> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.beechbumblvd.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Our Old Florida Cottage - URL: https://www.beechbumblvd.com/our-old-florida-cottage/ - Published: 2026-10-03T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T19:44:43.000Z - Author: Bee - Tags: THE COTTAGE, 003 ![Our House](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/ourhouse.png) ![Plumeria](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/Plumeria-1.png) ![Our Mailbox](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/ourmailbox-1.png) ![Hand-drawn vintage 18-cent postage stamp featuring our Englewood cottage surrounded by tropical greenery, illustrated by The Small Town Studio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/ourhouse.png) ![Hand-drawn vintage 20-cent postage stamp featuring two white and pink plumeria flowers against a sage green background, illustrated by The Small Town Studio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/Plumeria-1.png) ![Hand-drawn vintage postage stamp featuring a silver U.S. mailbox with googly eyes and a rust-colored flag, illustrated by The Small Town Studio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/ourmailbox-1.png) ![the living room before renovations](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7221-1.jpg) ![the living room after renovations](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7313-1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7221-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7313-1.JPG) The very first time I saw the listing for our house, I was instantly hooked by the wood ceilings. Original wooden planks and beams, 70 years old. The house was built in 1956 in downtown Englewood, minutes from Manasota Key. Just a quick trip over the old drawbridge and you’re at the Gulf. We can walk to the farmer’s market every Thursday on Dearborn Street. ![Before renovation: Original wood plank ceiling with exposed beams, pastel-colored walls, shuttered windows, and concrete floors inside our 1956 Englewood cottage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7221.jpg) before ![After renovation: Restored wood plank ceiling with exposed beams, white shiplap walls, recessed lighting, and unfinished concrete floors inside our Englewood cottage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7313.JPG) after Our house's layout is actually well-known in town. It’s called a Kluge. Built by Merton Kluge, a contractor who lived and worked in Englewood for 35 years. His homes were famous for their simplicity. I love the idea that he was a “careful, no waste builder”. [Here is a great article about Kluges](https://www.yoursun.com/englewood/newsarchives/englewood-s-famous-little-kluge-houses/article%5F812ada6a-179c-534c-b848-e4f57229e4e1.html?ref=beechbumblvd.com). It genuinely makes me happy to restore and bring something like this back to life. I find it so rewarding to keep history alive even in a small town, like ours. ![Historic photograph of a small, single-story Kluge cottage in Englewood, Florida, with a low roof, pale exterior walls, and pine trees behind it.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/5cd47c5c61dd9.image.jpg) an original Kluge | photo from yoursun.com One of my favorite parts about our house is our doorbell. It’s an actual mechanical twist doorbell where you turn this key-like knob on the outside and it rings a physical bell on the inside. It’s really cool. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7110.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7112.jpg) our old mechanical doorbell Our house came with a couple quirky things, like our mailbox with eyeballs ... ![Weathered pink and silver U.S. mailbox with two googly eyes, a rusty flag, and a wooden post outside an Englewood cottage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/mailbox-1.PNG) I wonder what the mailman thought When we began renovating, my boyfriend started framing out each room. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_1543.JPG) framing out each room! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_0922-1.jpg) the original ceiling vs the sanded ceiling We decided to add shiplap to brighten the entire cottage and give it a more coastal feel. We brought the walls all the way to the ceiling, which added a little extra height and insulated the house more efficiently. We had a crew come in to help shiplap the walls and we filled all the nail holes and boy, were there a ton of holes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6939.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2064.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6940.jpg) Then we started to work on our favorite part, the wood ceilings. The original wood was beautiful but the satin and sheen were not quite to our taste. It was this rich cherry with the glossiest finish, I really loathed the color. It made the house so dark and unnatural. I think a lot of people moving to a coastal beach town would have just painted the ceilings white and called it a day. But we chose to keep them as original as possible. My boyfriend re-sanded, and re-stained every inch of the ceilings. The work that went into these ceilings was kind of insane but we tend to take the more challenging route, it’s always the most rewarding. ![Side-by-side view of original dark wood ceilings and lighter sanded wooden planks and beams inside a 1956 Englewood cottage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3895.jpg) Sometimes when I wake up, I lay in bed and just stare at the ceilings and admire all of the hard work that he put into each board, knot and beam. Each board is layered with an antique oak, a wash of graystone and bits of the natural grain popping out creating this organic looking driftwood color. He carefully hand stained every knot in a medium brown dye to create additional dimension. ![Close-up of restored wooden ceiling planks and an exposed beam with a weathered driftwood stain in soft gray and natural brown tones.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_5377.jpg) Before the finished look, we went through and tried so many color options. It became exhausting and we were starting to hit a wall. After endless research, trial and error he finally formulated the perfect equation of stain. ## The Driftwood Ceiling Formula: 1 - Pre-stain Treatment: [**General Finishes - Water Based - Pre-Stain Conditioner - Natural**](https://amzn.to/47rYDlT?ref=beechbumblvd.com)**\*** 2 - Base: [**General Finishes - Water Based - Wood Stain - Antique Oak**](https://amzn.to/484tyos?ref=beechbumblvd.com)\* 3 - Wash Coat: [**General Finishes - Water Based - Wood Stain - Graystone**](https://amzn.to/3VTV2KT?ref=beechbumblvd.com) (dilute as a wash application)\* 4 - Knots and Character Streaks: [**General Finishes - Water Based - Dye Stain - Medium Brown**](https://amzn.to/3VPSihK?ref=beechbumblvd.com)\* 5 - Final Protective Top Coat: [**General Finishes - Water Based - Flat Out Flat - Top Coat**](https://amzn.to/4i0q6Qn?ref=beechbumblvd.com)\* *\*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.* ![Four circular wood samples in different brown and gray stain finishes arranged on a concrete floor while testing colors for cottage ceilings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2415-1-1.jpg) He sprayed the final look with this beautiful translucent matte finish that doesn't take away from the natural grain yet still creates a protective coat. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2546.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_2547.jpg) After the ceiling we moved back to the shiplap. He sprayed each room in Sherwin Williams Cheviot. It took us a while to figure out what to do with the trim. We wanted something coastal and simple but still somewhat elevated. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_6005.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_7293.JPG) Currently, we are working on laying the remaining tile floors. We just have the living room and the guest bedroom left and then we are officially finished with tile, thank goodness. Laying tile is not for the weak. We have a completely new respect for all tile layers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_8912-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_8914-1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3209-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3321-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3329-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3333-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3334-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/58/8d/588df8e5-5baa-466d-916f-57f9952331dc/content/images/2026/10/IMG_3568-2-2.JPG) I can’t wait to get started on the decor. We’ve been completely focused on the basics for now. We are going for a cozy coastal grandfather cottage with old Florida vibes. Hopefully by the next postcard, it will be time for decorating.