space matters: a [white] beach cottage
Written by designfolder on February 10, 2010 – 11:24 am -
I feel that no one can beat the romantic attitude of those individuals who live and breathe everything that’s shabby chic—seeing the beauty in everything even in those things that are commonly considered “trash”, embarking on an adventure of going through flea markets and thrift shops, and transforming their finds, turning them into something really charming.
Sarah from Sydney, Australia is a living proof that there are real people (aside from Rachel Ashwell) who embrace a shabby chic life. I first saw her beach cottage over at flickr last December when I was looking for unique Christmas homes from other countries. I got interested in her home and her decorating style when I saw that she used driftwoods from the beach as Christmas ornaments!
Today, we’ll take a peek at her lovely beach cottage as Sarah shares with us how she and her family moved from England to Australia, settled in “a bustly little seaside town” in Sydney, and transformed the once “tatty old cottage” into a charming beach cottage they now call home.
“We found our fixer-upper cottage in a very sad state about two years ago [when we moved to Sydney]. It was a tatty old cottage near the sea, sadly neglected, bathed in sunshine and heaving with potential (wood floors, sash windows, old fig trees, a summer house and a battered old deck). My mission is to create my home by using my skills as a thrift-junkie so I’m thrifting & using what I have like crazy!“
“I started blogging to document the journey of our fixer-upper cottage. But it has become so much more than a blog for me. It has provided me with a place to fulfill my passion for casual, laid-back decor, vintage coastal style. It has become a cathartic outlet for me at the end of the day.”
“I love all things vintage especially old pieces of neglected furniture with that faded patina only time can bring. I scour the beach-side suburbs for one-off vintage pieces and make it over with a distinctive whitewash that unites that old beach house ambiance with a fresh new feel.”
“I love vintage quilts, seashells, old outdoor furniture, white cotton, Adirondack chairs, Peroni, nautical stripes, vanilla, bare floorboards, lavender, home-cooked food, wicker baskets and pots of Australian tea.”
“A bike ride to the beach means we get all the benefits of living by the sea, the kids spend a lotta time in the water and in the summer our social life revolves around being outdoors and hanging out down the beach – there are wetsuits hanging from the deck, surfboards leaning against the shed, wet bathers and sandy feet around.”
I don’t know about you, but it’s difficult to imagine that the spaces in these photos were once in a rundown state. Apart from her natural style, I just admire Sarah’s passion in finding something unconventional and pretty, and constantly coming up with great ideas for her home. See her latest panelling project for her dining area here. 
*Quoted texts were lifted from Sarah’s blog, abeachcottage and her flickr
**Photos by Sarah from her blog and her flickr
[got a cool space? share it with us! email us about it with pictures of your place at mydesignfolder@yahoo.com. 
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Tags: beach cottage, budget decorating, decorating, interior design, shabby chic, space matters. abeachcottage, vintage
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