Granny blankets, scaffold poles and sailing ships.

Some recent pictures of progress on Seaside Lodge’s renovation.

We’ve got our first 4 bookings (yay!), and are getting very excited about reaching the finishing line. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from visitors, and several people coming for a look around on spec.

Available to let from 1 June 2015. For more info, drop us an email at info@boltholeproperties.com

Bedroom 1 at Seaside Lodge has an en-suite shower room.

The open plan sitting room has large doors opening onto a deck over the fishing lake.

The open plan living area has two sitting areas, one by the lake and log burner, the other in a quiet study space (ignore the tree clippings, they’re toast!)

Soon-to-be-organised library and study area by the original 1958 south facing window

“The ocean is a mighty harmonist” William Wordsworth.

Seaside Lodge is just 80m from one of Britain’s top hidden beaches

Before, during and (almost) after.

As we near the end of Seaside Lodge’s renovation, it’s fun to look back at some of the pictures we took when we first wielded a mallet.

We’ve nearly finished inside – another fortnight and it’ll be tip top. A perfect bolthole to relax and unwind in.

Now we’re finishing the exterior and garden. There’s painting, new cedar cladding, a dining/sitting deck over the lake, and the garden to landscape. With lots of coastal plants and grasses in soft yellows and blues.

So, although there’s still the finishes touches to complete, here are some before and (almost) after pics:

Privacy, restored.

Both of the privies at Seaside Lodge are now a lot more private. There are two lovely bathrooms at Seaside Lodge, both with showers, one with a big, deep bath.

Let there be light

That pile of insulation is now in the walls, and the original 1950s window over the south is flooded with light. There’s a quiet sitting area up here, with heaps of good books, games and DVDs to while away a quiet afternoon not spent on the beach.

Goodbye, plastic accordion door.

We’ll kind of miss that door. (No, we won’t)

A window to the west

Seaside Lodge’s kitchen is in the middle of the large open plan living space – 2 big sitting areas north and south and a dining/writing/study area to the east.

Now, a room with a view.

The master bedroom at Seaside Lodge now has another window, so you can wake up to the tranquil view over the lake. There’s an en-suite shower room too.

To enquire about staying in this 1950s lakeside hideaway from June 2015 (near one of Britain’s ‘best undiscovered beaches‘), drop us an email: info@boltholeproperties.com.

Bathing Beauties at the Creek.

‘Bathing Beauties’ was launched to promote this lovely, almost forgotten, stretch of Lincolnshire coastline with an international competition for artists, architects and designers to ‘Re-imagine the Beach Hut for the 21st Century’. 240 incredible design structures from over 15 countries were submitted. Anderby Creek is home to 2 ‘Bathing Beauties’ – the Round and Round House and the Cloud Bar.

The Cloud Bar at Anderby Creek.

The UK’s first permanent cloud watching outpost, designed by Michael Trainor.  A unique larch, acrylic and concrete construction, featuring a cloud-spotting menu, specially designed cloud-viewing seating and self-operating parabolic cloud-mirrors to magic the sky down to the earth.
Recognised as the world’s first ‘Official Cloud Spotting Area’ by The Cloud Appreciation Society 

The Round and Round House at Anderby Creek.

This small building was designed by Kingston and Weber of Soma Design and chosen in the Bathing Beauties competition because it’s ideal for bird-watching. Constructed from curved laminated plywood.  Positioned in the dunes 350m south of the beach entrance, up a narrow wooden boardwalk and steps.

This year, the annual Bathing Beauties festival is held on 5-6th September. http://www.bathingbeautiesfestival.org/bathing-beauties.html

Plant. Eat cake. Paint. Eat cake. Repeat as necessary.

Blinds up in the master bedroom -lovely to open them first thing and watch the birds on the lake.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been steadily chipping away at the remaining renovation projects on Seaside Lodge, and we can see the finishing line in our sights. Visits from a 2 holiday home professionals have been informative and helpful, and both of them said the lodge is going to be at the top end of a four star property, which is lovely to hear.

