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Emily Copeman

@thesaltydaughter

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breathing new life into old spaces & places.
the Salty Daughter beach house was sold in 2024.
stay tuned for what's coming next... ✨

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One of the things I miss most about hosting people at The Salty Daughter is being able to add little touches like fresh flowers or fun local snacks to personalize each guest experience. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE flowers**, so, nine times out of ten, when I had a big group checking in I'd run to @crossstreetflowerfarm for a haul of whatever was in season.

Did you know that flower-arranging offers significant mental and physical health benefits as a form of therapeutic and mindfulness-focused creative expression? The tactile & sensory experience of making something beautiful with items from nature is an oft-overlooked act of self-care that benefits others, too!

As we trudge through the remaining months of oppressively cold & gray winter, I'm starting to think I should do this for myself in my own home every week...

** my favorites: lilies, purple roses, lilacs, ranunculus, peonies 💐 by @thesaltydaughter

One of the things that drew me to our current home was that while it was "move-in ready", there were enough projects to satisfy the MBA student in me that always wants to see assets appreciate & add value via sweat equity.

The unfinished basement ran the footprint of the entire first floor and had unusually tall ceilings plus a window and a door to the backyard. All of this told me I could eventually convert the space into additional living or even an accessory dwelling for extra income (any ADU must have its own entrance and egress for fire emergencies) and I knew early on that I wanted to add at least one new room and a bathroom as well as organized storage.

Every aspect of the basement was very rough - the "walls" were the original fieldstone foundation built in 1876, the floors were dirt and the beams were full of nails and old electrical wiring. I first needed to level the surface and pour concrete floors then properly clean and seal the fieldstone for moisture and exposure to the elements (and tiny guests 🐁 😳).

Next we tackled framing out the space to identify rooms and discovered there was enough space for a hallway to a closed storage area, a good-sized space that could serve as a playroom/art studio/guest room* and a 3/4 bathroom. We closed the foundation with drywall and added walls and doorways, laid luxury laminate flooring & cleaned & sprayed the exposed ceilings to keep the height.

Electrical and plumbing went in, storage shelving was built, tile was installed and within a few short months, I was able to gift my girls their first dedicated "play room" in time for Christmas.

Still to come: butler's kitchen wall, work bench, gift wrapping station.

*I always like to be thinking about resale value - down the line this room can be staged as a guest room & in the interim, when my brother & SIL visit, they have a big cozy cloud couch bed & private bathroom! by @thesaltydaughter

Never accept a space on its face! A little imagination, elbow grease & some inspiration photos go a long way... and in this case, repurposed a musty, dark storage space into a dream "walk-in" closet at the tippity top of my 4-floor antique farmhouse. We covered the wall & floor joists with 2x4s and painted them a simple white after roughly sanding & removing nails. While it was a little expensive, I wanted to add a window for natural light (all the clever electrical work & designer lighting in the world could never replace real sunlight!) and ventilation too.

I also wanted to display the shoes I have been collecting for the last 20 years. There are pre-owned designer heels from my colorful days working in Boston in my late-20s, barely scraping together rent but still religiously following the old adage "dress for the job you want". My favorite classics are Chanel, Prada, Valentino & Ferragamo - those I hope to pass on to my girls.

I've also collected shoes from my travels - I have a pair from the Chatachuck Market in Bangkok, another from a rainy search through the Les Puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris, favorite red pumps from a night out in Florence and gold sandals from the Grand Souk in Dubai... they're not just shoes but souvenirs of a life well-lived.

I sketched out what I envisioned then worked with a master carpenter to measure and ensure the storage was deep but also tall enough for my highest heels (YSL 5.5 inches!).

The best part of this room is not all the fancy labels but the fun that is had whenever my daughters bring their friends upstairs to play dress-up. I love hearing the laughter and unsteady steps of amateurs walking in heels. I can only hope someday they "shop" here first for proms... by @thesaltydaughter

AFTER & BEFORE: First floor/entry, rowhome in Fishtown, Philadelphia, 2107. Philly is often called “the city of homes” because the city is made up almost entirely of rowhomes packed nearly together like sardines in a can. After the Civil War, the row home became the standard form used by builders to accommodate the city’s growing working class population. They were cheap and efficient to build, they fit well into the city’s grid and helped fill in new neighborhoods densely.

When my partner and I bought our first rowhome, I couldn’t wait to uncover the original materials and get creative with reworking the layout. We were on a serious budget so our challenge was to bring the house back to life using as much of what was already there as possible. We exposed all of the brick in the home and sealed it to protect it from crumbling but also give it a glossy finish. We ripped out the drywall down to the studs and found beautiful original wood beams that we refinished by hand and added to the ceilings. The beams elongated the feeling of the first floor and gave it some character. Rather than using a solid material, I had a glass railing fabricated to keep sight lines open and not close off any portion of the narrow space.

Furniture is important too. We chose a narrow dining table and benches that fit neatly under the surface rather than bulky chairs that would cost us lots of space. We chose light-colored furniture for the seating area to keep the sight lines feeling open and light as well.

#beforeandafter #interiordesign by @thesaltydaughter

BRFORE & AFTER: 60's bungalow on Nantasket Beach.

While the tile color was hideous, the tile itself was in pristine condition - not a single crack or piece out of place - so I had the tile & the original cast iron tub (huge bonus - vintage cast iron holds heat for much longer!) refinished, painted white & sealed - good as new! This is a super affordable way to refresh a bathroom, also in a sustainable way. Always trying to breathe new life into old things! New (better) color didn't hurt either ✨

#beforeandafter by @thesaltydaughter

BEFORE & AFTER

1876 traditional tiny farmhouse with a very small kitchen that included a chimney, a refrigerator in another room and no real counter space or storage. @hinghamlumber does an incredible job customizing cabinetry for tight spaces. You can sit down with them and build a CAD design that they make into reality. Cabinets and countertops are in investment and you don't want to cheap out on these - you can use a high/low approach & go with more affordable features other places that require less quality or durability. Couches, countertops, cabinets and... anything custom or vintage, always worth the 💸

#beforeandafter by @thesaltydaughter

Figured I would start sharing some of my favorite before-and-afters. This was an early 1900's brick row home in Fishtown, a hip neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA. 📸 2015

#beforeandafter by @thesaltydaughter

Have taken a beat to work on my own house... and things are just getting started 👀 by @thesaltydaughter

Will miss leaving special touches for guests like fresh flowers. These dahlias were hand-picked by my daughters and I at @crossstreetflowerfarm, our favorite place, just for the ladies coming to stay. Hope they love them 🌺🌸🌼🪻🌻🌷

#airbnb #airbnbhost #airbnbexperience #hospitality #shorttermrentals #vacation #vacationrental #nantasketbeach #thesaltydaughter #crossstreetflowerfarm by @thesaltydaughter

This past weekend, @thesaltydaughter served as home base for a bride and her crew of bridesmaids & I am SO honored to have been a part of their special day. It has been such a gift to give people a backdrop for some of the most meaningful events and memories of their lives. May this couple have a long, healthy & happy love story 💖 by @thesaltydaughter