Saturday, July 5, 2014

Diary of a Displaced Designer……..Chapter One



Dear Diary,

I have restored , sold, saved, remodeled , redesigned and brought back to life some 80 or so places.
I am  now embarking on a path at the General Store( that has been my office since 1986.) It was built around 1900 and was the post office at the Isle of Hope and Kensey's store or the "General store". I have restore it about 10 times over the years since I bought it. I will dig up the "before" and during photos to share with you.

I am  selling the store and buying a little cottage 200 yards down the street that my son and his wife own. They are having twins in November and need a larger home, so I am buying their cottage. I own the lot next door and plan to design and build a "new but feels old" little cottage.
I have decided to record my new journey on the blog….. hoping to get my blogging friends to  pass on their wonderful and humorous  comments ,words of wisdom and funny thoughts… moral support..when I begin pulling my hair out.
You know, next to death and marriage moving is the most stressful thing. The boxes multiply when you are not looking and the "stuff" just keeps on coming.
Designer have soooooo many books and papers and fabrics and pillows and plans and photographs….Even thought we are on computer and try to be paperless…  it is unbelievable!!!
You WILL see. I am lucky to have Eleanor Foster who helps with bill paying and computer and iPad, Ipod and  Iphone and whatever  other challenge arises ….Her business Organized  Matters www.organizedmatters-sav.com  is amazing. Believer me, I am her BIGGEST challenge!!!!!

The "General Store" circa 1900 Isle of Hope Georgia USA

welcome to my world..
the foyer complete with papers on "the pondering Throne"

"kitties are king " notice the tuna…and the scratching post
the work space

the funky art boho room with the closet full to the brim with pillows and such

the bed room ( my other son lived there while he went to film school at SCAD)



the kitchen area



looking front to back … I moved the papers on the "pondering throne"


the office revolves around Lance the office kitty…( kitty food on my desk)


we have the need for color…always




Lance the WONDERFUL office kitty

Lance sitting on some of the 10 million  receipts..


the fabric focus in the boho art den


the kitchen at its cleanest
the back yard with my lonely vintage Grumman canoe
Onward and Upward…..

8 comments:

Judy said...

i love the general store/office. congratulations on the impending twins' birth...my daughter has 10 year old twins (boy/girl) that are our world and is expecting baby #3 in late december/early january (surprise baby but much wanted).

i'm looking forward to following along on your newest endeavour!

Unknown said...

Love your office….your photos always fill me with ideas! We are moving from Colorado to Florida, and downsizing quite a bit. After 30 years in one house, 908with too much stuff to count, it has been a three month process to move, but we are ready for a new adventure and challenge of creating a new space in
florida. Meditation has really helped…when it all gets to be too much. Good luck, and Congrats on the grand babies….always a joy to look forward to having in your life! c

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Oh MAN! Where the BRAINS of the whole process is! And apparently it needs tuna...lots o' tuna! This place should sell in a JIF. How cool that you are buying your kids place! I wanna be you when I grow up. I do. I do.

OoooH and congrats on double the love's!

AndeM1 said...

LOVE the office/general store. What great news about the twins!!!! Congrats to all! I can't wait to see this newest project of yours.....everything you touch is lovely!

PS......If I take care of the office kitty....can I move in here?

Anonymous said...

Jane, this is so exciting, stressful too, but what an adventure. Have you sold your General Store yet or do you plan to list it with an agent? We're in the market for a 2nd home we both love Isle of Hope.

tammy j said...

with you every step of the deliciously creative way!!!
you're the BEST!
how's that for pumping up your morale?
but it's the truth.
you are such fun!
xo

Unknown said...

Judy mcdougle relax savannah savannah has it listed.it is one block from isle of hope marina and the intra coastal waterway

ggray said...

I just now found your blog after being away from a computer for a while due to illness. I am in remission now and ready to embrace life again and had to turn to your joyful photos to plan my first beach trip in a couple of years. My daughter, granddaughter and I found your cottages on a visit to Tybee about 5 years ago, just driving around. At first we didn't know it was one designer or the history but I research and then started collecting magazines and Cottage books just hoping to find examples of your work and now you post which magazines and TV shows do the big reveal on your projects and just finding these tidbits one by one brings me so much joy! I hope one day you'll have a hardcover coffee table book of your cottages for me to peruse over and over, marveling at your ideas and finds. Your General Store/Post Office house is gorgeous and I understand the stress in you having to move. But your tireless efforts to reclaim cottages, much like my mother's 1940's cottage in Hampton Village, NH. which we had to sell since I now live in South Carolina, proves to me how strong and inventive you are. I hope you are loving your new digs!