Update! Part 2 of the tour is up now. See the upstairs, including the two bedrooms and the master bath, here!
I am still quite sleepy and mentally drained from my weekend at Haven (a blogging conference for DIY/Home bloggers). I wasn’t sure going into it whether I was going to write a full scale blog post about it, but the decision was kind of made for me when I wound up taking all of two pictures. Oops. To sum up, I had a FABULOUS (and exhausting) time: the sessions were great, I brought free candy home for the kids and a new Kreg clamp home for Dave (who did an amazing job surviving three long days alone with the kids), and, mostly, it was so wonderful to get to spend time with so many blogging friends (and make some new ones) and find out they’re all just as great in person as they are online. So thanks blogging friends for keeping me from hiding in the bathroom all weekend! If you feel somehow that my recap is leaving out some detail, and you’re interested in more, one of my aforementioned blogging friends, Katja, has a great write-up with truly fabulous photos.
But moving on! I DID take pictures of my mom’s house. A long time ago. I was thinking I’d post them while we were out of town, but then that didn’t happen, so they’re coming to you today instead.
I’d like to do at least two more posts eventually and show the whole house; for today I have the living room/dining room, the kitchen, and the den/sitting room area.
This is the same house I grew up in. My Dad and grandfather actually built it themselves when he and my mom got married, but she lives there now with my stepfather. It’s an A-frame, which is, of course, a little unusual if you don’t live in a ski resort. Here’s the outside, to orient you. They’ve done a ton of landscaping recently, and it’s looking amazing outside right now:
I tried to pin down my mom’s decorating style and give it a name. I thought maybe French country was closest. Cottage? Anyway, it’s very different than mine (I suspect my mother would rather die than sharpie squirrels anywhere in her house), but I love it even though it’s not as wacky as my house ;).
Trying to photograph multiple entire rooms at once was totally overwhelming to me, incidentally. I wish I’d gotten more fun detail shots instead of focusing so much on whole rooms. It didn’t help that (Abe was with me and) the house is surrounded by trees, doesn’t have that many windows, and so gets very little natural light, especially in summer. I did my best!
When I was little, the front of the house was a solid wall of glass, except for those stones you see on either side of the windows. The windows were toned down to something more reasonable and the cedar shake added awhile back.
When you enter through those double doors, you’re in the big dining room/living room combination. Dining area to your left:
(She made me retake this picture because there was a pillow in the wrong place the first time)
My mom and her sisters run a shop called A Classy Flea, and this enables her compulsive redecorating habit :).
There was a tile floor in here for a very long time that she recently took out to put down vinyl “wood” flooring. It looks great and is very practical since she fosters dogs (with Cockers and More rescue) and always has quite a few around. This one is permanent. His name is Sherman:
Anyway, back to the dining room!
(At Haven I learned about pulling tables and whatnot out of the way to get a better pictures. But I hadn’t been to Haven yet when I took these):
….And to your right when you come in is the living room area:
I love the big stone fireplace and the dog picture above it:
If you walk straight through the living room and up a couple of steps, you get to the kitchen. The kitchen was redone a few months ago, and it completely different now. It used to have a U-shaped counter layout, so that a there was a peninsula sticking out and dividing the kitchen in half. My mom had a big island running parallel to the counter with the stove put in instead (along with all new cabinets and granite and quartz countertops and a tile backsplash), and it feels so much more open now:
The floors have been there for a few years; they’re real antique bricks:
The refrigerator with more cabinets sits across from the island:
Across from the window (to the right if you’re coming from the front of the house) there’s this wall with a small under the stairs closet on it:
….and then a little nook with a pantry on one side, door to the office off the other, and bathroom straight ahead (those are for another post!)
And then, finally, if you keep going through the kitchen, you get to den/sitting area. This used to be a bedroom, but they had the wall opened up awhile back to create this area:
Beyond those french doors is the screened porch, which, again, is for another post.
