Our East Coast Barn Makeover & Potager Garden: Part 1

Beautifying an old barn by the sea

Our 150 year old gothic farmhouse sits on acreage that backs onto a shoreline of grassy dunes and a salt marsh meadow beside a long white sandy beach, we have views out to the ocean from most parts of the property. The only part of the property that isn’t covered in wild sea grass or trees is the large front lawn and perimeter yards around the house. An antique barn sits next to the house, slightly set back, its not as old as the house as its only 125 years old and pretty much in its original condition. The house and barn were built by a carpenter and we’re now good friends with his relatives who are neighbours. A few years ago after having spent 4 years renovating the interior of the house we turned our focus to the exterior of the property, its sad to think it took us that long to get around to it because it was in such a neglected state. When we purchased the property the decks and paint were literally falling of the buildings and there was a surplus of dead trees and wild overgrowth surrounding the house - the grounds were ROUGH and bare, there was no landscaping to speak of, no garden beds, no shrubs, not a single flower or specimen plant. There wasn’t even a proper driveway - they just drove on the grass. Looking at the exterior was overwhelming (and still is!), especially for our limited experience with landscaping (none) but a few summers ago two things became top priority; a paint job for the old barn and …. a vegetable and flower garden - a potager garden was what I envisioned. It was a small goal in light of all that the property needed to look inhabited and loved, but it was a start at least and we had a small window of seasonal weather to get it done.

We started the project in the early fall because its just the best time for exterior painting work here and then that would also give us a head start on getting raised garden beds built so they’d be ready to go the following spring.

Here’s a peek at a corner of the finished garden shortly after the first plants were put in, although it looks pretty simple you can’t truly appreciate how beautiful it is to us unless you understand what it looked like a few months earlier. Below is a glimpse of what the barn and garden area were like just as the painting of the barn got underway which gives you an idea of what we started with…..(click through the slides for more before photos).

Slide Show of Before Images

There was a large area of mixed grass, gravel and dirt to the side of the house in front of the barn. It was like a no-man’s land and by default it became the parking area and home for the recycling bins. Whether we wanted it to be the parking area or not,,,that’s where everyone who ever came to the house would park, and they literally would drive the car right up to the door at the back of the house, it didn’t seem to matter if there was grass or not. There’s sloping yard on the other sides of the house so this level area was a prime spot for a garden and it would give some purpose to this barren space. My plan was to transform this area into a enclosed garden and outdoor lounge area.

We approached the paint job of the barn as a necessary cosmetic fix, but bigger picture it needs a longer term solution if we want to use it for anything other than storage or a workshop. Our immediate goal was to make it not look like an eyesore anymore, which it clearly did…..as you’ll see below.. The new paint was sprayed on, the cedar shakes were the original and since they’re heavily weathered there was no primer needed they just did some scraping, cleaning, some minor repairs, and away they went. White. everything. The painters kept asking me repeatedly, everything white? Yes. Everything. White. I pointed to the house, just like the house.

We had no option but to use raised beds for the garden since the property is mostly on ledgerock. I had come up with various layouts for the bed shapes and garden design but ultimately decided to do a series of simple rectangles in a grid of 8. The wood for the beds was milled for us by a neighbour who has a saw mill, we went to his lot and picked out some boards from an old growth tree and he milled them to size, 12” H x 1.25” thick, 8’ long. Ideally we wanted all single lengths so no sides would have a seam/joint but we ended up needing to use cut pieces so I decided to put them on the ends and create a detail for the seam which I repeated on the corners.

AND here she is!! The newly white barn (late evening pic, hence all the shade) and beds in progress! (actually lmost finished paint job, this was awaiting final coat on the end of the barn and part of the back). Without a doubt this was the single most satisfying and impactful update we’ve done to the property. Definitely worth every penny even if its a temporary solution. So how long did it take and how much did it cost? In total it took 2 painters 4 days to complete the job, but due to a pause for some bad weather, the duration from start to finish was about a week and a half. They used a sprayer for the application which took almost double the paint I had anticipated so the project in total including paint and labour was about $4500 - I think this is useful to share because how many people know how much it costs to paint a 125 year old shingled barn? And in case you were wondering, yes ,there was a lot of overspray which I was concerned about before starting, although I was assured multiple times there wouldn’t be any overspray on the roof,,,, there was. A LOT, thankfully the worst is on the back. So if you ever have a building exterior sprayed be sure to insist, insist, on covering up your roof if its not being replaced. I was also then assured over my distress about the overspray on the roof that it would wash off with the next good rain. It didn’t. After many many rain storms (incl. hurricanes) it hasn’t. Although we did plan on a new roof in the near future, it’ll now be sooner rather than later.

