I forgot to add a few thoughts I had.

On decorating in a hurry: I know the conventional wisdom is to allow time to find the right things, but i totally disagree. You want to start using and enjoying these spaces! You can always add or edit later. I regret doing projects over time or houses room by room. If budget permits, do it all right away is my new motto.

On white. We have three kids and a dog, and lots of washable white slipcovers and light rugs. Yes, it would be easier if they were dark. But it would also be easier to maintain a cinder block home with one window. I don't want that either. Go for it on the white, esp for a home used primarily by 4 adults. In our beachhouse I rescued three different LR armchairs from the PO, and reupholstered all three in white duck. I almost slipcovered them white but that's what I will do when these get dirty! Say "yes" to white!

Robo keep an eye out on Myhabit . Com, they have a bunch of new markdowns on all ready reduced prices. They do a $25 flat fee per shipment to Canada. I have ordered from them before and had good service (but I am in the U.S). There are some good deals with new ones each day.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out. Just found out about another Canadian retailer bryght.com for modern furnishings... I see I still have some shopping to do!

You might look at this for inspiration. Traditional Home Stylish Cape Cod Cottage

I love that one, so classy! Thanks for the link :)

BBSTX, I love that kitchen! Interesting choice to center the PR mirror on the wall and not the sink ,,, hmm. I love the desk in shot 12. Fabulous.

The inspections are done, the papers are signed, a giant IKEA order went in today (with the help of a LOVELY employee at the Montreal store), the plan has been a little de-twee-ified and the only major remaining purchase is dining table and chairs. Haven't found one we loved and may just keep trolling kijiji/craigslist for a nice vintage set. Thanks to all for your input and good taste! I will post some after photos IF we work as quickly as I hope we will!

Meanwhile it's the busiest time of year at my work so I'll be very well occupied over the next few months! ;)

I also had some big help from my sister who gave me an 1800km long distance consultation by sitting in every chair in her local IKEA for me. Her conclusion was that the leather chairs I picked were very sturdy and comfy and that the green chair looked like an 80s car seat but would be ok for perching.

Have you considered an IKEA Docksta table with ghost chairs? http://www.amazon.ca/Flash-Furniture-Ghost-Transparent-Crystal/dp/B00CIQV6G6/ref=pd_sim_201_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z4XAJ2KP9AYMNGB8EMW for the kitchen?

bbstx, thank you for the link! I think they would be vetoed on comfort grounds.

MIL sent me a link to the Marcel table and chairs at Pier 1. LOVE THE LOOK! The table is too long and doesn't have any leaves, boo hoo. Would perhaps hunt for something like this

Moving in on Thursday!!

Now for the next stage - paint.

Do you have any favorite BM colors in the following you think I should try? I would greatly appreciate any of your "never fails" to consider. I am also bringing bossy friend with good design eye, my fandecks and will get samples before I paint - but it's 40 minutes to the nearest paint store so will need to pare down my usual five or six return trips for samples.

* Light cream to go with buttermilk cabinets and bright white trim? Want it to be lighter than the cabinets but still contrast a bit with the white (which I am painting up to chair rail). Would also accept other color recommendations. There will be a lot of walnut and white furniture. The light is primarily from the East. Considering: Cloud white, linen white.

* Light spa blue (as warm as possible) to go with greyish navy floor? The bathroom is so dark, I'm going to paint wainscoting white and walls mid-light. Light in this room is North and West. Considering: Gray Wisp (but probly too green), blue haze

* Light bluish or greenish grey for my little bedroom (west facing)? Considering: Moonshine.

* Warm grey or greige for "the observatory?" I like the orange fine but it is quite dim up there. Considering: Classic Gray, Grant beige, Revere

How exciting!

I think given the kind of colors you like, I'd use the Farrow and Ball pamphlet, which has nice Cotswoldy colors and is well edited. If you dont want to pay for FnB, have them color match it. Many feel that is not "as good" but it's close. I think it's kind of like utilizing FnB's pamphlet to narrow down tasteful appropriate choices. So much of the BM deck are colors NO ONE will use, IMHO!

That said, I am not certain of what you are trying to achieve in the K? (which is darn cute, btw, wont' you have a BLAST with that shelf?). To me, the walls look like a darker shade of the same thing on the cabinets. Why are you changing it? I might do a BM color capture on the cabs and look for colors "nearby" on the BM card. You could try BM Mayonnaise or Cotton Balls.

For greenish grey I like Hampshire Grey.

ANd for the blue, I am one of those who really likes Palladian Blue.

Well, the kitchen and living room are painted kind of a strong yellow (see first post). I'd like to go lighter ... a LOT lighter. Not really a yellow person. I will put cotton balls on the list! And mayonnaise, coincidentally very similar to the cream color the POs painted our house.

I just ordered a F&B color card! I might even go over to the one store here when I have time and buy a fandeck...I love fandecks.

I didn't even know they had a fandeck until a few yrs ago. I lived a fully and happy life restricted to the color card.

Yes and it IS free instead of $50CAD. I should restrict myself!

Edit: of course I came home with the fan deck.

Bunny Williams has a show house featured in this month's Southern Living. She used SW Creamy in the kitchen with white cabinets. In several other rooms, she used SW Steamed Milk. Here is a photo of Steamed Milk with white trim

LINK to 2015 Southern Living Idea House.

I know you asked for BM colors, but I thought I would throw the above out. Most of my house is BM Revere Pewter. It is definitely gray in my house. DD has it in her MBR and it is blue. Sister had it in her DR and it was beige-ish. The point is, if you use it, definitely do a BIG test swatch. You don't know what you might get. (P.S. we are all happy with it)

Thanks for posting that photo of steamed milk!!!! That is EXACTLY the look I am going for!!!!! I realize it could look very different in person.

