The Dilemma

I've got a pretty good idea of what the INSIDE of my cottage in the woods will look like, but I'm struggling with what the outside should look like....hence the Dilemma. Mr. Amazing says craftsman. I'm OK with that but it doesn't quite fit the "cottage in the woods" feeling I'm going for. SO, in between packing and working and packing, I've been googling exterior house photos, driving up and down the streets of our fine city looking at small ranch houses, checking out books on house styles from the library and spending time at Barnes & Noble in search of the right "look." I initially knew exactly what I wanted--a cottage in the woods covered in cedar shakes. Mr. Amazing wants NO MAINTENANCE and informs me that cedar shakes are HIGH maintenance. Nothing like throwing a girl a curve ball. Back to square one.

Yesterday, as we were heading for groceries, I suggested we drive very slowly through a small subdivision close to our house. Nothing inspiring......until we came to a house clad with what looked like weathered cedar shingles. And, I still LOVED the look....Mr. Amazing studied it carefully and decided it might be vinyl and, if that was the case, he thought it looked pretty nice too. So, after lunch I drove over to this darling little house, knocked on the door and was greeted by the nicest fellow EVER! His name is Dennis and he most graciously spent an entire hour talking to me about his exterior siding and....wait...there's more....his kitchen! He invited me in while he looked up the siding manufacturer and when I looked into his kitchen! Well, Heaven! His house is modest in size, as ours will be, and his kitchen is a mix of commercial range and hood (with a warmer I might add), stainless appliances, no upper cabinets (he used shelving instead.....just like I want to) and painted lower cupboards. To top it off...he'd just finished making huge muffins! I had to tear myself away from his house to attend a high school graduation party, but I can not thank Dennis enough for all the information he shared in that short hour visit. Stay tuned!