The painting was finished just a few days before Thanksgiving, at the same time the raised beds were in midst of being built and loosely laid in position. This is a great opportunity to test out your spacing. At this point we were super excited as we could now see and experience the physical transformation of the space as the beds created a new boundary which defined the pathways and traffic flow and created a distinct purpose to the area. And magically, in combination with the new paint this unified the barn and the house, one was now an extension of the other.

One of the best features of this garden is this view, from the centre points in the garden you can see out to the ocean. Its also where gusts of winds whip through the area,,, so there’s that challenge we have to deal with….along with fog and salt air.

Before the ground froze that fall we fixed the beds in position, lined them and filled them with soil before the freezing temps arrived, this would give the freshly cut wood frames a chance to weather over the winter. And I would have the winter months to research and plan out how we would fill each bed.

Flash forward to the spring, the first thing we did was create a garden bed along the side of the house where we planted a series of globe boxwood, catmint, hostas and some salvia or sage? and climbing roses (which didn’t survive the year). Then the first long weekend we built a pair of obelisks for the two raised beds closets to the house. The key was ensuring they were anchored securely into the ground and I’m happy to say these have withstood countless nor’easters, a winter bomb cyclone and a hurricane! Although sadly we’ve had zero success finding a climbing plant to grow/thrive on them.

Filling all the beds is another post all together, It took weeks, almost months,,to plant all of the beds. (garden centres are few and far between around these parts so it was also a hugely time consuming process that involved endless driving to various garden centres, often not finding what we had in mind so making lots of substitutes.)

Soon as the plantings were done we installed a picket fence across front side of the garden including two two gates. Sigh, the picket fence. . I have to say this was the single most impactful change of the garden and barn makeover. it transformed the property aesthetically and physically as it created this ‘new’ private outdoor area, an extension of the house that didn’t exist before. This wasn’t a space we ever spent a second of time in before this (or wanted to). Now its the central hub, a space where we spend many hours of our days, its where we go first thing in the morning, where we spend the last moments of daylight every day. And it supplies us with amazing things to eat!! The fence confines the garden and makes it a ‘private’ zone even though its at the front our property, not the back. Although this area was always here before, we felt like we just gained this expansive addition to our home, not to mention, a new pastime.

Not only do we enjoy spending time in the garden, it provides beautiful sight lines from inside the house, inside the barn and of course, from the street. We’ve had a quite a few people we hadn’t met before stop in to comment on the new additions and many cars stop to take photos. i think everyone is happy to see the old haunted looking barn gone! It often gets mistaken as the house now.

On the other side of the fence ….here’s a view of the front of the house. Not gonna lie,,,,I can’t say we grew the hydrangea, we bought these plants already this size,,,and with blooms, for instant impact. They’ve struggled every year since, , but they finally seem to be getting better established after a few years. The front of the house is another landscaping project, with hardscaping involved, Iv’e had plans done up with the help of a local landscape architect but logistics just haven’t worked out as yet to get it done (did I mention, small window of seasonal opportunity, shortage of contractors!).

Here’s a view from the far end of the garden, standing at the barn workshop doors, furthest away from the house. I think this may have been from the second year. We keep a couple of muskoka chairs here and its where we have a pre dinner drink every night (weather permitting), eventually there’ll also be a garden shed at this end of the fence.

The beds have a mix of evergreen boxwood, flowering shrubs, herbs, vegetable,s and annual and perennial flowers.

Late August or early September of the first year (possibly second?)……

After & Before

This before and after slides show how much of an impact a new paint job can have on a building. Its that time of year I spend every minute I can out there so I hope you enjoyed the before and after tour, stay tuned for the next post on what we planted in our beds, what worked and what didn’t.

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@carolreeddesign

E-Design Kitchen Floor Plan: Mountain Cabin

One of the best parts about working on E-Design projects is the opportunity to create concepts for homes in a range of different styles and regions across North America from urban to country from coastal to mountain, the varied requirements can be a refreshing change from the typical projects I would otherwise work on locally. This E-Design client reached out to me for help creating a new kitchen floor plan for her mountain cabin located in Northern California. She was preparing to embark on a total overhaul of the dated kitchen and had a big wish list but was struggling to figure out how to configure it all in the existing space.

