When our house was bought over 20 years ago, it was anything but charming. Built in 1980, it had seen better days, and was a typical Florida ranch style box. Mustard yellow on the outside, it had dark brown carpeting, beige linoleum kitchen floors, vegetable printed wallpaper and an inefficient cabinet layout in the kitchen. A Florida room on the back of the house came complete with green turf carpeting and roll out windows, and the bathrooms were cheaply done and dated.
At the time, I was newly married, and with some help from my parents, it was the best we could afford. We gutted the house from top to bottom, including scraping off textured ceilings, installing can lights, & a new kitchen and bathrooms. Initially intended as a starter home, I furnished it the best I could, saving the majority of my pay check for months for a good quality couch and chairs for the living room, which we still have to this day. I learned how to make a home in this little cottage, constantly refining—editing and adding, layering the nest of our home with the coziness I so love.
A year or so after we finished renovating, we found out my son was on his way, and I enjoyed making his little nursery with the palest of blue walls and yellow accents. When life shifted, and I found myself a single mother, this house became more than shelter—it became our haven. My dreams of a larger home and more land took a back seat as survival became our priority. Through the storms, this cottage anchored us, offering a refuge while life moved forward around us. As the years went by, I learned to be content here, when everyone around me seemed to be moving forward to bigger and better things, passing me by in a way. What began as a starter home evolved into something so much more—it became enough. It truly became home.
Time has flown by, and as my career has settled and my son has grown older, I’ve begun to have a little more space again to dream. I may still one day buy a larger place with a little more land in order to gather family and friends together more easily, but this little cottage will forever have a sweet spot in my heart. Here, in the cottage, I discovered the art of creating a home—slowly, intentionally, piece by piece.
In the coming weeks, I’ll take you through the transformation of this cottage, sharing its story–our story– as it evolved over the years.
