Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Today I am sharing some fun summer cottage ideas with a little bohemian twist as part of Krista The Happy Housie’s Seasonal Simplicity Tour! Welcome if you are stopping by from All Things With Purpose!! Sarah is just amazing. I love seeing her RV transformations and home ideas!

Cottage Summer Ideas with a Boho Twist

It’s our first summer at our new #1891AvenuesCottage home. We love our new (old) home so much. We are right in the middle of our renovation. The kitchen is about half way done. We built a new fireplace and planked the walls. Added new subway tile, took out the old tile and cabinets and added some little shelves around a new planked hood. The vision I have for our home is to honor it’s history with some turn-of-the-century cottage style but update it to today’s style with a twist of modern, bohemian details!

Bright Bohemian Succulent Porch

One of the first projects I tackled was creating a bright summer porch! The idea came together when I found a vintage turquoise ladder. I LOVED it!! I brought it home and decided it would be the perfect place for plants! I set it up on our porch. The turquoise color went wonderfully with a throw rug that I had in our home’s previous bathroom. I gathered the succulents in our home, put them on the ladder rungs and our plants are SO happy outside!

Bohemian Cottage Swing

I decorated our new porch swing too. It’s our favorite place to sit and watch the neighborhood activities. I added a little table so that we have a place to put our drinks and snacks. I also love working here outside in the warm summer mornings!

Simple Summer Cottage Mantel

Our family room used to be the previous owner’s dining room. I loved how it flowed into the kitchen and decided to turn the room into a family room. We built a fireplace on one wall and brought the planking from the kitchen into that room to tie the two spaced together. Thanks to Frank of Frank Smith Renovations for making my planking dreams come true!

I love how simple the planking looks but it also give the room lots of visual interest.I kept the mantel simple for Summer.

Boho Egg Chair

I’ve had so many questions about my Egg Chair! I have one inside and one outside. They are so comfy! Here’s a link to the egg chair!

I added a scalloped mirror, some fresh hydrangeas. At the base of the hearth I added a couple ceramic bird houses and a disco ball. I love the way the light reflects off of the ball when the sun hits it in the afternoons!

Ways to Bring Summer Home Details

I love color, especially for Summer! And I think bright colors go well with cottage style as well as bohemian! To refresh the family room for Summer, I added a new rug that matched pillows I already had. I rearranged the chairs in the room, moving the egg chair over by the fireplace and the smaller chair over to the other side of the room. The fern was on our porch and I love the natural VERY summery element it brings into the room.

Kitchen Shelf Styling

In the kitchen I added a few little summer elements to our shelves.

Fresh flowers on a couple of the shelves and a potted flowering plant at the center of the stove.

Yes, I move it when we cook haha. I just love a bright pretty element to go along with our cutting board on display there.

Summer Dining Nook Update

To update the dining nook for Summer I added a little centerpiece with a vintage crate. Fresh peaches in the center are a favorite of my kids and it’s an easy place to keep them so the kids can grab them as a snack.

Boho Cottage Dining Table Centerpiece

I added candles to the sides of the crate and a faux vine and flowers around the crate. Super simple!

Summer Sayings with Letter Boards

I have a thing for letter boards. I try to update the boards for different seasons and holidays. I asked my kids what words make them think of summer and added those words to the letter board in the family room.

And I created a summer saying for the letter board in our office. I LOVE “golden hour”, especially in our new Avenues neighborhood. The light is amazing at golden hour (dusk). I love taking photos of all of the giant trees and historic home at that time. It’s gorgeous!

1891 Avenues Cottage Remodel

Thanks for stopping by and seeing our simple summer ideas! We are right in the middle of our HUGE remodel. I would love to have you follow along with us on Instagram at @tatertotsandjello, where I share behind-the-scenes projects and all about our Salt Lake City Avenues historic neighborhood and homes!

Next Stop on the Summer Tour

Be sure to hop over to Lucy at Craftberry Bush tomorrow to see her gorgeous home! Lucy is an amazing designer and artist! And be sure to see ALL of the amazing summer ideas by clicking on the links below to go over to each site!

This week, some of my blogging friends and I are sharing our summer home tours.  Just click on the links below the images to be taken to see their full posts.

