Green Valley Lake, with it's beautiful surroundings, and quiet community is known for lots of things, but unless you're a homeowner you may not know that lots of the cabins were built many years ago and still remain outdated, uncomfortable, and a little TOO rustic. Before homeowners Steve, and Flo, along with the rest of the family came together to fix it up, Eagle Cabin was a bit like this.
Eagle Cabin was set in a lovely location on a quiet pine tree lined street, however, the cabin itself needed a tremendous amount of work. We loved the stream running through the back yard, the forest in back of the cabin, and the short walk to fabulous hiking trails, so we took the plunge and purchased the cabin.
The previous owners could not agree on a style for the cabin so it remained in a state of interior disrepair for decades. We visioned rustic style with all the modern conveniences of home. To honor the eagles who fish from Green Valley Lake we added a collection of antique hand carved wood eagles in the living room and master bedroom.
It took about 5 months of consistent work, but the undertaking was well worth it. Our entire family pitched in including our sons, son in law, daughters, and some family friends. We actually taught two of our daughters to use power tools while we worked on the cabin.
The largest amount of work was the solid oak floor. We fell in love with a rustic knotty oak floor that could have been around a century ago, however, sourcing enough flooring to finish the cabin took a couple months. We had never installed a tongue and groove floor, and unlike modern prefabricated floors which are in large pieces, this floor needed to be installed one small board at a time with a floor nailer. It was truly a labor of love to install each piece of the floor throughout the cabin, then sand and stain the floor. We used a clear poly finish and let the color and character of the oak shine through.
Keep reading to find out more about this massive makeover!
The Living Room
When we first viewed the living room the open feel of the room came through, even with the raw plywood floors and stained carpet remnants. The large stone fireplace with the solid slab wood mantle were the only details worth keeping. After installing oak flooring and pine shiplap ceilings we found an unfinished pine slab that would fit perfectly as a new breakfast bar. After trimming and refinishing the slab to fit, it added additional dining space, as well as a welcoming space to talk with family and friends cooking in the kitchen.
The living room's best additions were the homemade slab coffee tables, which we purchased from a man who reclaimed wood which the slabs were cut from, as well as the refinished slab breakfast bar. The project was tied together by the knotty pine shiplap ceilings and rustic oak floors that run throughout our cabin. We went to Big Bear to find authentic log furniture and purchased our dining table, sofas, chairs and stools. To finish the living room we took our favorite photos of Green Valley Lake and had them printed on canvas to hang above the sofa.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was original to 30 years earlier and it showed! Fortunately the cabinet layout was very functional so we did not need to move around the gas and water lines. Brand new, knotty pine cabinet doors were made by a craftsman in Texas to replace the dingy existing cabinetry, and a wine rack was built in under the counter. We reused some of the old cabinet doors to build the cabinet around the wine rack and the small cabinet by the fridge. To add an additional element of character to the cabinets we chose cracked clear glass drawer pulls we found by chance at Cost Plus World Market.
The floor tile we chose was Folkstone Sandy Beach by Daltile, giving us the look of stone with the durability of a quality porcelain tile. Granite counters were added to make clean up more efficient, and give an updated look. Finally, updated appliances were added in timeless stainless steel to give the kitchen a finished look.
The Master Bedroom
The Master Bedroom needed a lot of work, but it was well worth it in the end. Updating with our favorite rustic oak floors and knotty pine ceilings, giving the room a fresh coat of paint, and adding faux pine painted closet doors really did the trick. The knotted hand peeled log furniture tied everything together.
We went antique shopping and found the right finishing touch with a collection of antique hand carved wood eagles to hang above the master bed.
New french doors were added to the small private deck adjacent to the master bedroom. We also installed a marble mosaic accented with the Folkstone tile in front of the new doors. In the master bedroom seating area we built a small slab table with a tree trunk base.
The Bathrooms
Like the rest of the cabin, both the master and spare bathroom needed lots of work. The old bathtubs were chipped and in poor condition, while the bathroom vanity and sink had been removed. We finished demolition of the tub area and replaced the tubs with acrylic bathtubs surrounded by Folkstone tile with a glass accent detail in the middle. The Folkstone porcelain tile in the kitchen was brought through to the bathroom floors for a cohesive feel as well as durability, and a rustic stone look.
The craftsman in Texas built and shipped us doors for the bathroom vanities. We wanted a consistent look throughout our cabin so he made the doors in the same style as the kitchen. Oil rubbed bronze finishings gave a warm feel to the bathrooms.
The Bunk and Spare Bedroom
The two remaining bedrooms needed a complete redo. New paint, flooring, and ceilings gave a beautiful base for rustic furniture, and vibrant, woodsy bed fittings.
Here's a bit of a recap: The original bare plywood floors were replaced with knotty, solid oak flooring, and finished with three coats of satin floor finish. More knotty pine found it's home on the ceiling in the form of bright, but cozy, pine shiplap. Matching folkstone ceramic tiles were used to floor the bathroom and kitchens, and marble mosaics were set in the front and master bathroom entryways. We also had all the windows replaced with dual pane energy efficient Milgard windows, surrounding each window with carefully selected knotty pine molding.
It's amazing what a family full of dedication, a vision, and artistic ability can do! The spectacular Eagle Cabin is available for rent, but spots fill up fast, so book your next trip at gvleaglecabins.com, and don't forget to #GVLlikealocal .
People who are created their own websites they like to post photos or other documents on their websites. We can check documents and https://plasterersunshinecoast.com.au/ can download them easily. Some documents are useful for us and we can get some tips.