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10.7.10

Coastal Nest: A Charming Beach Cottage Remodel

front exterior of small beach house with small porch

I’m smitten with this vacation cottage for rent in Pacific Beach, Washington.

Its owner is Lisa, whose blog shares the same name as her beach house: Coastal Nest.

Lisa says that she’s most proud of the fact that she and her husband did all of the work on it themselves: “100%. That’s why it’s so special to me.”

Which is understandable considering that this is how it looked when they started:

beach house before remodel

They had their work cut out for them! It’s hard to believe this is the same place.

A living room filled with furniture with oar on wall

Here’s how the kitchen looked before:

A kitchen before remodel

And here it is today:

Coastal Nest kitchen

I think I could really go for a vacation by the beach right about now…couldn’t you?

no shoes required

Thanks to Lisa for letting me share her cottage with you!

Categories Beachy, Before & After

A cluttered kitchen before staging
Previous Post
Before & After: A Mid-Century Ranch Gets Staged to Sell
Tobi Fairley-kitchen after
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Tobi Fairley Gives a Family Kitchen a Facelift

Comments

  1. Kim-HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs says

    10.7.10 at 6:53 am

    What a darling cottage…Lisa and her husband did an amazing job with the transformation! 🙂
    .-= Kim-HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs´s last blog ..?A Little Fall Decorating ? =-.

  2. Annie@A View on Design says

    10.7.10 at 6:54 am

    wow – I mean they don’t come much better than this, compare it to its original state, that is quite an accomplishment, most people wouldn’t have the stamina for such fantastic finish!
    .-= Annie@A View on Design´s last blog ..Im in love East Malvern =-.

  3. Laura says

    10.7.10 at 7:02 am

    Wow…. it makes me think, there may be hope for my old place yet!!! Lx
    .-= Laura´s last blog ..Great Expectations =-.

  4. Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish says

    10.7.10 at 7:14 am

    Love it!! Fantastic redo – that kitchen is too cute! And I love all their beachy accents!
    .-= Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish´s last blog ..Decorating for Fall Indoors =-.

  5. Shelia says

    10.7.10 at 7:22 am

    Hi Julia! OH, what a lovely little beach cottage!! These folks did a wonderful job, didn’t they! I do believe they had coastal beach cottage vision!!
    I wanted to say your new blog photo of you looks gorgeous!
    Have a wonderful day and be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉
    .-= Shelia´s last blog ..A Very Fallen Home =-.

  6. linda @ Lime in the coconut says

    10.7.10 at 7:28 am

    Love her cottage re-do…and her infectuous personality!!
    .-= linda @ Lime in the coconut´s last blog ..Cupcake for your thoughts… =-.

  7. Cindy at Applestone Cottage says

    10.7.10 at 6:57 am

    Absolutely love this!
    What a charming little beach cottage and seeing the before’s really makes it even more special!

  8. Becky @ Farmgirl Paints says

    10.7.10 at 8:21 am

    That is really unbelievable. I admire people for jumping in and tackling a project like that. I know I wouldn’t have the vision or the patience. Love that little crate shelf with the sea shells and SEA over it. Great idea!
    .-= Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..Memory making 101 =-.

  9. Janell Beals says

    10.7.10 at 8:22 am

    Amazing…what a great renovation, the cottage is now completely adorable and inviting! Janell
    .-= Janell Beals´s last blog ..Get out! One of my DIY Tutorials Featured On TheNateShowcom! =-.

  10. MelMel says

    10.7.10 at 8:26 am

    Oh, wow! I’d like to just move right in! It’s perfect! Great job in the remodeling!
    .-= MelMel´s last blog ..A Walk =-.

  11. sue@solsticehome says

    10.7.10 at 8:42 am

    Fabulous remodel! from one who has ‘done’ over a few homes..this is a job so well done and all the while keeping the home true to its origins.
    .-= sue@solsticehome´s last blog ..sunday morning musings =-.

  12. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says

    10.7.10 at 8:27 am

    Oh, what a lovely cottage! And quite the amazing transformation!!!

  13. DesignTies says

    10.7.10 at 8:31 am

    What a pretty and charming home!! It must have taken a lot of time and elbow grease, but Lisa and her hubby have created a wonderful home that I’m sure they’re extremely proud of 🙂

    Love the No Shoes Required picture 🙂

    Kelly

  14. Pat says

    10.7.10 at 9:34 am

    What a personal accomplishment!
    It’s absolutely charming….great job!
    .-= Pat´s last blog ..Hotels Are For Sissies =-.

