Guest Cottage Reveal! – Spring 2021 One Room Challenge

Hello everyone! This is reveal week of the Spring 2021 One Room Challenge. If you are finding me through the One Room Challenge, welcome to my blog where I share my passion for creating comforting homes by thrifting, sewing and a little diy-ing along the way! While I’m not averse to buying new. I love being able to stretch a budget AND get that “layered over time” look that comes from incorporating pieces that have had a previous life! You can follow my decorating journey on the HomeSpunStyle Instagram.

If you missed my posts from Weeks 1 – 7 where we began transforming an old pool house on our property into an Airbnb guest cottage, you can find them here:

• Week 1 – before photos
• Week 2 – design plan
• Week 3 – diy leather headboard
• Week 4 – bathroom in progress
• Week 5 – bathroom reveal
• Week 6 – thrifting accessories
• Week 7 – mini closet kitchen

Today we get to share the completed Guest Cottage! Let’s take a look at the exterior changes. Here’s where we started:

BEFORE

The biggest and most costly change was replacing the rotted doors with full view French doors. The new Renewal by Andersen doors function beautifully and flood the cottage with natural light.

AFTER

The little cottage needed someI symmetry so we flanked it with twin boxwoods. We changed out the dated light fixture with a new gooseneck light from Barn Light Electric. We chose the green enamel finish to tie to the green shutters on the main house on the property.

I purchased the folding eucalyptus wood bistro set, which included the navy cushions, from LL Bean. It was a recent purchase although it is not currently listed on their website. I like it because it can be used indoors and out and fits nicely inside the guest cottage closet when not in use. The old beach cruiser was a garbage pick which also got a little makeover — new tires, vegan leather seat and wicker basket. We have another bike similar to this one that was also a garbage pick and is waiting for its makeover We plan to make these bikes available to our guests for cruising around the town and peddling to the beach.

Inside, we started by replacing the old drop ceiling with wood planks painted a bright white.

BEFORE

We gave the walls a board and batten treatment for a little architectural interest and painted them in a sage green. We zoned the 180 square foot space for sleeping, lounging and dining.

The leather headboard was a diy project which I shared in week 2. All of the bedding came from Target. I’m especially impressed with their linen blend Casaluna bedding. I bought the white linen duvet cover/pillow sham set and love how luxurious it feels.

I purchased two sets of sheets in small prints so I could mix and match them. I love how they echo the vibe of the bathroom floor. For more of the bathroom makeover, check out this blog post.

For the sitting area, we used two vintage rattan chairs and table that we purchased at three different thrift shops a few years ago. I had hoped to find some matching midcentury chairs for the cottage but nothing popped up in my area on FB Marketplace during the 8 week ORC. You just can’t hurry the thrifting process! When I find what I have in mind, I’ll switch them out.

We mounted a tv on the wall which pivots and can be viewed from almost anywhere in the room, although it’s especially nice for watching from the bed!

I spotted an old wood plank in our garage and asked Mr. HomeSpunStyle to make a shelf out of it. We got the black iron shelf brackets from Amazon and installed the shelf under the tv. It’s a nice perch for a small lamp and a place to toss keys, remote controls, etc.

To define the eating/entry area we layered a machine washable rug from Ruggable over the carpet. This was the best choice for dealing with spills that will likely occur from making coffee or heating up snacks in the microwave. I like that I can pop the rug into the washer in between guests!

For the details on our mini closet kitchen see this blog post.

To give just a hint of beach vibe I added some vintage artwork, some beach-themed vintage books, and an old wooden oar above the window.

We recently had a few of our daughters’ friends stay in the guest cottage to test it out for us before we launch it as an Airbnb rental. Other than the need for a garbage can in the living area, they were raving fans!

Be sure to check out all of the other Guest Participants in the One Room Challenge to see their finished rooms.  And check out the amazing spaces created by the 20 Featured Participants!

Thanks for following along!

Debra