Living Large In Little Houses: Carol’s Cottage
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Today we’re with the series, Living Large In Little Houses, at Carol’s cottage by the sea.
With today’s small home tour, I won’t be doing a questionnaire. Carol and Steve were in a severe car accident almost two months ago, and Carol can’t type. I didn’t know this when I asked her to participate.
So, please enjoy the lovely photos of her home and a little commentary by me.
Carol blogs at Art & Sand. However, because of her injuries, it hasn’t been updated since the accident.
Carol and Steve’s home is filled with color. They can dine outdoors on the flagstone patio.
Living By The Sea:
Imagine living by the sea. Your backyard is a long stretch of sand to sink your bare feet into. And just beyond that, the ocean to enjoy, waves lapping against the shore. That is their idyllic spot.
The outdoors is a comfy place to enjoy the sun, read a book, and have some iced tea in style. The chaise is covered in striped fabric, with American flag motifs for cushioned comfort when lying down.
Steve is an artist, and this little cottage is his studio and gallery, where people can shop his colorful paintings right off the walls.
This is their cute dog Lulu with her toy doll. She looks happy and comfortable lying there among the stripes and polka dots.
The dining space is ample, with banquette-style seating along the window and chairs surrounding the other sides. There is enough space for Steve, Carol, and a few guests to dine.
Here is a vignette of a shabby, chipped blue stool and an arrangement of flowers on the blue distressed stool.
This is their cottage kitchen. Steve is the house’s main cook, making Carol a very lucky woman!
Color & Whimsy:
Color and whimsical finds are everywhere, even in the kitchen. I adore all the red and white. The colors are just so whimsical and happy.
The pillows on the bed are a nod to the sea outside their door. How I’d love to live right by the sea and listen to the waves.
Carol’s little touches are found everywhere in their home. Everything seems so effortlessly cottage-inspired.
They have decorated the outside as well as the inside. After all, where they live, you can enjoy the outdoors much of the year.
This is the sweet scene they pass by as they head for the ocean for sun and surf.
Carol, I hope you and Steve are recovering nicely from your injuries. Your home is lovely and oh so cozy. Thanks for letting us take a tour.
Oh, what a sweet tribute to our little cottage.
You did a perfect write up except for one thing. The beach is not right outside our doors. It takes us a minute to walk down our lane to the water. But we do hear the surf as we sit in the garden.
Thank you sweet friend.
Carol has been a friend for a long time and I have always loved her cottage. Her home is so charming and the epitome of cottage living. I love the way the line between her home and garden is hard to define, flowers in and out. Thanks for sharing. I’ve missed her posts and hope she’s able to get back to it soon.
Carol and her cottage are both so lovely and charming. I have followed her blog for years. I love her sense of style, whimsy and the way she uses color. She creates the most beautiful vignettes and floral arrangements. I have been keeping Carol and Steve in my prayers ever since I found out about their accident.
A beautiful little home and such an idyllic setting. And the decor is so cheerful. Just think how much light and sun they must have streaming in their windows. (Can you tell I live in one of the cloudiest cities in the USA?) And the sound of the ocean waves lapping the shore all the time. I would love it! Thanks for featuring Carol and Steve’s little home. I send my wishes for a speedy recovery for them both.
Happy Weekend, Brenda!
Beautiful home near the water. I am from RI, but I live in WV now. I lived about a mile from the ocean and I miss the smell and serenity of the water !
This cottage looks like such a happy place to be. I hope Carol and Steve are both on the mend. I love the beach and I am reimagining my house in that style, which is casual and calm, even though I am in the middle of a city. This cottage is just beautiful along with the paintings, décor both inside and out–and especially Lulu. Thanks for letting us take a peek.
Linda, Ella, and Simon
Love this cottage by the sea. The colors are such happy colors. I hope they are recuperating well and are on the mend. Our most precious gift is our health. You can tell artists live in this house. Happy life by the sea.
What a pretty cottage. I really wish them well in their recovery. Xo Laura
Brenda, I have followed Art and Sand for years, but I did not know about the car accident. I pray their recovery is quick and complete. Their home is so refreshing and colorful. I envy the ones that can afford to invest in the beautiful artwork on the walls. Carol always finds fresh ways to use some the simplest items. Thank you for this tour. Sandra
Both the interior and exterior of Carol’s home makes one smile. I know I would spend the majority of time in her patio area; it is so inviting. Iced tea, a good book/magazine, sunglasses, sunscreen ….. that lounger must get a lot of use. And the gardens are so colorful and lush. Love the red, white, blue, beachy decor both inside and outside. Oh my goodness, to be able to walk out the door and put ones feet in the warm sand….. Thank you for allowing us to visit Carol’s home. Hopefully Carol and her husband will recover from this car accident and be able to get back doing those things they love. Steve’s artwork is so colorful and peaceful at the same time; the artwork looks great on those white walls. And Lulu is just beautiful.
Thanks for this tour. I haven’t looked at Carol’s blog in awhile and wasn’t aware of their accident. I hope they are doing well with their recovery. I like how fresh and airy their rooms are. The white walls are the perfect place for Steve’s colorful artwork. I also like how they have some outdoor living space that appears to have some privacy to it with fencing and plants. Something that’s fun about living at the beach is using nautical and sea life decor, and Carol has done a tasteful job of it. Thanks again for the featuring this cottage.
Gosh, what a cute little house! Love the color. I certainly hope they are recovering well from their accident.
Brenda, do you watch any HGTV? There’s a great show called Home Town. A young married couple (with a toddler) who grew up there (Laurel, Mississippi) and are now redoing houses for buyers. Houses are small and the town has been hit by hard times. Plus, they don’t have a huge budget like most of the HGTV fixer upper-type shows. A lot of the houses, including the renovation, cost $100K.
I don’t have cable, so don’t think I could watch it anymore.
I’ve heard there are ways besides cable to watch it. Here’s a link to an article I found (sounds like there are a variety of options):
https://www.groundedreason.com/stream-hgtv-online/
Maybe you can stream it by getting the HGTV app?
Very cute cottage, I like the color scheme and nothing is overdone. I am so sorry to hear about the accident, they will be in my thoughts and prayers. I live on the east coast with the ocean not far from my house (15 min) but I am not interested in the beach, I feel I am taking up good real estate that someone else would enjoy. My husband and I moved here after retirement to be near our daughter and family.
Thanks so much, Brenda. I have that same teapot which leaks on the bottom. I will plant something as was done in this charming cottage, with automatic drainage from the leak!
I also have a cute dog named Lulu, so this post made my day. Best wishes to the cottage owners for a speedy recovery.
this was a breath of fresh air for me! love the artwork and the colors in their small cottage.
and to think… right by the sea! hoping they both recover quickly. thank you for the tour!
Carol is as sweet as her home. Ahhhh to live right by the ocean. Her colorful little cottage by the sea is so sweet and Carol always has it decorated so cute. Love love it.
Happy Friday.
Hugs,
Kris
Very cute cottage. Lucky them, living right by the sea! Thanks for sharing, I love it when you do home tours.