Garden

It's been a relatively busy week here at Leigh's Cottage. Our first guests came and went (and thankfully, left rave reviews) so we're feeling pretty chuffed! :) 

In preparation for our next lot of guests (who arrive tonight!) we've been very busy getting the back garden sorted. As you saw from a previous post, I've been trawling through Pinterest for inspiration and have managed to get some really nice ideas without having to break the bank... 

I must just add that I'm blessed with THE most handy, capable and clever husband who is half way through building a rustic gazebo over the Cottage patio. This will not only protect the front door from inclement weather but also provide some much needed shade should guests want to sit outside while taking in the sights of the (soon to be flourishing) garden :) :)

There is still plenty to do but I must say that I'm quite satisfied with Phase I of "Operation Garden Clean-up"! Below are some BEFORE & AFTER shots:

The awful BEFORE photo.

The very talented hubby getting ready to build the gazebo.

Getting there...The AFTER phase 1 (roof of
gazebo will be added this weekend).

Added some pots and plants...

So slowly but surely we are making progress... I'll be sure to upload pics as the garden improves!

Love,
Leigh
xoxo

Repurpose. Reuse. Recycle.

While gathering all the bits and bobs together for Leigh's Cottage, we realized that we really didn't have to spend a fortune on decorating the cottage as there were many pieces that we had in our home that we could "repurpose". 

Our repurposed coffee table.

The coffee table (right) for example, is a small solid wooden table that I bought months ago for my home office from a 2nd hand store in Hillcrest. It's the perfect size and will certainly be put to better use in the Cottage than my office!

Our new 'old' dresser.

The only thing we realized that was still missing was a dresser for the main bedroom. So we set off today to see what we could find and came across the perfect sized oak dresser, again from a 2nd hand store in Durban North! (see left)

So I'd really encourage you to look around the house and see what's available. You'll be amazed at what you could reuse or repurpose, and should you be in the market for something new, start off at the 2nd hand stores! They're popping up everywhere. PS: Have you seen www.thriftcollection.blogspot.com for "pre-loved" clothing? 

Here are just some ideas that I've seen on Pinterest:

An old wooden door makes a stunning '
shabby chic' statement in a bedroom.

Window shutters can flank a mirror or
picture frame beautifully!

An old wooden stepladder is
the perfect bed-side table.

Another great idea for a stepladder is to
hold pot plants in your garden.

So I hope this post has inspired you to Repurpose - Reuse - Recycle... It's totally worth it!

Have a great weekend!

Love
Leigh
xoxo

Online presence

While investigating online where and with whom we should upload links to Leigh's Cottage, we've been really surprised by the variety of holiday letting sites available.

The most impressive has got to be AirBNB!!! If you're looking for accommodation anywhere in the world, from a chalet or flat, to a single room or tipi (I kid you not), you will literally find it on AirBNB.

This is also where I heard about Glamping for the first time. What is that you ask? Apparently it's glamourous camping {for those of us who battle to "rough it"...} :) But seriously, you name it, you'll find it on their site. Oh and by the way, here's a link to our cottage on AirBNB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/699900 

Two other great resources for South African's looking for affordable accommodation are www.travelclips.co.za or www.travelfreedom.co.za . 

So besides the standard sites (www.wheretostay.co.za and www.sa-venues.com), it's often worth casting your net a little further and frequenting other sites to see what's on offer.

So, if you haven't planned anything for the end of the year, get cracking! Be adventurous, go glamping or stay in a tipi or hire someone's caravan! Be bold, be different, get adventurous! Just do it!  

Love
Leigh
xoxo

Initial pics

Okay, so we thought we'd share some pics of the Cottage with you, even though it's not 100% complete... This will at least give you an idea of what the Cottage entails.

Lounge

Lounge

Main bedroom...

Open-plan kitchen.

The wash-up corner...

Bathroom

Shower

As we update the Cottage, we'll be sure to post more photographs!

Take care!

Love
Leigh
xoxo

We're getting there...

So we're making headway and the cottage is coming along nicely. We've painted it inside, moved in the furniture and have managed to get everything on the inside ready for guests.

We're now busy painting the outside and working on the garden and fence. It needs some TLC in order to create privacy and a comfortable space to relax, unwind from the hectic pressure of being at the beach all day { :) } and have a braai.

I've been trawling through Pinterest for some inspiration (what did we do before Pinterest!!!). Here are my three favourite pics:

Would love to hear what you think of the above ideas!

So watch this space -- we'll post some amazing BEFORE and AFTER pics as soon as we've got the AFTER all sorted!

Have a great week! 

Love

Leigh

xoxo

1 October -- Open for business

While there is still a fair amount to be done on the cottage, we are confident that we will be ready by next week... This means that we will be open for business from 1 October 2012!

So if you'd like a quote for a great weekend away, a corporate rental for a little longer, or your December holiday plans, please email me at leighscottage@gmail.com

We would love to hear from you anyway -- drop us a line!

We look forward to welcoming you to our 'cottage'.

Love
Leigh
xoxo

A little DIY before we get started!

Welcome to Leigh's Cottage blog! We're thrilled you stopped by to see what we're all about. Since this is our first blog post, let me tell you a little more about us...

Our desire for Leigh's Cottage is for it be your 'home away from home'. We want you to feel as comfortable and relaxed as if you were at home. We are convinced that with this in mind, as well as the fact that we are so centrally located, you'll definitely be back! 

We thought we'd share a few "BEFORE" photos with you so that you can see the transformation for yourselves...

The Kitchen before we started.

Getting things ready...

The Living Room 

The Front Door leading
into the Living Room.

The main bedroom.

Still lots to do but the feature
wall is done.

Thank you for stopping by! Please bookmark our blog, we'd love to see you back again (& again & again)!

Love
Leigh
xoxo