I still have the screened porch, office, bathrooms, and bedrooms (plus maybe more of the landscaping) to show you! Maybe sometime when I don’t have to bring Abe with me I can get those pictures.
Linking with:
OMG I’m blown away. The outside is so amazing! And love Sherman of course!
I kind of feel bad that Sherman’s the only one who got to be in a picture….but he just happened to be in the right place at the right time (he’s actually pretty much always right there on the couch ;))
Where did your Mom find the shabby chic dog sign, “cottage house boarding dogs welcome”? Absolutely love it!
I love that sign, too :). Unfortunately, like most of the things in her house, it came from one of the dealers at her shop, and there’s no easy way to track down where it came from orginally
WOW! so amazing- i love love love that exterior! and i see where you get your passion for dogs! and i think i beat you for laziest recap. 🙂
Now, now, Cassie–it’s not a competition–we can BOTH be the laziest 😉
You and your mom have great style that’s for sure – if completely different! Love the unique A frame especially paired with the lush gardens outside.
What an amazing guest house. I think if I were ever invited there, I might never leave!! Absolutely charming. Your mom certainly has an eye for decorating. Everything looks so welcoming!
Loved your haven re-cap 😀 Thanks so much for linking over. It was so great to finally meet you in person and hanging out for several days. I really enjoyed it! And I can now also say that you are just as charming, witty and funny IRL as I was expecting from reading your blog and knowing you online. Also LOVE your voice. I could listen to it all day!!
Thanks, Katja! I think you’re the very first person who’s ever complimented me on my voice–I could get used to it, though 😉
Not being complimented on their beautiful voice is probably a blogger’s fate… love all, inside, outside, dogs… congratulation to your Mom! I will check out your home too… <3
LOL–true enough! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Wow! Gorgeous! Cannot wait to see more of your mom’s beautiful house!
Thanks, Megan–she’s done a great job with it!
The outside of the home and that kitchen are my faves! I’m so jealous of that brick floor. Glad you enjoyed Haven 🙂
Mine, too! They lived with the original 70’s cabinets and repainted them a million times for years, so I’m glad she finally got to do a full scale kitchen reno 🙂
Beautiful cottage! Do you know how many square feet it is? We have been looking to build an A frame, and I love this layout.
I just asked my mom, and she says it’s right around 2000 sf. The original layout had 2 smallish (12 by 12 or so) bedrooms in the back on the first floor and then just a master bedroom and bath upstairs, with the living room area open all the way to the top of the A. At some point my Dad put a floor in across that vaulted living room area to make what was then a 4th bedroom (before they opened up the 2nd bedroom in back downstairs). So right now they use it as a 2 bedroom with an office, but the office has a closet and was originally a (my, in fact!) bedroom. Hope that makes sense! 🙂
Holy cow! Yep, great taste runs in your family!
oh it’s LOVELY- so many fantastic chairs and the art/decor is really classic. Thanks for sharing!!
She has the cutest house ever! Can I come live with her? 🙂
Sure–she’s got an extra bedroom! 😉
Is it weird that I want to move in with your Mom? That’s what I thought. Such an adorable place.
I’m glad we got to meet. Not only am I introvert drained but I also caught some kind of disease. Seriously, Haven. Get your act together.
I’m really sorry that some of you got sick, and I’m really glad I didn’t. I’m just keeping it real. Seriously–so great to have met you and feel better!
Your mom’s house is amazing friend! Wow! It is out of a fairytale!! And the inside…those ceilings struck me right away! Everything is just beautiful! She has an eye that is for sure! And how great that you were able to attend that conference!! Wishing you a great week! Nicole xo
The beadboard ceilings? I love those….I think it was her alternative to scraping all the bumpy sheetrock that used to be there 🙂
What an amazing place! Inside and out!! Visiting from TT&J and just HAD to see this one 🙂
Thanks, Emily!