Sharing with me today....
Wednesday

Setting for Four
Clean & Scentsible
Life is a Party

My Sweet Savannah
All Things With Purpose
Tatertots & Jello
And sharing the rest of this week...
Monday

The Happy Housie
Maison de Pax
Cuckoo for Design

Modern Glam
My 100 Year Old Home
Inspiration for Moms
Tuesday

Sincerely, Marie Designs
Cassie Bustamante
Life is Better at Home

Lemon Thistle 
Grace in My Space
Maison de Cinq
Thursday
Craftberry Bush
Finding Silver Pennies
The Tattered Pew
Rambling Renovators 
Zevy Joy
Two Twenty One
Friday
She Gave it a Go
Taryn Whiteaker
Rooms FOR Rent
This is Simplicite
Dans le Lakehouse
Amber Tysl

30 Inspiring Summer Tours

Pin these Summer Ideas for Later!

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

The post Boho Cottage Summer Home Tour appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Rainbow Pride Hydrangea Wreath

We love June and Pride month. With a child who is gay I am proud to support my child, be an ally and support love and equality for all LGBTQ+ kids. (see more about my personal story and resources at the bottom of this post) I’m an ally and support my LGBTQ+ friends and family. Utah has a Pride parade that peacefully marches just blocks from our new home.

What Colors Can You Include in a Rainbow Wreath?

The main colors in the rainbow are — red, orange yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The colors that are significant for the LGBTQ+ flag are — red = life, pink = passion, orange = healing, yellow = sun, green = nature, turquoise = art, indigo = harmony, violet = spirit.

Rainbow Hyrandgea Wreath Supplies

• Wreath form (I used a flat mdf form but you can use a grapevine wreath, foam wreath form or even cardboard will work)
• Hydrangea flowers (use as many on the rainbow spectrum as you want. I’ve listed the colors above)
• Ribbons (optional)
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Wire (if using a grapevine wreath form)

Steps to Make a Rainbow Flower Wreath

This wreath is so easy to make! In minutes you can have a bright and beautiful rainbow flower wreath!

Cut the Stems Off Flowers

I used wire cutters to cut the stems off tje hydrangea blooms. Cut close to the base of the flower head.

Arrange Flowers on the wreath form

I arranged the flowers in their placement on the flag = red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and white (just because it’s pretty).

Hot Glue the Flowers to the Wreath Form

Using a flat wreath form or cardboard:

If you are using a flat wreath form it can be a little tricky to hot glue the flowers onto the wreath form since the ends of the flower heads stick out under the flower. I put a dab of glue at the point of the flower base and set it on the wreath form. Once I did this to each flower and the glue cooled, I flipped the form over and then glued some of the flowers at the edges onto the back of the wreath form. This keeps the flowers more securely onto the form.

Using a round wreath form or grapevine wreath form:

If you are using a styrofoam or foam wreath form you can stick the backs of the flowers right into the wreath form. Make a hole with the sharp point at the back of the flower into the wreath form, then pull it back out, add a dab of hot glue and push the stem back into the hole. For a grapevine wreath, use wire or hot glue the flowers onto the wreath form.

Cut Lengths of Colored Ribbon to Make a Bow

This is optional. You can leave the wreath plain and hang it up or you can make a bow with colored ribbon. I cut 9 different colors of ribbon and wrapped it around the base and tied it into a bow.

Resources for Moms of LGBTQ+ Kids

Mama Dragons

I”ve been on a journey as a mom of a LGBTQ+ child for the past 12 years. I will write a post sharing more of my journey. I’ve struggled because my child is very private and I felt sharing too much information would violate their privacy. But at the same time I had such a hard time knowing how to help my child navigate coming to terms with their orientation and well being.

My sister also has a gay child and she has been a wonderful example of how to support her child and other LGBTQ kids. She is now president of Mama Dragons – a world-wide support group for moms of kids on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Please check out their website and I would LOVE for you to share it with anyone that might need a support group!

Encircle Together

Encircle Toogether is another wonderful resource, especially if you are in Utah. Encircle Together is a youth and family resource center with locations in Provo, Salt Lake and St. George Utah. Encircle locations offer drop-in hours, friendship circles, education programs as well as therapy. And if you aren’t in Utah Encircle Together is online with services, articles and books you can access to help families navigate and grow stronger!

Please message me if you have any questions about my journey or any of the resources I’ve mentioned above! I would love to help! tatertotsandjello (at) gmail.com or message me on Instagram @tatertotsandjello.

More ways to celebrate PRIDE and be an ally to LQBTQ+ kids coming soon!

Another Rainbow Wreath Idea

Rainbow Wreath with Free Cloud Templates

Love,

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Restoring a Historic 1891 Cottage One DIY Project at a Time!

You guys!!! I have exciting news! We are moving into a historic home in downtown Salt Lake City!

1905 Cottage Remodel

If you have followed Tatertots and Jello for while you might remember our #1905Cottage. It was a little one bedroom 1905 cottage at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon. I fell in love with that little cottage and wanted to save it.