  15. Lauren says

    10.7.10 at 9:42 am

    Ahhh – these are giving me hope to fight another day. As for the crab paraphernalia – where does one acquire home décor with STD puns? Want.
    .-= Lauren´s last blog ..Day 40- life around here =-.

  16. ann at housefinally says

    10.7.10 at 8:55 am

    Gorgeous! What great color schemes.

  17. Dean says

    10.7.10 at 9:09 am

    Fantastic! Glad to see they kept the integrity of the original.

  18. Lisa says

    10.7.10 at 10:55 am

    Julia,
    Thank you so much for the shout out on our Coastal Nest..It was a blast to renovate, and yep, we are still married! If any of you EVER find yourself needing a sweet little getaway, for heavens sakes, let Coastal Nest know..we would love to have ya!!
    Lisa
    coastal nest
    .-= Lisa´s last blog ..When one really needs to just FALL ON THE FLOOR =-.

  19. jennifer black says

    10.7.10 at 12:10 pm

    Holy cow. That’s amazing. I love posts like this.

    jennifer
    .-= jennifer black´s last blog ..Its all about the view- isnt it =-.

  20. Maya @ Completely Coastal says

    10.7.10 at 12:13 pm

    Great that you posted this!!! Completely missed it! I’m a sucker for beach cottages too and want one as my very next home (if we can sell this one, haha!).
    .-= Maya @ Completely Coastal´s last blog ..Fall Decorating with Pressed Leaves =-.

  21. Cheri@IHeartOldHouses says

    10.7.10 at 12:35 pm

    I love that they were able to work the original vintage green tone into the kitchen, but made it sooo much cuter! I would totally rent this place if I was vacationing in WA.
    .-= Cheri@IHeartOldHouses´s last blog ..Getting a Handle on Hardware =-.

  22. Lesley @ TheDesignFile says

    10.7.10 at 12:43 pm

    Lovely. I love little places like this. It’s so to see what people can do with small spaces and the beach feel is wonderful. Thanks for sharing it!
    .-= Lesley @ TheDesignFile´s last blog ..Couple buys Indy mansion to share with others =-.

  23. etta says

    10.7.10 at 11:53 am

    Wow… this is lovely!
    Kisses
    Etta

  24. Luciane says

    10.7.10 at 12:19 pm

    This is a very tasteful transformation! I love the green in the kitchen the simplicity of all. I believe this is the key to have a “dreamy” cottage: it has to be simple.
    The little “shells shelf” on the 7th photo caught my eyes. What a brilliant idea!
    Luciane.
    From: http://www.HomeBunch.com

  25. lulilut says

    10.7.10 at 12:21 pm

    Heh! In the before picture, I recognized the ‘brick’ linoleum flooring. My grandfather had it and so did my husband’s parents before they remodeled. It must have been popular at one time.
    They did a great job fixing it up and I love the 3 paintings above the couch.

  26. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    10.7.10 at 2:35 pm

    What a neat feature. 🙂 I love a good remodel story. The new look is wonderful. 🙂
    .-= Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Blog Design Giveaway from Laura Jane Designs =-.

  27. Brenda Kula says

    10.7.10 at 1:37 pm

    Yum, love to see before and afters like this! They did have their work cut out for them. And they achieved perfection! Thanks for showing.
    Brenda

  28. Marie says

    10.7.10 at 2:54 pm

    OMG! What an amazing transformation. I agree, that does not look anything like the old house. Now it’s so pretty and so enchanting. They did a fantastic job!!!
    -marie
    .-= Marie´s last blog ..The Spicy Scent of Autumn =-.

  29. Juju at Tales of Whimsy... says

    10.7.10 at 3:07 pm

    I love it!
    .-= Juju at Tales of Whimsy…´s last blog ..I want to read that- Knits for Paranormal Bookish Gals =-.

  30. Nancy@marcusdesign says

    10.7.10 at 3:09 pm

    This is so charming! And I love seeing those before pics mixed in, what a difference!! They did such an amazing job.
    Nancy
    .-= Nancy@marcusdesign´s last blog ..q &amp a with massucco warner miller =-.

  31. Bre says

    10.7.10 at 4:28 pm

    I LOVE beach houses, I adore the entire concept and aesthetic. I didn’t know you had a little side blog at one time, I will be checking that out definitely. This is an adorable cottage and an amazing transformation! They did a fantastic job, the before and afters are day and night!
    .-= Bre´s last blog ..Lash Envy =-.

  32. Design Elements says

    10.7.10 at 3:56 pm

    charming beach cottage

  33. Kate R says

    10.7.10 at 5:50 pm

    Thanks for showing us this great little cottage. I love all things coastal (BTW, I really miss your other blog) so I’ve bookmarked Coastal Nest so I can really check it out when I have more time.
    .-= Kate R´s last blog ..MidwestMediocre- Todays lunch – cottage cheese &amp applesauce Its official- Im becoming my mom =-.

