This one is with the doors closed showing the classic crossbuck X design. I considered changing it thinking it might be too barnlike. After a little research on historical designs, I decided instead to repeat that detail in my scratch built railings, making it a featured accent. I repeated the X in some of the furniture inside too.
The colors were so critical for this project. I made my own little swatches of possible colors on scraps of wood and then just played mix and match til it looked right to me. I wanted to bring in a little orange to accent the oranges and I LOVE this shade of red. It just makes me happy! The pewter grey was a great neutral between the two colors and matches the color of weathered wood in the ramp without having to make everything worn. Originally I thought the white was too crisp, but with a little "bug juice" mixture to take it down a bit, and the white sand of our beach, I think it worked out.
I did not make the wonderful adirondack chair but it reminded me of home in the Adirondack region of New York. It's a transplant to these Florida shores, just like me! Most Floridians are from other places originally and that was certainly true of the early pioneers who would have run their business out of a building like this. Those chairs are a reminder of home.