You see, most of the cottages in the historic Granite neighborhood had been torn down so that big homes could be built on their gorgeous lots. The neighborhood of Granite sits at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, with gorgeous mountain views, at the base of the ski resorts.

Restoring a Historic Cottage is Rewarding

The little home was empty most of the year, being used as a ski home for the owner’s who lived in Cape Cod the rest of the year. When it went on the market I approached the owners with the promise that I would never tear their home down. They already had a buyer so I thought the cottage was out of my reach.

You can find ALL of the 1905 Cottage Projects here — 1905 Cottage Remodel!

It turns out that the offer fell through the the owners decided to keep the home. A couple of years later they reached out to me and offered to sell the home and I was so excited.

Bringing a Historic Cottage Home Back to Life

Over the next couple of years we worked on the home, taking it down to the plastered and brick walls. We took out the dropped ceilings and doorways, uncovering tall, beautiful rooms and the original floors which were buried under layers of old linoleum and engineered wood floors over the top.

Restoring the Floors and Walls of a Historic Cottage Home

I spent one whole summer scraping the layers of linoleum, glue, and tar up from the whole cottage. Underneath I found long pine floors that were longer than any length of pine you can buy today. There were NO seams in the floors. Incredible!!

Remodeling a Historic Cottage Kitchen

One of the sections of floors in the kitchen needed to be moved so that the kitchen could be reconfigured. And when we took that section up we discovered that the floors had been lined with newspapers from 1911. Seeing the ads from that time period and reading what newspapers had said then was SO cool.

Keeping the Feel of the Original Cottage Home

We also had to replace the sewer line and when we took the floor out from the bathroom to do that we found all kinds of artifacts from the century before.

You see, this house although technically from 1905 was actually much older. The road it was on had been the main street of the little Granite community in the 1800’s when it was a mining town. The house had actually been the general store then. At the back of the house were walls that were made out of hand-made bricks.

The sheriff of Granite had owned the general store and eventually they built one of the first LDS churches next door. After that the sheriff converted the store into his home in 1905.

Adding Touches that Feel True to History of the Cottage

When we replaced the roof of the cottage we found some arrest warrants including a murder warrant! We also found a VERY old copy of the LDS Book of Mormon that was kept up the attic.

Adding Details Like Transoms to a Historic Cottage

I LOVED finding out about that house and working on restoring it back to it’s roots. We took the ceilings back up to the original 10-12 foot heights. We also created transom windows above the doorways so that light could flood into the beautiful space.

Refinishing the Original Floors in a Historic Cottage

The summer that I finished the floors I also planked the ceiling in the kitchen and I loved the way that project turned out.

Choosing Cabinets in a Historic Cottage Kitchen Remodel

We put a lot of thought into how to make the kitchen reflect the age of the house but also bring in the modern conveniences of this century. I opted for plain white cabinets but I also wanted some special elements. I had seeded glass inserts put in some of the cabinets.

Making Flaws into Beautiful Details in a Historic Cottage Home

There were also lots of flues in the home from different fireplaces. One of the main one was a flue that went through the center of the house and jutted out in the kitchen.

I had kitchen cabinets built around the flue, encasing it and creating a built-in china cabinet effect. I loved the way that project turned out.

Adding Modern Touches That Enhance a Historic Cottage Home

In most of the house I kept the tile to subway tile, which I think keeps to the time period of the turn of the century. In the kitchen I thought it would be fun to the subway theme but put a modern twist on it. So I used the same material as subway tile, but chose an octagon-shape tile and ran it all the way to the ceiling. And instead of putting upper cabinets all across the main section of the kitchen, I only used a couple of upper cabinets and then I had a few floating shelves put in.

Little Details in a Historic Cottage Remodel

The effect of leaving most of the upper part of the kitchen exposed made the kitchen seem very open and welcoming. I added a modern vent hood and I found a second-hand pottery barn island for the middle of the kitchen.

Reconfiguring Spaces in a Historic Cottage Remodel

Sometime over the past century a laundry room was added to the cottage and part of the front porch was enclosed for this space. The entrance to the laundry room was a door at the front of the house.

During the remodel we turned the back porch into the laundry room and I decided to take that laundry room space at the front of the house and convert it into a giant walk-in pantry.

Adding Character Through DIY Projects in a Historic Cottage Remodel

So we created an entrance to that space through the kitchen and enclosed the doorway at the front of the house, changing out the door for a window to the pantry. That pantry space was one of my favorite parts of the cottage.

