it is a real delight to hear from you but it does make me regret all the more that you and Pete moved away (come back! all is forgiven).
esp. before you had the chance to take the work you were doing on your place a little further, such as the exterior colours.
I have tried to use the hints left in the structure by previous owners and what others have done with their Grove cottages for guidance rather than strict specifications.
to the extent that what happens here can be consistent with previous usage, it helps with the "turning back the clock" aspect, but elements such as pedimented cat doors and webcam windows aren't quite historically correct and do take the cottage in new directions.
sky blue for the porch ceiling is, as far as I can tell, new to the place but it's a usage I have always favoured.
tradition has it that it serves to discourage flying or nesting insects, or that it wards off evil spirits (see www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/apr00/images/porch_jpg.html (http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/apr00/images/porch_jpg.html)).
interestingly enough, Mimi went with something pretty close to mango for her porch ceiling, along with some other colour choices that took a bit of getting used to but which now seem to come tother rather well.
next time y'all are here you will have to stop by there to take a look.
re: paint colors
it is a real delight to hear from you but it does make me regret all the more that you and Pete moved away (come back! all is forgiven). esp. before you had the chance to take the work you were doing on your place a little further, such as the exterior colours.
I have tried to use the hints left in the structure by previous owners and what others have done with their Grove cottages for guidance rather than strict specifications. to the extent that what happens here can be consistent with previous usage, it helps with the "turning back the clock" aspect, but elements such as pedimented cat doors and webcam windows aren't quite historically correct and do take the cottage in new directions.
sky blue for the porch ceiling is, as far as I can tell, new to the place but it's a usage I have always favoured. tradition has it that it serves to discourage flying or nesting insects, or that it wards off evil spirits (see www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/apr00/images/porch_jpg.html (http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues00/apr00/images/porch_jpg.html)).
interestingly enough, Mimi went with something pretty close to mango for her porch ceiling, along with some other colour choices that took a bit of getting used to but which now seem to come tother rather well. next time y'all are here you will have to stop by there to take a look.