is a vintage inspired oak island. All countertops are white granite.

Another view from the kitchen. Weathered oak 8″ plank flooring throughout the second floor. A cozy living area to curl up and watch TV or read…… I decided NO to window coverings. I just love all the natural light day and night in this area. The views to the bay are beautiful and wanted to keep the trim around the windows as a focal point. A bookcase will be added to the TV wall. Searching for the perfect area rug, coffee table and a pharmacy floor lamp. Lighting source: Visual Comfort lIghting.

A view from the living area into kitchen:) the island hosts a pull out double garbage bin, cutting boards and sheet pans. Larger drawers contain mixing bowls, bakeware, cookware. I am searching for a few more prints or artwork to add to the kitchen wall. if you look past the kitchen to the right you will see a door. It holds the tankless water system and also stocked with cleaning supplies and central vac hose.

Here is an amazing view from the kitchen window!! #lifeonthebay

First bedroom down the hall is “The BUNK”. I want to design and build two custom twin captain beds. The wall scones were measured and installed to accommodate the beds when built. I picked up a natural rattan ceiling pendant from a lighting store in Connecticut. Window treatments had to be added to the bathroom and both bedrooms. I went back and forth on costs vs needs and wants for window treatments for bathroom and both bedrooms……. decide on linen semi-privacy roller shades. I know I know. LOL but they are absolutely beautiful and 1/3rd the cost. I didn’t want to break the bank on roman shades and I did not want drapes which would make the rooms look heavy! I absolutely not fond of “blinds”! Since I went full throttle on expensive flooring and other things for the GH, i needed to cut costs on the window treatments since it’s technically a “guest house”. But I do get my romans and drapes in the main house when built:)

i had so much fun designing “The Nest”. It’s the main bedroom and much bigger than “The Bunk”. I want to create a place of zen and natural elements here. A place to withdraw and unwind in bed after a day out at the beach. Obviously the room is not completed to my vision I am seeking:) Harmonizing a room or pulling it together requires soft touches and balance to space. Like your senses: feel, touch, smell. A platform bed, maybe coastal ropes added to envision a swing bed? New luxurious bedding, more flowers, candles and art to pull the room together. The chandelier light is made from rustic wood and iron. I plan to add some other touches to the light to add the coziness to the room. A single wall scone has been added so guests have more room on their side table.

A writing desk for a laptop and and plugins for cell phones and charges. A task pendant for better lighting. I purchased a oak armoire (wardrobe unit) to store clothes and bed linen. All the tall dressers and sides tables from both bedrooms came from New Mexico when we first located from Canada to teh USA. I need to refresh and maybe add new knobs?