A few more sneak peeks of the a-frame...lower level happenings!

Chris and I would have never agreed to purchasing the a-frame if it didn't include a lower level. 

 Without this additional space, the cottage would have been "too" cozy.

Over the last two weeks, Chris has been replacing the stinky shag carpeting, installing laminate flooring, painting the cement walls, and getting things spruced up.

   Yes.  He taught himself how to install flooring.  He is pretty amazing, isn't he?

Although we aren't completely done, shall we take a tour of the lower level?  Stair railings will be happening in the near future.  He's thinking of using boat oars to construct them.  

The entire basement is furnished with estate sale furniture, Goodwill furniture or items from our house basement.

For example, this over-sized plaid chair and ottoman were $20 from Goodwill.  After a good cleaning and lots of sunshine, it's perfectly fine for lake living.

The pole lamps and the light-up picture frame are totally tacky, but they add some fun ambiance to the lower level.

The model ship and stained glass were also rescued from an estate sale.

The corner couches and the table were also estate sale items.  We've been determined to stick to a budget and I think we've succeeded in keeping the costs to a minimum.

We've also found some really unique pieces from estate sales and my beloved Grandfather's personal collection.

As you can imagine, we're not done yet.

Chris would like to cover some of the cement walling with more wood and we're hoping to create another dining space and sleeping area.  Hard to believe we've only had this a-frame for a little over a month. 

It's definitely a labor of love.