A Tour of Phister Cottage...Before & After

As promised, here are a few before and after pictures of the renovation of Phister Cottage at the Island Inn on Sanibel Island...

the living room

*click on images to enlarge

the fireplace...

the entry...

the kitchen...

the master bedroom...

the guest bedroom...

And here is the perfect vantage point to take in beautiful sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico...

the screened-in porch...

Phister Cottage still holds onto its full rich past, but now it has the updated decor that she truly deserves. It can be a challenge to maintain the history and relevance of a space while offering a fresh new appeal...especially in a commercial installation. The idea was merely to enhance the charm that this cottage has owned for years.

Phister Cottage is officially re-opened to the public. Now you can stop daydreaming about a storybook vacation and make plans to visit Sanibel Island and stay in this wonderful cottage.

Taking a space from a dream to reality...that's my job!

I hope you enjoyed the tour. There are still more cottage renovations to come.... 

Phister Cottage

Well here is the next installment of photos from the Island Inn renovation.

This is the story of the charming Phister Cottage...and how the source of inspiration evolved into the implemented design.

Enjoy!

It started with a cottage in need of a little love and a bit of an update...

*click on images to enlarge

I was armed with a budget, a deadline and a tiny picture for inspiration...

Next came the sourcing of furnishings...

always mindful of the budget as well as the wear and tear by the guests of the inn...

yet the lure of the Gulf was always in the forefront of my thoughts.

A few necessary upgrades were made from the lighting plan...

to the paint schedule...

to the art and accessories.

And here she sits today...

All ready for you to come for a visit and fall in love with our wonderful little Sanibel!

You might not want to leave...

Wouldn't you love to stay here on your next vacation...?

Well, call the Island Inn for reservations and start packing!

Designing this cottage was a joy. I can't wait to show you the rest of the rooms.

There are many more pictures to come from this cottage and the entire remainder of the renovation...

the method to my madness...

I thought I would post the inspiration for the next cottage renovation before the actual pictures of the project are revealed. 

I feel so fortunate to be on such a beautiful island...

Isn't he handsome?

I love the way this picture brings a summer night on Sanibel to life. The inspiration for the next cottage renovation can all be found in this quiet moment caught on camera...

From the calming blue sky of early evening to the aged weathered wood to the rich warm tones of the pelican's feathers...

it's perfect by design!

Before and After...

Thank you for all the really kind notes about the pictures of Spoonbill Cottage. Many of you asked about what the cottage looked like prior to the renovation...so here are a few before and after pictures!

It sure is rewarding to look back and see the progress! I hope you enjoyed the pictures...

There are a whole lot more to come!

Where have I been hiding...?

It has been awhile since I have sat down to write...or do much of anything else but run around like a design lunatic. I have been working away on the remodeling/renovation of The Island Inn. It is the oldest inn on Sanibel Island and I have had the privilege to design the inn's new look. The day-to-day operation and facilitation has been quite a challenge but the results are totally worth the time invested. After revisiting my previous blog post it is clear to see the natural inspiration that influenced this design...

This is the first of many cottages to see. Each one is different and each one exhibits a unique design influence...all found right here on our wonderful little island.

This is Spoonbill Cottage and it will be the first of several to be featured in this blog.

Enjoy! 

As I was making one of many trips to my truck at the end of the day today, I looked down...no more than two feet from my tire was an inquisitive little visitor. She sat and watched me for awhile...then I sat and watched her for awhile. Just over the grasses is the sandy shore of the Gulf of Mexico. After weeks of working only feet from the water I realized that I had not even one time sat and watched the sun set over the Gulf or taken five minutes to walk the 25 feet to the water's edge. Not tonight. I followed my little friend through the grass and down to the beach where I watched the pelicans soaring overhead.

This is why I am here and this is my inspiration.

A true gift from God.

I just needed a little nudge from a little friend...telling me that it's okay to slow down a take a look around. Appreciate the world around me and begin my search for new inspiration for the next project.  

What a wonderful and much needed ending to a chaotic and stressful week.

I have rediscovered my joy and found peace.