nolacottage

I’ve been a very bad blogger. Eh, its my first time. Have no fear, I am putting together some great stuff for everyone, some great stuff. Stay Tuned! 

Steve discovered that the original house must have actually stopped right after the kitchen, or the third room in the house. This would make the original house a three room shotgun. Dimensions: 14.3′ wide x 45′ long

Layout Illustration of a traditional shotgun house. Copyright: Public Domain

(See illustration)

We are at the stage of 101 decisions, each one affecting something down the road, and leading to another decision. Going through kitchen layouts, storage issue solutions, flooring, tile, fixtures, hardware, and colors can be overwhelming, but it is also the enjoyment of renovation, to those of us that love to play amateur architect and interior designer. As a graphic designer, and an amateur landscape designer / gardener – I figure I am not that far off. I know enough, and am bold enough, to be dangerous. But that is the thrill.

The great thing, among many, about a shotgun cottage is the flexibility of what you can do with the rooms. Having essentially a row of “parlor” type rooms, shotguns can be configured and reconfigured into many layouts. Traditionally bedrooms are often in the front, behind pocket doors, kitchen in the back (because they were hot and dirty). In modern times, kitchens have been brought to the front, so one doesn’t have to walk through bedrooms to reach the kitchen. My shotgun has three original “parlors” to the house, before you get to the main bathroom and bedroom. Front parlor with a front door, and half walls on the opposite side leading to the heart of the house which is two parlors with a floor to ceiling fireplace running in the middle. The previous owner removed the walls separating these rooms. The parlor behind the fireplace is smaller and has a side exterior door.

So, the big decisions this week: the kitchen and solving storage issues.

Kitchen  The previous kitchen was in the third room, behind the fireplace with a side exterior door. The mission: To wedge a small, functional L-shaped kitchen in a corner behind the fireplace (as is), which will require moving the side door, and thus leaving the middle parlor for super flexibility where one or the other can be used as living room or dining room, and the front parlor as a flexible living room / spare bedroom – OR take the leap – and take up the entire middle parlor with a large open double galley with island in front of the fireplace, thus fixing the front parlor for mainly living room usage, and less possibility as a second bedroom. Third room would then become dining room / office space.

Storage The challenging thing about old shotguns is the lack of storage Did I say lack? I meant the nonexistent storage. There are no closets. These houses were built at time where personal storage was fullfilled by beautiful and/or functional and original pieces of furniture. Chifforobes were the common piece of furniture used. They were usually made of regional cypress and sometimes had cedar linings. They had drawers on one side and hanging space on the other. Laundry was done outside with a bucket, a washboard and a clothes line. I am fortunate to have a small hallway closet deep enough for a broom and vacuum cleaner ant not much else. Figuring out how to store things is a fun and challenging puzzle.

This house style by its very nature encourages simple living, which is a good thing. It is a lifestyle. More about that later.

 

I’ve Done it!

I have take the leap. I have signed my name a hundred times. Crossed the threshold. Now the proud owner of a tiny shotgun single cottage in need of a renovation. It is a diamond in the rough. With very little funds, a whole lot of help from expert friends, and a great friend and contractor, I’m polishing her up to a shine.

Construction has begun and I will share the adventure here, so stay tuned!

Welcome to nolacottage.com, the blog following the renovation of  an old shotgun cottage and other adventures of life in New Orleans.

What will you find on nolacottage.com?   You will find progress on the cottage, renovation talk, cottage lifestyle and philosophy, and musings on adventures in New Orleans living, with a little general Louisiana information thrown in for lagniappe, as well as resources and history on all these topics.

Renovation is a labor of love.  Renovation of an early 20th century shotgun cottage is a labor of love mixed with a special brand of insanity. It is a leap wrapped in hope and faith and vision.

My shotgun cottage   The majority of shotguns in New Orleans were built in the 19th century, although they came to the area as early as the late 1700s. The one I am renovating is less common. (Read more about history of shotguns at https://nolacottage.com/about.)

As far as we can tell, this particular shotgun was built in the early 20th century, sometime between 1910s-1930s, even perhaps as late as the early 1940s, although this seems unlikely.  The shotgun resides in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, so it is possible that it is older then early 20th century, and possibly a servant’s shotgun to a larger home that was in the area. My research continues.

This shotgun cottage is actually closer to the original shotgun house built before the pretty Victorian details were added by Europeans. It does not have the gingerbread details, but is rather utilitarian and has a more country cottage, simplistic feel. This shotgun is also wider then the traditional shotgun, which is only 12-13 feet wide. this one is 15 feet wide by approx. 63 feet long, although the original building comes in at approximately 55 before the last room was added.

The house has lath and plaster walls, old growth heart of pine flooring, a center brick fireplace, and brick and mortar piers.