I created shelving in the pantry with metal pipes and plain pine shelves. It was such a cute space and I loved having so much space to keep all of our food plus extra dishes and appliances. I am so excited to say that our new home downtown also has a space that is going to be a big walk-in closet. It’s going to be such a fun space to design and work on!

Merging New and Old Elements in a Historic Cottage Remodel

One of the most challenging projects in the remodel was making the transition from the old home to the new remodel. I added a family room, four bedrooms and two more baths to the cottage, plus a new garage.

It was a BIG project! To join the two spaces of the home together, I created a dining room. One part of the dining room was old and the other part of new, joining together in a beam in the center of the room. You can see it in this picture.

I put the dining room table in the center of the space and then hanging identical box chandeliers on either side of the beam. The effect took something that some might have considered a liability and really showcased it to create a centerpiece. I loved the way it turned out.

Adding New Outdoor Elements in a Historic Cottagee Remodel

We ended up putting french doors off of that room and created a little courtyard in between the old part of the home and the new addition. That way I didn’t lose the only window in the kitchen. We added a fireplace in the courtyard and I loved that I could look out of the window into the courtyard and see the fireplace there. On the other side of that outside fireplace was the fireplace inside the new family room!

At the end of the remodel we built a new 2-car garage and over that space we put in a new master bedroom suite. It ran all the way across the garage and I had 6 skylights installed which added SO much light! That space was nice because it was private and kind of a space all by itself. I even put in a little work nook there where I could blog upstairs.

Creating New Spaces that Reflect the Age of the Cottage

The bathroom had two skylights, a beautiful tub and a giant shower. I built in a bench into the shower and it was so nice. I am hoping to create something like this master bedroom and shower in the new home.

Take Advantage of All the Space in Your Historic Home

Our master bedroom in the #1891AvenuesCottage is in the attic! So the space is very similar to this space. There is a large bedroom and a large bathroom. I am hoping to reconfigure the bathroom to make more sense visually. I would love to install a big round tub in one corner of the bathroom.

In the #1905Cottage I put a jack-and-Jill bathroom in between the two bedrooms with barn doors so that space was’t wasted with doors opening and shutting. Using the same vanity and counter tops in both the kids bathrooms provided continuity in a home and I am hoping to do the same in this new space too. I will be using subway tile again since this home is similar in age to the #1905Cottage. But I will be using a more modern grout and light fixtures to update the new space with a more modern feel.

Transforming a Room into a Different Use Space

The #1905Cottage front room became my work space. I loved being able to look outside and see what was happening from the front of the home. I will be doing the same thing at our new #1891AvenuesCottage! The living room is going to be my office. There is a big window in the front and I can look down onto the tree-lined avenue and watch life go by!

In the cottage I added a dutch door to the front of the home and I loved being able to open the top of the door and feel the breeze come through while I worked. I am hoping to add a dutch door to the new cottage too! I love the look and feel of dutch doors.

Choosing a New Door to a Historic Home

There is also a HUGE porch on this new cottage. I loved decorating our smaller porch on the first cottage and I am super excited to do that here too. At some point the original door was taken off the #1891AvenueCottage. I am hoping to find something similar to the inside door that still remains inside. There is a salvage yard downtown and I think I have a good chance of finding something that matches this inside door.

I also have an idea for the floor inside the front entry room that will pay tribute to the age of the home. I can’t wait to show you that soon! Another thing I love about the new home is that the main comes right to our door! There is a mail slot but also a little wood holder for the mail inside. It feels SO special!!

Honoring the History in Your Historic Home

Our new #1891AvenuesCottage has a special history. It was one of the first homes to be built in Salt Lake City’s historic Avenues neighborhood. The first Supreme Court Justice in Utah lived in the home and it’s on the national historic register! Over the years it was turned into apartments and then in 1990 restored back to a one-family home. I think that is when the original floors were taken out. I feel so lucky to work on this new project and restore this historic home to it’s glory with a modern twist!

1891 Avenues Cottage Remodel Pinterest Board

I’d love to have you follow along with this new chapter at Tatertots and Jello! Give me your thoughts and opinions on what I should do with this remodel. We will be moving into the home in just days and I can’t wait to get started!! I have a 1891 Avenues Cottage pinterest board with ideas for the home if you want to follow along there!

Tatertots and Jello on Instagram – all the behind-the-scenes DIY ideas!

And be sure to follow along on my @tatertotsandjello Instagram account. That is where I share behind-the-scenes glimpses of what is going on with the project in real time! I also have a BIG part of the home that is going to be so exciting and I can’t wait to share more about that!!

Love you all!

xoxo

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