Summer is in full swing in New England. While I was there in early to mid June, the temperatures started in the 60’s and then soared well into the 90’s! I spent part of my time at the bungalow fine tuning the outdoor spaces and a bit of tweaking indoors too!
One of our favorite spots outside, is the front porch. Originally, we were going to add a swing, but decided on a small comfy outdoor sofa instead from Room and Board. It has become a favorite nap spot with the addition of two large pillows from Serena and Lily.
The front porch is the place to be to catch the breezes…
Two rocking chairs are the perfect spot to sip a glass of wine in the evening. They are also from Room and Board in a tough plastic that is easy to keep clean and never needs painting. My kind of furniture!
An outdoor porch just doesn’t seem complete without rocking chairs!
I was happy to see that the boxwoods survived the transplanting from last year. And this spring, the town offered to plant a dogwood in our front yard. Yes please!
Our new dogwood tree…
We also added a gray and white striped awning upstairs to shade the master bedroom and balcony from the hot summer sun.
Loving the shade provided by the new awning…
A bistro table and chairs from Terrain are the perfect spot for a morning cup of tea on the upstairs balcony…
I’m so glad we added a screen door. We love leaving the front door open to catch the coastal breezes.
Screen doors just say come on in!
Little Chloe is a new addition to the family and bungalow
Inside, the heavy blankets have been put away, linen pillows added, and fresh flowers placed around the house. Soon after I left to come back to Santa Barbara, our hydrangeas burst into full color and will provide plenty of blooms for the bungalow!
One of the many hydrangeas at the bungalow
Stripes and linen bring summer inside.
White peonies are a favorite.
My Nantucket watercolors are reminders of past summers…
A folk art whale, and nautical art continue the summery feel
The backyard has undergone a transformation too. We added a bluestone patio, pergola, and string lights for outdoor dining.
The new pergola and patio
The hydrangeas will be a sea of blue…
The addition of an outdoor shower means we never use the indoor one…at least until the weather turns cold. There is nothing quite like a roomy outdoor shower bathed in sunshine!
A new galvanized feed trough planted with herbs and a clematis sits next to the shower.
The perfect spot to rinse off after the beach! Stool is from Serena and Lily
The previous owners had found a statue of Mary in the backyard. It mistakenly went with them when they moved, but they generously returned her to the bungalow. They felt that she belonged here. I placed Mary under the lilac where she overlooks the garden…
I love having Mary watching over us!
We added four Room and Board Emmet lounge chairs and a fire pit for chilly nights. We are in the process of having a wooden top made to convert the pit to a table when we aren’t using it for a fire.
A favorite hangout spot in the evenings…for Chloe too! Pillows on the Emmet chairs are from RH and are on sale now!
The fire pit, shower, and outdoor dining makes this the place to be in summer!
Our little backyard…
Most days end with a glass of wine in hand and the short walk to the end of the street to catch the sunset.
Perfect way to end the day…
While there is always more to do and the new plants need to fill in, we are off to a good start and ready to enjoy summer in Connecticut!
Here in Holland nobody has an outdoor shower. But when we visit my American husbands aunt and uncle at the Cape, I loooooove to be in their outdoor shower. The sun, the birds, the air…. it all feels so amazing to me and what a zen way to start the day. Love your house! ( for a moment I thought the statue of the dog at your front porch was real! )
Thank you, Petra! My first experience with an outdoor shower was at the New Jersey shore in a tiny beach house. It was the only shower but we loved it! When we bought our house in California we put one in and now the one in Connecticut. It is such a wonderful feeling. I’m glad you can experience it when you are here visiting! And yes, many people think the dog is real! 🙂
Simply stunning! That outdoor shower is wonderful – I’m impressed, Elizabeth! All the pictures are magazine worthy, I’m pretty sure we’ll see this little cottage published very soon!
Thank you, Eva. You’re always so supportive! It’s such a special little 1920’s home 🙂
Oh goodness your beach cottage is so dreamy! I love all the hydrangeas and especially the porch! I can’t wait to see what you do next!!!
Thanks so much, Kelly! Stay tuned 🙂