We got a lot done over the last few days, and managed to have some serious beach time too.

1 lattice willow hedge planted
1 weeping willow by the lake planted
2 sea buckthorns planted
1 bay tree planted
2 garden bird boxes installed
3 blinds put up
3 door frames painted
4 cupboards fitted out and undercoated
Ensuite shower room completed
1 wall painted
10 cakes eaten (we needed the energy).

Everything is on-stream for lettings to commence in May – we’ve even got our first 4 bookings! The website is underway and should be up in three weeks. To enquire about staying in Seaside Lodge please drop us an email: info@boltholeproperties.com

The main bathroom is nearly finished

The master bedroom is painted

The en suite shower room at Seaside Lodge is complete – and fab.

Top tip: bring kite strings to Anderby Creek beach.

Walking down to the beach from the Round and Round House – a 360 hide to watch wildlife.

Hiding in the hide.

A walk through the dunes to the hide.

After all that fresh air we needed non-cake sustenance. The platter at The Fat Seagull up the road was delicious.

The Fat Seagull’s platter is yummy.

Putting it up on the cloud

Words are bit superfluous here. Pictures taken on the beach, with an iPhone, at Anderby Creek 2 days ago. Sky and light were utterly breathtaking. And, the beach was empty.

Deserted beach and a blue, blue sky.

Looking South toward the outfall on a sunny February afternoon on Anderby Creek beach

The photogenic beach houses at Anderby Creek

Susanne adding a bit of colour contrast up in the Cloud Bar.

The clouds on Anderby Creek beach can be nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Anderby Creek Cloud Bar mirror

“Idleness is the beginning of all vice, the crown of all virtues”.

A lot to do at Seaside Lodge this morning – painting, pruning, sanding and waxing (furniture, cheeky!), but the sky is blue and it’s very hard to believe it’s mid-February.

So, we’re going to have another coffee and stare out at the lake some more.

Like Franz Kafka said:  “Idleness is the beginning of all vice, the crown of all virtues”.

Splash of milk in my coffee please.

Seaside Lodge, lazy Sunday morning.

Seaside Lodge, lazy Sunday morning II

“We can’t sit around staring at the lake and drinking coffee all day”.

So we walked to the beach instead.

By the way, all these pics were taken on the morning of 15th February 2015 – it got cooler later, but the beach was as warm as the end of April.

We did get quite a lot done on the lodge later, I sanded and waxed an Ercol chair and Jon painted a floor, but it was one heck of a way to start the day.

Seaside Lodge, lazy Sunday morning III

Seaside Lodge, lazy Sunday morning IV

Clunch, Mizzle and Arsenic

It’s a decorating fact of life that:

1. All the best paint colours are the most expensive paint colours.

2. All the best/most expensive paint colours have the silliest names.

This week, we have been throwing Duck Egg at the walls, and covering the plaster with Elephant’s Breath. We’re trying to use the colours in the surrounding landscape in interior of  Seaside Lodge, whilst keeping a colour palette that’s true to its 1950s heritage.

That means no shocking pink, no glitter and no feature walls. I hope that doesn’t disappoint.

It’s great to be at the stage where the dust and dirt are nearly a distant memory.

Choosing paint colours that reflect the view outside the window

Colours of the surrounding lake, dunes, sea and fields.

2 large skips and a broken vacuum cleaner

Most of the renovating dust and rubble is behind us – hurrah!

We’re moving into the next stage. Both bathrooms are going in, and the floor and wall tiles chosen. I’ve found a bathroom floor tile that looks just like the sand on the beach, which has made my week. Scrub that, month.

The temporary kitchen is now where the permanent one will be in the next month, albeit a little less appealing to the eye.

For a freezing mid-January, the lodge is lovely and toasty too!

Rhapsody in blue

The drive to Seaside Lodge always seems to take us through several different climates, and the sky gets bigger and bigger the further east we drive.

I’ve fallen in love with Lincolnshire sunsets.