That is SO my style! Love, love, love it! Thanks for letting us have a peek inside (and the outside has serious curb appeal too). 🙂
Isn’t it lovely?! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I am pretty much obsessed with this house. The a-frame. The shaker shingles. The brick floor. The ceilings. Love it all.
Isn’t it pretty?! Those brick floors are terrifying when you have a tiny baby, though 😉
I just love your Mom’s home, especially the St Francis statue! I can see where you get your great eye from. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing the rest.:)
Thanks, Kris!
Oh my goodness!
The house looks like it belongs into a fairytale! And the Gustavian chairs, I adore these so much! And excuse me, but may I just go wild over the kitchen floor for a minute? Thanks. 😀
The brick floor is SO pretty, but also kind of a pain to clean….that makes me feel better about my own boring but easy to clean floor 😉
How absolutely gorgeous! Your mom’s got the touch!
Doesn’t she?! thanks for stopping by 🙂
I LOVE those planked ceilings and brick floors. Totes rad!
Small world 🙂 Stumbled upon this post via Pinterest and didn’t look to see that you are in Atlanta. What I noticed while oohing and aahing was the Classy Flea reference and link and thought hmm, wonder if that could be the one in Marietta where I used to live and where a friend (also named Gretchen) has a booth. But, I kept looking at pics and oohing and aahing over what’s been done with the A-Frame (I used to own one up on Lanier so this post really grabbed my attention). I only went to the link afterwards. So fun to see that is was indeed the Classy Flea that I always enjoyed wandering about looking for a treasure. Thanks for sharing your mom’s fantastic home.
How about that?! It’s such a fun shop….I don’t get over there nearly as often as I’d like these days (toddlers and antique shopping don’t really mix well ;)). Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting 🙂
I’m also in love with this house. I live in an A-Frame in the mountains of WV….My husband and I built it in 1984 and I’m always looking for new ways to improve it and make it a little easier to live with the 4 foot walls on the sides. I have one window in my kitchen and 2 large patio doors on the front. The rest of the rooms all have skylights and even tho we have no windows, we have a lot of natural light…Some times I love my house and other times…..well lets say, I wish we had built a normal house…but who is to say what is normal. looking forward to seeing more pictures….
ah, yes–we’ll get to the short side walls in my mom’s house when I make it to the upstairs :). Always good and bad things with the quirky houses. thanks so much for stopping by!
Wow, your mom’s taste and mine are the same!
Well, she has great taste so you must, too :).thanks for stopping by!
Amazing!
Did you ever get to take pics of the upstairs? I would love to see the link to the bedrooms. Absolutely love this A Frame. It’s beautiful
I haven’t yet! I was just thinking the other day about how I need to do that….it’s hard to coordinate schedules, but I’ll talk to her about it and try to get it done soon!
I love your moms home. it’s so very comfortable my taste is different but I love this home. the brick floor is great but it must be difficult to clean a bad spill, I would love the brick in my house.
She DOES complain about the bricks being hard to clean. They look GREAT, but I’m not sure she’d choose them again!
very sweet little chalet; love your mom’s taste. nice mom and good daughter to share her space w/us. 🙂
Thanks so much!
Absolutely beautiful – inside and outside. I am very partial to beautiful gardens. 🙂 Also, I do want to see photos of the upstairs, the back porch and the outside back gardens when you get the change. In fact, I am saving this blog for when you do get to post the other photos. Take care and keep blogging. Oh, and thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Syree! I’m hoping to get back out there soon; it’s hard coordinating schedules!
I’m looking forward to more photos. I absolutely love her design aesthetic. I’d love to have her dining room table and chairs!
Me, too, Dianne! Thanks for stopping by!
so much warmth, looks cozy and comfy too, love the den. I can see me chilling out in it very easily. Looking forward to see the rest of the house. Where is this located by the way? Also love all the flowers and landscaping out side. I too enjoy working in my garden, weather permitting of course. Can’t wait till spring when I can start digging in the soil.