The cabin is used as a getaway for total relaxation and outdoor recreation with groups of friends and family who would come and stay for the weekend. At the cabin the kitchen is the centre of action all weekend long, cooking and eating, wine tastings, enjoying music and board games late into the night. So the existing kitchen just wasn’t living up to be the functional and inviting hub of the home she wanted it to be.

The wish list for the new kitchen was pretty clear; a big kitchen sink, an island or counter for hanging out, exposure to the fireplace, open concept to the dining and or lounge seating, lots of counter space, open shelving, more storage, chef style appliances, a mix of materials, a furniture like cabinet, upgrade the patio doors and of course, showcase the scenic views.

Here’s a look at some inspiration images she collected on her Pinterest boards.

The existing kitchen had two amazing features going for it, a wood burning stove (fp) and exceptional views, a prime feature of the cabin’s locale. The kitchen was situated along two exterior walls with the best panoramas, and had a walk-out to the wrap around deck.

Below is a slide of the Before Floor Plan, and the second slide is a layout that reflects what the homeowner had in mind, which was a basic island layout, or variations of this with different appliances/sink positions.

Kitchen Floor Plan - Before

Client's Initial Concept

I always find its most productive to first review/assess the client’s initial idea which makes its clearer for them to see, to scale, what the shortcomings of that concept might be, so as not to waste time getting hung-up on trying to make it work if there’s a better alternative. I didn’t feel this was the best solution for her needs and intended to explore a different direction all together. What I especially didn’t like about this concept was that it eliminated a window,,, but I understand the rationale behind that idea and the need for more wall space.

Instead of eliminating a window I wanted to increase the windows if I could. It was also clear to me the patio doors were the obstacle that was prohibiting a better layout and more counter space. Since the deck wrapped around the corner of the kitchen, I saw great potential in moving those patio doors, in fact, great potential! Below are a few preliminary block plans of this concept, you can see how suddenly, the possibilities were looking interesting!

The magic of relocating the patio doors is that it freed up the long kitchen wall and allows for an expansive uninterrupted “L” configuration of counters and cabinets (super efficient) but also, by swapping the patio doors with a large window it means the sink and prep areas could directly overlook the prime views. I proposed the window be made as large as possible and strive to align them with the ceiling beams. The new patio doors (sliding or swing t.b.d.) would then be off to the side of the main deck area, adjacent to the bbq and would no longer impose on the seating arrangement in front of the current patio doors. Win win. Further, they could mirror those patio doors on the opposite side of the fireplace and have a second walkout to the deck from the dining area and enhance that indoor/outdoor vibe, although its precious wall space for furniture, so alternately a similar effect would be to install a new larger window for symmetry.

Based on this concept I developed 3 variations that spoke to her wish list; a centre island option, a centre table option, and a peninsula option - and she was super excited about each of them. After reviewing the window and door modifications with her contractor it was unanimously agreed that moving the patio doors would work well, although the decision was to keep the new window the same width as the old patio doors to lower costs. By happen-stance during this same time the homeowner also came across a vintage butcher block table and bought it in hopes it could work in the new layout. And so it did - final plan done! The vintage work table will really give her that one unique furniture piece she was wanting to incorporate.

Here’s a look at the final ‘After’ layout compared to the ‘Before’.

With almost no change to the footprint of the original kitchen the impact of the window and door changes in addition to enhancing the ceiling beams, will make this a really dramatic transformation. Its a good example of how much your window and door placements can be detrimental or beneficial to a space - so never overlook the opportunity to change them during a renovation.

If you need help with a challenging floor plan, check our E-Design services on thedesignshop.ca

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Coastal Estate - Foyer Hall

A FOYER HALL FOR THE BIRDS

Continuing the ‘catch-up’ tour of our rural Coastal Estate project from a couple of years ago we’re sharing a peak of the foyer hall in the main house. The space was is a huge thoroughfare on the ground floor centred between the front entry vestibule, the main living areas and the master suite, not to mention the staircase to upper and lower levels. As an expansive empty space with terracotta tile floor it was bit of an echo chamber and not very welcoming. Like the other rooms, we were tasked with furnishing it in relatively short time frame and in an elegant but relaxed country style.

Foyer Hall Table with antique crocks, Room Design & photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

To maintain flow, the space didn’t require a lot of furnishings and the main goal was to not dedicate a large chunk of the overall furniture budget to this area but still it needed to look inviting and not empty and stark The key pieces we planned on sourcing initially were a centre hall table, a bench, an arm chair or two, lighting and some wall art since there were a couple of large expanses of blank wall space. There was an oddly placed column right in the middle of the foyer which definitely compromised the ideal placement of a centre table but we worked around it, literally, and made the best of it.

