Before and After: A Renovation That Will Inspire You to Redecorate Your Old Cottage

Knowing the nuances of budget renovation, you can quickly transform not only a single room but an entire house. This is exactly what the owner of this American cottage did: thanks to cosmetic finishing, using budget-friendly materials and furniture from clearance sales, the empty old building was transformed into a compact cozy home.

Complex Start

This elegant cottage with a snow-white interior belongs to designer Paige Morse. She chose to move into a modest building because she felt uncomfortable in a large house. Indeed, initially the setup was not ideal for peaceful creativity: the house consisted of one frame without any interior finishing.

The renovation had to start with cleaning. Then the walls were clad with plywood, and the floor was painted in a dark shade. A lot of attention was paid to the exterior: the cottage was clad with panels in a rich chocolate tone.

Layout Details

Since the cottage had no interior walls, the owner arranged partitions so that most of the space was taken up by an open living room. Due to limited space, the layout was done without a separate entryway: coats and shoes could be left by the door, especially since an original designer feature appeared—a console staircase that could accommodate more than one coat.

For a spacious living room, the owner reduced the kitchen and bathroom areas: the stove and work surface were placed in a corner of the main room, and the bathroom was arranged on just a few square meters—enough for only essential fixtures.

Individuality as an Accent

At first glance, a small space in a cottage is not the best place for experimenting with furniture and decor, but the owner easily created a cozy and uncluttered interior. The white color, in which the walls and ceiling were painted, visually expanded the space, and large open windows made it as bright as possible.

The key role in creating the design concept was played by textiles and decor: light voluminous throws and pillows made the interior warm and welcoming, while paintings on the wall added a note of individuality. As a result, the renovation was both successful and budget-friendly: for finishing, recycled products were used, and some furniture was ordered from online stores with big discounts.