Thanks so much! It’s in North Georgia (not exactly prime A-frame territory, I know :))
Country French cottage? Whatever, I love it. And the outside is fabulous. Kudos to your mom for fostering animals. I just got a rescue dog two weeks ago, a little 4 pound, 4-year-old Yorkie. He is so sweet and adds so much to my life. This house looks as if it is filled with love.
Thanks so much, Alice! My mom actually just got a tiny Yorkie foster, too 🙂
I would be blissful if I lived in such a beautiful home! The exterior and gardens are stunning, too! You are lucky you get to spend time in such a peaceful, happy place. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing her home with us!
Thanks so much for the comment, Jenny!
I love everything about this house, inside & out. It’s gorgeous and one of my favorite things that I’ve seen on “Hometalk” yet. Will be looking forward to seeing more pics of this adorable charming home. Sherman is so adorable too. Is he a Havanese breed?
Thanks so much, Angela! I believe Sherman is a Maltese or a Maltese mix (I think the photo is making him look bigger than he really is…he only weighs about 6 pounds)
Love your house! Please tell me how I can get a sign like yours with the Westie , Cottage House Boarding, Dogs Welcome ….. I would love to have one……
Thanks, Margot–I’ll ask her where she got it!
Your mothers Home is amazing . Love the touch of knowing when you walk throughout her home , that a real dog lover lives here <3
Thanks so much, Kathy!
Beautiful place!
Thank you–thanks for stopping by!
a very beautiful home inside and out, and it was so nice of you to share it with us. like many of the others have said, i look forward to seeing the rest of the rooms. being a dog lover myself, i enjoyed the Sherman pic and was pleased to hear about the yorkie rescue. i too had a yorkie some years back but she has since passed. i’ve only recently considered a maltese, one about the size of Sherman. very cute. as a matter of fact, i didn’t even know what a maltese was until recently when i inquired about a pet dog who, when fully grown, would weigh somewhere around 6-7 pounds and have a similar temperament to that of a yorkie not too yippy. the maltese was suggested. i’ve been told they’re quite lovely as pets.
enough rambling but thanks again for sharing. it was like being on a house tour from the comfort of one’s home. take care
I think Sherman’s the only Maltese I’ve ever met….he’s a sweet boy (most of the time ;)). I feel kind of bad that he’s getting all the attention because he’s the dog who happened to be sitting on the couch when I was taking pictures. I doubt the other dogs mind, though ;). Thanks so much for stopping by!
The A Frame house is beautiful inside out. Love all the arrangements and how it was placed . The outside yard looks really homecoming.
THanks so much, Angie!
Love, love, love this house. It’s exactly the type of house I would like to live in, decorations & all. Such a beautiful setting as well. Can’t wait to see the rest of the house. Thx for sharing.
Thanks so much, Mila! Hoping to have more pics to share soon–it’s hard to coordinate schedules!
Beautiful. I love it.
Thank you!
I love your mom’s house : )
Me, too :). Thanks for stopping by!
I am curious how large the home is. I’ve been researching a frame homes and your Mom’s home looks small outside but huge inside.
A few people have said that….I don’t know why the outside pictures make it look smaller (I promise there was no trick photography involved). It’s right around 2000 square feet (including the upstairs, which I haven’t shown yet)
Never thought I’d like an A-Frame!!!!! This one has shown me that it’s not the building, it’s the people in it that make the difference.I guess I could right-size to an A-frame, if I had your mom as the decorator/idea person!!!!!!! Ah, shucks, not gonna happen…….
Thanks for sharing her house and garden….and Sherman!
Thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely love this place. I can just imagine coming home after a long day at the office. Instantly relaxing! Thanks for sharing.
THanks so much for stopping by!
Unbelievable, I thought it would be like 800 sq. Ft. It’s magnificently decorated as well. I’ll be following for updates and to gain insights. Thanks. Props to mom.
THanks so much, Karen!