    • hookedonhouses says

      10.7.10 at 6:52 pm

      Nice of you to say you miss my other blog, Kate! I miss it, too. Wish I could have kept up with it, but having two blogs turned out to be harder than I thought! Maybe someday I’ll have the time to go back to it, though. -Julia

  34. beth says

    10.7.10 at 5:41 pm

    I am so jealous they had time to do it all themselves. It’s gorgeous. We’re working on a 100-year-old schoolhouse on the Russian River in Sonoma County, CA and trying to do as much of it as we can, but sadly we have jobs.

    • hookedonhouses says

      10.7.10 at 6:53 pm

      That sounds like an amazing project, Beth. I love seeing old schoolhouses turned into homes! -Julia

  35. Valerie says

    10.7.10 at 6:55 pm

    OMG so cute! It’s only 2.5 hour drive away for me!I am sooo dragging my husband there ASAP!
    .-= Valerie´s last blog ..Quilting Class &amp A New Tool =-.

  36. Struggler says

    10.7.10 at 6:56 pm

    Wow. Ab-sol-utely LOVE it. Even more, because they obviously worked so hard.
    Wonderful style and very clever use of fun accessories.
    .-= Struggler´s last blog ..Purple Splurges =-.

  37. Pamela @Atmosphere ID says

    10.7.10 at 7:19 pm

    You had me at coastal and cottage! Two things I adore.
    .-= Pamela @Atmosphere ID´s last blog ..Traditional Homes Loves Ceilings Too! =-.

  38. lucy says

    10.7.10 at 7:03 pm

    these sorts of transformations are so inspiring….they are like a little caress to the heart ….:)…<3

  39. angela | the painted house says

    10.7.10 at 9:18 pm

    Adorable! They did a wonderful job reviving that little cottage–an act near and dear to my heart. 🙂

    I could sure go for a stay at the beach right now…
    .-= angela | the painted house´s last blog ..Vote for Me at Design Refuge! =-.

  40. Karen Ho fatt@ fire pit reviews says

    10.7.10 at 11:29 pm

    Awesome renovation. They have captured the theme well with all the little details, color and accent pieces. I can just imagine the work required. Currently doing renovations now, sadly, not near a beach! Publisher,familyfirepit.com
    .-= Karen Ho fatt@ fire pit reviews´s last blog ..Cocoon Fires Standing Fireplace Set in Black – Sleek and Modern Styling =-.

  41. Daisy says

    10.10.10 at 9:01 am

    They have done an outstanding job! Others thought so too, judging from all the positive reviews on the vrbo site. I love the little touches like the paddle in the living room and the lighthouse picture in the kitchen. 🙂
    .-= Daisy´s last blog ..Top 15 Christmas Toys 2010 =-.

  42. Kim Root says

    10.10.10 at 4:26 pm

    I’m a new reader! This is great. Enjoyed the whole transformation. We just re-modeled a 1915 vintage style home – alot of work. Look forward to following along with your blogs.

  43. Robin says

    10.10.10 at 8:34 pm

    Wow! What a wonderful transformation. I love it! Hope you are doing well, Julia 🙂
    .-= Robin´s last blog ..Fall At The Cape House =-.

  44. Tara @ Tara Being Tara says

    10.10.10 at 9:56 pm

    WOW! You’re right – it’s really hard to believe those “before” pictures are for real!
    .-= Tara @ Tara Being Tara´s last blog ..A full wedding recap =-.

  45. Why S? says

    10.10.10 at 10:20 pm

    Great vision. Great realization of that vision. Truly sublime.
    .-= Why S?´s last blog ..Dont Make Everyone Lose =-.

  46. Sally says

    1.8.11 at 10:42 pm

    Love this one. Love the crab pillow. Love the sea shell shelf. (Say that 10 times fast!)
    .-= Sally´s last blog ..Psalm 143-8 =-.

  47. Mary Ann says

    3.19.11 at 6:30 am

    We just did a complete beach cottage remodel…so nice to wake up to every morning. This one is charming.

  48. Kathleen Westlake says

    6.8.11 at 9:46 pm

    That’s totally the look that I’m going for! We live in a 1940s cape cod style home. It’s close to the beach in Kotzebue Alaska. It was built by the government back then, and they had master craftsmen shipped up here to build it. It has all original wooden doors and hardware, moulding, and built in cabinetry that is just outstanding compared to anything built here now. We just love it! It just has to have some 80s taken out of it 😉 I love your site<3

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