Let’s start with…the poolhouse?
When we bought the house, we had a lot of ideas on how to make it our own and planned to do it slowly over the next few years. The poolhouse update was low on the priority list but late December as we finished hosting family for the Christmas holiday, we discovered a pipe burst and a ceiling collapse followed. Thus we started our renovation work with a total gut reno of the pool house! While the ‘money pit’ comments from my husband were a nuisance, the project is really starting to come together and I’m glad we’ll have it for summer. Here’s where we started…
gutting the space…
As soon as we started opening walls, the trouble started… unfortunately the project changed from a fun/aesthetic one to one that involved a lot of mold removal, plumbing, electrical, new windows and a new roof. This meant we had to keep costs down. Challenge Accepted! I worked to layer in some details that tie it into the house but wanted it to feel bright and fresh - the perfect respite from the pool on a hot day or getaway spot in the winter months.
When we gutted the space and relocated the plumbing we were able to open up the ceiling.
The Layout
We kept the layout almost as it was originally. Previously it had one main living room area, a WC, separate shower with door that opened directly into the living room (odd!) and a closet. We essentially rotated the shower and removed the closet to create a little shower vestibule. I like having the shower separate because it’s great for a quick rinse after the beach or pool without monopolizing the WC for other swimmers. It also allows us to keep all the plumbing along the side wall and make the most of the living room space.
The Main Living Space
The main living room space will be drywalled, painted white, including the vaulted ceiling. They’ll be HVAC, fan and lighting added - all on dimmers.
New bank of windows added, electrical panel relocated to legal, code-compliant location and covered by a discreet access panel
In the future, we’ll add cabinetry along back wall. Coordination of all access panels for water controls has been made to ensure easy access with standard size built-ins to come. A requirement of the pool house was to have a TV ‘viewable from the pool’ so here we are…
The entry door to the WC is a sliding pocket door. It is custom made to match the colonial doors found everywhere else in the main home. A piece of art is planned between the two doorways.
The Shower + Vestibule
For the shower + vestibule we’re keeping it simple, classic and timeless. We’re using a penny round tile and brass fixtures and fittings.
The WC
I love a powder room that is a bit more fun but doing something loud with wallpaper or a dramatic color just doesn’t feel right for this space. I designed to amp up the woodwork details in this area by using a larger scale beadboard and a crown moulding that is historically accurate for the main house. We’ve used farm sink as a subtle nod to the property’s history as the Corrigan farmhouse for which the adjacent street is named. We’ve paired this with brass fittings and a vintage French rope mirror from 1stdibs - more on the details to come!
The shell is starting to take form - more on finishes, furniture and construction progress to come.