Wonderful home to grow up in!! Do you think your Mom might remember the paint color she used on the front double doors. I believe that color would go great with my siding. I’m having the hardest time trying to pick shutter color! 🙂 Love it all!
I just sent a text to ask her–I’ll let you know when I hear back!
Just beautiful. Inside and out. I love your Mom’s decorating. Looks very inviting.I could be very happy in a house like this! You did a wonderful job of photographing and describing it.
Thanks so much, Rebecca!
Must. See. Bedrooms. : )
I’m working on it! It’s so hard coordinating schedules…but they’re coming 🙂
Love your mom’s house – it’s so charming. Thanks so much for sharing it, I’ll keep looking for the upcoming pictures when you get a chance. We’ve got a Maltese/Shih Tzu and he’s just the sweetest little thing!
Thanks so much, Donna–hoping to get to more pictures soon!
I am in LOVE–please hurry with the rest of the photos!
THanks! I’ll do my best 🙂
Following the link from “Hometalk” and I am in true blissful Heaven. I think I have found my dream home (and I thought I was already in a great home, but this is truly just a wow!!). Loved the brick floors, the decor, the ceilings… oh, my! Love, love all the dog touches and how they are not over the top and tastefully done! Being a dog person myself (4 dogs in my house!) I can really appreciate her decor. I too would LOVE to know where she got the Westie print as I own a Westie. Cannot wait to see more on this cottage and explore your blog!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much! Most of the stuff in the house comes from second hand sources or from other dealers at her shop, so, unfortunately, it’s tough to track down original sources; that sign’s from her shop!
WOW! Love your mom’s house inside and out! It is so warm and welcoming. Can I move in with her for a while? The fire place is awesome and the decorations on the fireplace are perfect !!!!! Can’t wait to see the rest of it. Your mom is quite a decorator. Her home should be featured in a magazine and that is no joke.
Thanks so much, Carol!
Love, love, love your Mom’s house!!!!! Now trying to figure out how to subscribe to your blog!
Thanks, Anita! If you click on the RSS button (the bottom middle right above my photo in the sidebar), that should set you up to subscribe by e-mail. I’ve been meaning to change those so they’re easier to figure out!
What a wonderful home it reflects the owners warmth and love of her home.
Thanks so much, Pat!
There is nothing I don’t like about this home, inside or out. It would be wonderful to live in! So glad you shared with us!
Thanks so much, Sheryl!
Love absolutely everything about the amazing home, your family are very lucky to live in such a beautiful place and also the dogs must be In heaven to stay there. Looking forward to seeing more pictures. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Nonie! Hoping to get more photos taken soon!
Love this space and would escape to it in a minute. Curious about the bedroom. Is it on another level or does the living room convert. I’d love to see a floor plan to help me identify it better. There is something very clean and crisp about your Mom’s style but it is still cozy. It lacks the cottage blue and embraces the country browns with the white, giving it a warmth not found in the Cottage style.
Thank you! There are two bedrooms upstairs (one in the front and one in back, with a hallway with a bath and laundry room in between), plus a smaller one that they use as an office on the first floor (behind the kitchen, next to the den area).
Oh , wow! LOVE all of it!! So relaxing, homey, and classy !! Love the gray wall color used in main living areas..please share ! Been obsessing over a color for my main living areas for a couple of years..no joke, ha! My suffering could be over, LOL!!!!
Thanks, Tina! Just asked my Mom about the paint color….the great room and the bottom color in the kitchen is Sherwin William’s Anew Gray and SW’s Agreeable Gray is the lighter color on top in the kitchen. HTH!
What a lovely home, definitely lived in, and filled with love…a little piece of heaven. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Roberta!
So, so cute – absolutely love it!
Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing! Very grateful!! Much love to you both, xo!!!!
This gorgeous a-frame is a testament to your Mom’s creativity, artistry and good taste. Well done!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Beautiful! What is the wall paint colors in the dining room and sitting room? I love your mom’s home. It is so lovely!