Leaving home at 7:30 on a freezing cold January morning

As the day dawned, and we drove east, the sky got bluer

Coming off the Lincolnshire Wolds, the Anderby sunshine was there to greet us.

Leaving Anderby Creek and driving into a glorious Lincolnshire sunset has become one of life’s simple pleasures.

The Lake, at dusk in mid-January.

Fading light and al fresco sausages.

Fading afternoon light in the south facing what-will-be study area

Teatime bangers

November.

Things are really coming on. Although technically, that phrase is banned, along with “It’s coming together nicely”.

Clean walls, natural light.

All the rooms bar the big bathroom are now plaster boarded. The space looks much cleaner and more delineated. The picture above was taken from the front door. Behind Jon will be a small library/study area.

Looking North over the lake.

This picture is looking north. The window at the end will be replaced with sliding glass doors, onto a deck, overlooking the lake. In the space between will be a simple kitchen and then a living area with log burner. I shall probably devote a whole future blog post to the log burner. It’s gorgeous.

The view through the soon-to-be glass doors

On the picture above the lake is empty of geese, ducks or other water fowl. They are often on the lake throughout the day, congregating noisily, or just gliding along and then flying off again in unison. Watching them and figuring out their schedules is becoming a favourite pastime.

A very public convenience

The blog wouldn’t be complete without a picture of the central bog. So, here it is.

Late afternoon over the lake

Time to head back back West. Two pictures of the lake before we drive into the sunset.

Bird on a wire

A birthday, two airbeds, a spider and some champagne on the beach

The keys to Seaside Lodge – all 64 of them.

We collected the keys to Seaside Lodge on Saturday morning. Back of the truck loaded to the gunnels with airbeds, chairs, tool kit and the desert island essentials – Marmite, foot file and my second best fit flops.

We unloaded the gubbins, then surveyed our new kingdom. It was the first time we’d been inside since we viewed it back in May.

Comically large spider in residence – tick. Smell approximating a fusion of boiled cabbage, wet newspapers and something I haven’t smelt since I helped mum deliver Meals on Wheels circa 1972 – tick.

Comedy spider at the lodge

So, here are the pics. Jon had started ripping things about before I got the chance to take pics of the lodge untouched. But let’s just say after 2 days we hadn’t found a screw or a piece of wood thicker than a greetings card. Thus far, it appears the lodge has been constructed of nails, balsawood and sticky back plastic. Lots of sticky back plastic.

This original heater makes your lips stick to your teeth.

The VIP suite with zip ‘n’ link luxury airbeds and complementary chisel.

I’m going to miss that door when it’s gone. “Tonight, Matthew…”

…Bit late for that isn’t it?

Sunday was my birthday. So I sashayed around measuring things, then we went to the beach, drank champagne and dozed in the late summer sun. Daydreaming about log burners, tartan rugs and sitting on the deck by the lake. Well, I was.

Huttoft Car terrace and a kite surfer.

Getting going at Huttoft Car terrace

Birthday poo on the beach

Footnote. People keep walking into our garden to view the lake. I found a man there at 6am. One word: fence.

Completion is just the start.

Hoorah! We completed on the purchase of the lodge today. Now to be aptly called ‘Seaside Lodge’.

We are now the proud owners of a 1959 large garden shed by a lake on the East Coast, a scant 2 minute amble from the beach. Un-modernised since Noah was a lad.

We’ll be blogging regularly, as we renovate the Vic Hallam lodge (also called an Anderby Chalet) and (hopefully) turn it into a restorative, creative bolthole for those of us who just need to get from it all from time to time. (If getting away from it all includes Malbec and a log burner).

Please follow us on our journey. Fun times and knackered manicures ahead!

Welcome to Anderby Creek

It’s going to look a little different in the next few months. The back of the lodge before renovation.

Seaside Lodge compass

The garden needs a bit of TLC

The view from the back of the lodge #Nofilter

Looking back from the beach – The Hamptons? No, Lincolnshire!

Looking over the dunes at the beach at Anderby Creek

The fields over the lake