Back to It – $100 Lake House!

Hello Everyone! I just viewed my blog and realized just how long it has been since I posted anything and for that, I sincerely apologize. With Covid 19, unfortunate family issues, coupled with being completely immersed with 4 other mobile home renovations, my blog was unfortunately completely ignored. But now, with a new enthusiasm for sharing how all these renovations transpired, I am dedicated to get back to my blog and am hoping you enjoy and are also inspired to maybe add some cottage charm to your own spaces.

First, I want to share pictures of the “$100 Lake House” completion. I can’t believe it has been over 2 years since this was completed and it is still one of my favorite renovations we have ever done. And while it tested our resolve and creativity in bringing cottagey charm to a once forgotten and well worn home, I feel the completed renovation perfectly captures it’s lakeside location.

Master Bedroom – so serene yet a nod to lakeside location

Master Bathroom, so cute!

View of Great Room from porch/den

Porch/den…. wonderful spot to enjoy the lake!

Oh that kitchen! Oozing with charm!

Great Room – WOW! A river rock fireplace, vintage windows and benches!

Lakeside porch with pergola….perfect!

Another view of porch

Front of Home

Many of you have commented how much you loved the transformation of this home and admittedly, so did we. When we originally started renovating manufactured/mobile homes we had no idea how much our ideas and/or creative ideas would inspire others. For that, we are truly appreciative and love how we have inspired and challenged others to tackle their own homes and truly make them their dream home!

Since the completion and subsequent sale of this home, we next tackled an “estate sale” manufactured home which while was in good condition, definitely needed our help and will be featured in my next entry entitled the “French Country” home. You won’t believe the transformation of this one and what could be better than that?

I love hearing your comments so please feel free to let me know what you think and if you wish, click the follow link at the bottom of the page and you will automatically receive my latest post!

For The Love of Pillow (Covers)

First, my apologies for the long absence of my blog. Many family matters have grasped my attention and a long out-of-state trip for a period of time evoked a lot of “catching up” when we returned home. But all is well and I can now again focus on my beloved little cottage.

One of the things I love to do (and if you are a follower of my blog you already know this) is switch out pillows in my cottage. Now, thanks to Ikea (along with other stores) and their inexpensive pillow covers, it makes it easier than ever! Instead of purchasing decorative pillows with their encased inner stuffing which take up WAY too much room in my storage area, I love that there are pillow covers in all kinds of styles and colors and  you can simply swap them out on a whim.  Plus, these covers are a breeze to simply fold up flat and store and you can generally find them for a fraction of what you would pay for one decorative pillow.   And in my case, given my love of swapping them out at least once a month, I can give my beloved cottage a new, fresh look whenever I want.

Newest pillow covers – all so fresh and airy for summer month!

 

Closer view – just love them!

 

Living room view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest bedroom – all slipcovered pillow covers – so cute and inviting!

So even if you only have a miniscule budget or a limited amount of time, you too can give your home a whole new look in just minutes with one of the easiest changes that anyone can do and you too, can instantly have a whole new look in your home.

Stay tuned……Mr. Mobile Cottage and I have plans for a couple new projects around our Little Cottage and are busily rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.  Below is a preview of what we’ve been up to!

 

Newest project…..stay tuned for more!

Another view of latest project…..more reveals coming soon!

 

 

 

 

Tiny Lakeside Cottage – Dreamy Bedroom

The renovation of our latest endeavor, our Tiny Lakeside Cottage, has come with many challenges, some identified before we purchased the cottage, others discovered as we continue renovations to this tiny abode.

Perhaps we were too enamored with the lakeside view to fully take into consideration how this cottage would work for everyday living, but we are finding that unlike any other place we have renovated, this one truly stretches our skill set and vision.  Such as with the bedroom area of this tiny cottage.

This older recreation vehicle (RV) was designed for short-term living and although it contains most everything we need for everyday living,  absolutely everything is crammed into approximately 350 square feet.

