These are 80 year old, 10 inch wide pine boards composing the ceiling of this cottage kitchen. When we moved in, we had no idea they were up there. These boards were covered with layers of cheese cloth wall paper which were (strangely) covered by styrofoam panels.

As we tore off styrofoam and peeled off wall paper, these glorious old boards peeked through. Their warm tone and grain begged to be uncovered, and we obliged. This is true of much of Cottage; it stands on its own. It doesn’t need to be all made-up to be presentable. There’s a quality to its age that should be put on display; it’s beautiful because it’s old. Its beauty has been earned through years of patience. It just needs someone to remove the layers of ill-directed effort and let it’s years show.

Cottage is old. This is Cottage.

And what is old is past. And what’s past is not new. And what’s not new is “so five minutes ago” and when we say that we mean it as an insult. And this cottage is so much more than five minutes ago; something closer to 29,000 days ago. But, then, here it is, still here. Still doing its duty keeping weather out and warmth in. What’s more, its telling stories, and it can tell stories because it has lived them. And it has lived them because its old. And this makes old really good.

Cottage is old. This is cottage.