Thank you, Kathy! The color in the dining room is Sherwin William’s Anew Gray. The lighter color on top on in the kitchen is SW’s Agreeable Gray.
Barbs house is beautiful!!!! It’s decorated so fabulous. I love it ❤️
Thank you so much!
I have to say this: I never post my thoughts on blogs; however, this one is def. deserving. Your Mom’s house is AMAZING AND ADORABLE! I am wanting to downsize and this is exactly how I would want my home to look. Too bad there are not homes like this in Las Vegas. Simply beautiful. Your pictures are great! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much!
I LOVE IT! IS THERE ANY WAY i CAN GET PLANS TO BUILD ONE?
Thanks, Patricia! I’m afraid the plans are long gone; the house is more than 40 years old now….it’s a pretty standard floor plan for an A-frame, I think, though 🙂
How big is this house (in square footage)? It looks much bigger inside than the outside seems to indicate.
It’s right around 2000 sf. A lot of people have commented that it looks smaller from the outside….I guess it’s because it’s fairly narrow (just one room wide) but goes back quite a ways, so you can’t really see the whole thing from the front.
It is simply Amazing!!! Would love to have a house E
Exactly Like This One! Just Beautiful~
Thanks so much!
I absolutely love this house! Now how do we get to view part 2?
I’m in love LOVE love with the Cottage Boarding painting!!!!I have a couple westies and would love a copy of that! Do you have any idea where your Mom found it?
A lot of people have asked about that one! Sadly the answer to that question for for nearly everything in the house is that she got it at her shop from one of the dealers–so I can’t point to you to where you can find your own–sorry!
Hi! I found your pin on the Funky Junk Group board! I’m a fellow Atlanta blogger, but didn’t make it to Haven this year! I not only want to share this on my FB business page, but I want to visit your Mom’s shop, too! LOVE this house! Such an amazing use of good design choices in a small space- just beautiful details everywhere! Thanks for sharing…I’m inspired! 🙂
Thanks so much! This post is from last summer; I actually didn’t make it to Haven this year, either 🙁 You should totally visit my mom’s shop–so fun!
So cool! Thanks for sharing ur Moms beautiful home! We have an A-Frane in the sierras of CA. Only 700 sq ft. We’ve added onto the lof upstairs to gain moe sleeping room. Am always looking for ideas to decorate and love ur Moms style! Cannot wait to see the upstairs!
Thank you! The post about the bedrooms is done now: https://boxycolonial.com/frame-cottage-tour-part-2-bedrooms/ ….I can’t remember if I said this in the post, but the area over the living room was originally open; they added a bedroom up there later to make more space for kids 🙂
Absolutely wonderful place – it has a real feeling of peace & serenity. Sherman looks like my Sadie, who is a Coton de Tulear. Thank you for sharing this little piece of heaven!
Thanks so much, Deb!
I LOVE this house ! Would move in today if I could !
Thank you!
I’ve always had a special love for A-Frame homes, lots of wood and natural elements. I love the genuine brick kitchen floor. We have a bond, I feel the same way about dogs! Lovely home!
Thanks so much for the comment; you have the same name as my mom, too–another bond 😉
Just found your lovely blog, and in particular this post is so interesting to me as your mothers style and mine are similar. I have a farmhouse but decorate it with french, shabby, vintage, cottage decor. I also have been a dog rescuer for over 40 years saving one dog at a time with many under feet on any given day. I notice your mom and i have the same signs about dogs and diamonds as well as the exact same dog stature. The ones she has on either side of her fire place with the rounded ears. I had never seen another one of those until now and hope to try to contact your mom thorough her shop to ask her if she knows anything of the history of those tall stature Egyptian looking dogs. Her A frame cottage home is beautiful and I love so many of her design elements and those brick floors especially. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Tonita! I can ask my mom about the dog statues for you, but nearly every time I ask her about something, all she can tell me is that it came from one of the dealers at her shop 🙂