Given that our bedroom area is only a 7 foot by 8 foot space and must accommodate a full size bed, a nightstand,  overhead and side storage for bedding and clothing, and also has windows on all 3 sides along with a door to the outside,  designing out this room was going to be a monumental challenge.  Couple that with an adjoining bathroom area (no full walls) on the 4th side.  Oh and did I mention that both the bedroom and bathroom areas face the main road where everyone walks by, and can “see” right in?   Yep, a designing nightmare to say the least!

But rolling up our sleeves and hoping for an epiphany, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I first painted the walls the same dark blue used in the rest of the tiny cottage and added crisp white paint on the trim and overhead cabinets.  Then it was time to address the privacy issues.

I luckily found some cute, striped blackout curtains on clearance at my local home store and while these provided the privacy I needed on the side areas of the bedroom, I knew I needed something different for that pesky front window that directly overlooks the main road area.  In addition to all the other difficulties facing us in this room, we also needed some sort of headboard for the bed that would allow for filtered light and cool lake breezes to flow through.

But wait…there’s more.   We also needed something to provide privacy to the open bathroom area if the windows in the adjoining bedroom area were open.   So on a ridiculously tight budget and thinking a bit “out of the box” , I scoured items we already had and came up with a design idea I now describe as my little “dreamy bedroom”.   So what did we do?

First, we used 4 white, interior shutters (kindly donated to us via a close friend)  which were screwed together and promptly given two coats of crisp white paint.  Fitting perfecting into the space underneath the upper cabinets, they can be opened or closed easily and provide the needed privacy we lacked.

Next, I was able to shorten 4 white, grommeted curtain panels previously used in another project and combined with a large dowel rod painted the same crisp white, these curtains now provide privacy from the open bathroom and also define the bedroom area.  A fluffy,  blue and white striped comforter, white bedding and pillows taken from my decorating closet, along with a dollar store lamp and accessories now complete this tiny area hinting at its lakeside location but at the same time adding a calming,  cocooning ambience to this “dreamy bedroom” space.

Bedroom area
“Before”

 

Outside door in bedroom “before”

Blue stripe blackout curtains and fabric on cabinet. “Shutter Heaboard” for light filtering and privacy

 

Shutter Headboard closed with dollar store lamp and nightstand – complete privacy found!

Crisp white grommeted curtains provide privacy from adjoining bathroom area

 

Dreamy bedroom area now defined even with no full walls!

While our tiny lakeside cottage continues to provide us with challenges and we have a very long way to go before our renovations are done, our newly renovated bedroom allows us a calm area where we can rest and relax and “dream up” our next renovation.  What can be better than that?

Stay tuned….more updates coming soon!

 

 

Tiny Lakeside Cottage – The “Alcove” Renovation

Our newest project,  the Tiny Lakeside Cottage, came with a plethora of problems and approximate 350 square feet of unique small space solutions. One of these spaces is a weird alcove space found just inside the main door.

Featuring a huge window providing a wonderous view of the lake, this teeny space presented me with my first real dilemma as our renovation began.  In addition to the three (yes, 3) different wallpaper applications in different colors, a must-have, built-in wall air conditioner just added to the difficulty in trying to set up this space. (see below)

The alcove space before – 3 wallpapers in different colors!

We first eliminated the wallpaper and painted the walls blue and white to add dimension to our tiny place. With the addition of a chair rail, floor molding, two shower curtains I decided to use as curtain treatments, along with a mirror I found at my local home store, I knew I had a good start, but was still unsure of how to use this space.

Spying the cute metal table and chairs I had been using outside, I quickly brought them in and they fit perfectly in this awkward space. With the addition of a nautical lamp (or other decorations I swap out seen in future posts) I can now utilize this space for eating, blogging, or simply day dreaming and can easily take the table outside as well when needed.

While we have a ton of work yet to complete on our tiny abode, I have found that even the most awkward, little spaces can be fully utilized…all you need is a little imagination and in my case, a wonderful view of the lake which I enjoy in my new, multi-purpose, teeny-tiny dining room!  What can be better than that?

Stay tuned….more posts coming soon!!

After painting and curtains!

 

 

With the addition of a rug, table, chairs and lamp!

 

 

 

 

 

Addition of mirror