I just painted a small kitchen in Creamy. Love!

Checked out Steamed Milk, but it was a tad too dark in a west-facing space.

Steamed Milk in that photo is beautiful.

Love the Steamed Milk!

It looks like it could have a slight peachy tone in other photos, which wouldn't fly. But I like the general idea of that kind of look!

Try this tool on the BM website:

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/personal-color-viewer

I've been trying various paints for our LR. It's fun!

Thanks Bonnie Ann!

We are in!!!!

And then there is that moment when the seller tells you he did all the trim in oil so you have to prime all the picture frames with Stix...

Ugh! At least he told you, otherwise it would peel and you'd have a mess on your hands. Slow and steady, one room at a time. Glad you are IN!!!!

Congratulations Robo! Have fun and keep us posted on your progress!

I entitle this photo: "the pain of finding out your kitchen cabinets have a distinct peachy tone when you were only concentrating on getting rid of the gold walls" or "does this off white sample look too bright yellow compared to the cabinets? Nahhh...let's go ahead and get a five gallon pail."

Painting break this morning with the loons. Furniture delivery Wednesday!

With that lake to look at, those cabinets could be chartreuse and I'd never notice!!!

Painting can be so tedious, and color choices can be so hard. Hope you're enjoying the cottage and lake very much! I can't wait to see what you do with it.

I love steamed milk paint, the color is sooo inviting.

Well, now that I know my kitchen cabs are peach, steamed milk might be back on the agenda.

gorgeous lake photo! I love the morning mist that often is on lakes-- I can just close my eyes and feel that crisp coolness!! and smell the freshness!

with peachy cabinets, I would probably be trying to find a lt gray... but I agree with bbstx- I don't think I would care a great deal what color they are!!

To follow up here, I painted the walls a warm off white (seapearl) that contrasts with but doesn't clash with cabinets.

Coat rack dilemma solved with a present from my friends/contractor! I believe the wood is padauk and the hooks are from Lee Valley.

Seapearl looks wonderful. You are really toning down the place nicely to emphasize the Great Outdoors. Nice job.

The picture frame molding looks SO much nicer in white. Well done! Love the coat rack too. Can't wait to see it all.

One guest bedroom (in the loft) almost set up. The wall colour is the rejected colour from downstairs, cream froth. Bed is old IKEA standby from our house, tables $40 each from ikea; lamps, quilt and paint by number all vintage.

Lookin' good. Even pictures on the wall!

I'd be happy to be a guest in that bedroom! Really looks nice. Love the coat rack too.

Very nice! Simple and fresh. I like how the tables/lamps repeat the colors in the beautiful quilt.

You are a fast worker! We are moving at a snail's pace on our family lake cabin :-) We are focusing on outdoor painting and repairs before the winter gets here. So boring, I want to decorate :-)

Love seeing your progress shots. What an inviting place!

Like others, I'm impressed with how much you've been able to do (thought out & nicely done) in such a short time.

Love that room robo,

so fresh looking

Perfect cottage guest room! Very sweet. Can't wait to see the rest!

You may be waiting awhile for the next room...

Very nice job on the guest room. You knew that paint color would be useful somewhere!

Love the wall color and rug in the 2nd guest-room-to-be!

Thats a lovely bedroom, robo, quiet and serene and perfect for your lakeside getaway! Great job!

Some more progress in the past few weeks - it's been a frenzy of furniture assembly with some painting on the side. And working full time. And guests.

Anyway, the seapearl paint colour has worked out VERY well and I get lots of compliments on it. A very warm off-grey, reminds me of a plaster color. The pillows on the chairs are placeholders destined for my daybed. I originally had planned a grey sofa cover in here but the navy called my name. It's a bit dark but not bad for $99.

This bathroom is killing me - two coats on the wainscoting and at least one to go. One on the walls, one to go, And now I realize I have to do the trim as it is so discoloured (aged oil). It is so much brighter in there, it's unbelievable. Needs new blinds obvs. I wanted a "sandy" coastal feeling in here and ended up with BM Ballet White.

I did finally learn how to cut in after 20 years. Looking forward to my new tape-free lifestyle.

I told my husband I deserve a cookie or possibly a gold star for cutting in this corner over the shower. Let's just say my ladder position wouldn't have won any OSHA awards. I also realized, I don't think the bluer left wall was an optical illusion - I think it's a different color than the other walls by accident or design. The grey right wall is the same color as the ceiling.

This is my life now. I forget what it's like to sit on something I didn't assemble first.

Of course there's time for breaks, too! Got my family hooked on washer toss...

Morning swim.

It must be such a relief to your in laws that you are doing all this work. The place looks better and better each time you show it.

Things are looking so good. Glad to see you've taken a little time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

I'm envious of your cutting in skills. I've yet to master that.

All I can say, wow. That navy is gorgeous. Everything is so much lighter and brighter!

Thank you! emmarene, it's a relief to them in the sense that they never would. My FIL knows how to change a lightbulb and he's happy with that level of knowledge! I don't mind as it allows me to use this beautiful place all I want.

amck - I've tried and tried to learn and always got impatient. Now I am one with the brush!

nsm - thanks! I had originally planned to put an Isunda Grey kivik in here (here modelled by my dog-niece Betsy up in the loft) but it was introducing another color to the palette that the palette really didn't need. The navy just seemed to work a lot better. The isunda is a really nice, classy looking cover though.

Side note: my BIL rescued Betsy while working up North (she had a damaged paw and would not have survived). She recovered fully and is now a true working dog, happy to run and swim all day! A 10k run in the morning is like a warmup for her.