Foyer with centre hall table and vintage bird print gallery. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

I found a vintage oak pedestal table at a second hand shop and had it reconditioned. It came with 2 leaves should they ever want to expand it for a party or whatever, it expands to a large oval. The intent of the table was for it to be a place to display various treasures picked up on nature walks through their wooded trails and along the shoreline, and of course for seasonal branches or flowers foraged from the property.

Foyer Hall Table with antique crocks and vintage bird illustration book. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

There was a large expanse of wall behind the table which needed some art. Due to the sheer size I envisioned a collection of something hung gallery style to fill up the wall. Going In this direction with wall art would continue on a concept I had already begun. In the living room we did a collection of framed botanicals (ferns), in a guest bedroom we did a series of Atlantic fish prints, and so here I decide to look for a series related to birds. The homeowners are huge nature lovers with a fascination and love for all creatures including birds, in fact the property is within a bird sanctuary. Since they’re from Europe and the overarching concept for the house’s decor was to reflect local craft, culture and history, so since there were always binoculars on the window sill here,,,I decided the foyer needed a Nova Scotia bird gallery.

I began my search where I always do, at vintage and antique shops because of course, vintage is always better. ; ) My research led me to a book by Robie W. Tufts which is a compilation of illustrations of native Nova Scotia birds, there are 41 plates in total. Each plate is numbered with a descriptive legend of each species depicted. I hunted down a dealer near Peggy’s Cove that had two copies and bought them both, one was in good condition and the second was missing the dust jacket.

Mock-Up of framed vintage bird prints. Design by Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

I selected 12 plates from the book and created a mock-up of how I proposed to frame them up, this initial concept included dark black/green mats and thin medium wood frames. The homeowners opted for the second choice of doing grey matts and then we found a dozen ready made weathered oak frames in stock and away we went, carefully removing 12 plates from the book and having them framed.

Foyer Hall Table with antique crocks, vintage bird book, shed antler and foraged branches. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

The ‘donor’ book is on the bookshelf in their library and the full in-tact version is kept on the table so if you’re looking at the bird prints its handy to reference the book on the table to read about the bird, or quickly lookup a bird spotted on a walk or out the window. I think out of the entire house this one installation is my personal favourite because although its decorative its relevance to the property and Nova Scotia is so fitting. When their kids and grands visited form the Netherlands this was a big hit, not only is it a beautiful display, its fun and educational!

Foyer Hall table with antique crocks, foraged flowers and bird prints. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

Foraged branches and wild flowers in an antique crock, a shed antler from an vintage shop.

Antique ladder back chair. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

This very very old antique shaker rocking chair sourced in Halifax (and surprisingly comfortable) sits beside a window overlooking the treed property - a pair of binoculars normally sit on the window ledge for bird or wildlife sightings….

Foyer Hall Table with Antique Crocks. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

New lantern style wall sconces were installed and they flank a pair of french doors into the living room. Early in the project I started collecting antique crocks and jugs for accessories and so various groupings are displayed in the kitchen, on the living room mantle and also on the foyer table. (I’m properly obsessed with the glaze and colour of crockery and have my own growing collection at home.)

Foyer Hall Bench, Room Design & Photo by Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

Opposite the bird gallery wall and on the other side of the centre table is a bench that sits just inside the entry vestibule. Here we’ve placed an antique church pew bench - this took months to find but eventually we decided on this one from a dealer in Chester for its simple design and the size was just right. A rustic mirror and iron hooks with a collection of hats finish off this corner. No coastal house entryway is complete without a selection of Hats at the ready not just for decor - you always always need a hat in these parts so we put together a small collection to get them started.

Foyer Hall Table, Room Design and Photo by Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

Foyer Hall Table Top by Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

On subsequent visits the table top is displaying a small rock collection…

Foyer Hall Design & Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

This bench area is a handy spot to display hats and beach bags and for the owners or their house guests to grab one as they head out. Eventually the idea is to just keep adding hooks all around the mirror as the collection grows. Disclaimer, the mounted antlers are vintage and just one of about half a dozen I picked-up from a dealer, this pair was used for the photo shoot only while installing the hooks but the homeowners are not proponents of hunting and the property is home to a LOT of deer, so these didn’t stay! But we were still on the ‘hunt’ for wood or metal antler shaped hooks.