In Southern California there are pockets of darling cottages built in the early 20th century that we like to call jewelry boxes. They are quaint, full of charm and usually a bit cramped. Our clients have a growing family and needed a modern, functional home. They opted for a renovation that directly addressed their concerns. When we first saw this 2,170 square-foot 3-bedroom beach cottage, the front door opened directly into a staircase and a dead-end hallway. The kitchen was cramped, the living room was claustrophobic and everything felt dark and dated. The big picture items included pitching the living room ceiling to create space and taking down a kitchen wall. We added a French oven and luxury range that the wife had always dreamed about, a custom vent hood, and custom-paneled appliances. We added a downstairs half-bath for guests (entirely designed around its whimsical wallpaper) and converted one of the existing bathrooms into a Jack-and-Jill, connecting the kids’ bedrooms, with double sinks and a closed-off toilet and shower for privacy. In the bathrooms, we added white marble floors and wainscoting. We created storage throughout the home with custom-cabinets, new closets and built-ins, such as bookcases, desks and shelving. White Sands Design/Build furnished the entire cottage mostly with commissioned pieces, including a custom dining table and upholstered chairs. We updated light fixtures and added brass hardware throughout, to create a vintage, bo-ho vibe. The best thing about this cottage is the charming backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU), designed in the same style as the larger structure. In order to keep the ADU it was necessary to renovate less than 50% of the main home, which took some serious strategy, otherwise the non-conforming ADU would need to be torn out. We renovated the bathroom with white walls and pine flooring, transforming it into a get-away that will grow with the girls.

Inspiration for a coastal formal light wood floor living room remodel in San Diego with white walls, a standard fireplace and no tv

Lisa Millen
Beach style family room photo in Detroit

Jane Colclasure
Example of a cottage dark wood floor dining room design in Little Rock with no fireplace

Elegant gray one-story gable roof photo in Seattle with a shingle roof

Lisa Millen
Beach style dining room photo in Detroit

Inspiration for a large coastal medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Bridgeport with white cabinets, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and shaker cabinets

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room remodel with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Brandon Beechler
Coastal brown two-story exterior home idea in Orange County with a shed roof

Simple yet elegant beach cottage located in Avalon in Jacksonville Beach. Just two blocks from the ocean, this home is beach living at its finest. The centerpiece of the home is a dramatic two-story kitchen with wrap-around staircase and balcony. Custom cabinetry and built-ins, creative tile designs and unique ceiling treatments bring beauty and character to the 2,600 SF home. Deremer Studios

Patio - coastal brick patio idea in Denver with no cover

This master bedroom is full of light. We kept the room simple, using design solutions of adding crown and 1x on the ceiling and painting it all with a semigloss sheen to provide visual depth. The somewhat contemporary fan (the Energy Star-qualified Lapa model from Modern Fan Co., offers three-speed AC motor for maximum airflow efficiency), meshes perfectly with the updated farmhouse cottage feel. Plantation shutters provide plenty of protection from the sun while also providing architectural and linear lines that juxtapose the sheer drapes on the four post bed. Notice the layout of the hall with the master closets flanking and the master bath at the end. Design solutions included a pocket, two-panel door with glass above and solid below, providing natural light into the hallway (area seen in the photo at the end of the hall; door is open). Beautifully appointed custom home near Venice Beach, FL. Designed with the south Florida cottage style that is prevalent in Naples. Every part of this home is detailed to show off the work of the craftsmen that created it.

The little cottage on Turnip Field Road in Eastham had been owned by the same couple since 1940, until they built a new, adjacent house on the property. The cottage was then handed down to the next generation, who began spending more and more time at the cottage. It was then that they contacted Cape Associates to construct a more livable home in place of that little cottage. It was crucial to the owners however, that the home keep with the understated charm and Cape Cod-feel of the neighborhood. The primary challenge was to keep it humble, while building the owners their well-deserved vacation retreat. The original cottage had no air conditioning, and renovating was quickly dismissed because of the inadequacies and the cost of modernizing. Building new allowed the team to relocate the house further back from the street, and it meant meeting the owners’ needs without compromise. Cape Associates’ project manager Lance LaLone said the owners expressed their desire to incorporate lots of wood and the types of materials that were in the old cottage. Most of the interior is pine, which was used on the flooring, the walls, and wrapped around the ceiling’s beams, giving the owners what they desired on a grander scale – a beautiful, modern dwelling that still held the personality of that little cottage that held such cherished memories. The front of the home has a two-car garage and breezeway entrance, while the rear reveals an entertainer’s paradise, with an enormous mahogany deck with an outdoor shower, a stunning Connecticut-fieldstone fireplace with a chimney that reaches around 30 feet in height, and multiple sliders to access the home. The finished basement opens to the ground level, and above the entrance breezeway is another small deck with a great view. It’s the best of indoor/outdoor living. Movement patterns from beach to house to bedroom were an important consideration. The site also provided an excellent opportunity to visually connect the basement level patio visually to the main level deck and finally the master bedroom deck. The finished home provides year-round living, with a summer-getaway atmosphere.

Full Home Renovation and Addition. Industrial Artist Style. We removed most of the walls in the existing house and create a bridge to the addition over the detached garage. We created an very open floor plan which is industrial and cozy. Both bathrooms and the first floor have cement floors with a specialty stain, and a radiant heat system. We installed a custom kitchen, custom barn doors, custom furniture, all new windows and exterior doors. We loved the rawness of the beams and added corrugated tin in a few areas to the ceiling. We applied American Clay to many walls, and installed metal stairs. This was a fun project and we had a blast! Tom Queally Photography

Example of a transitional guest bedroom design with white walls

Open concept kitchen - small coastal u-shaped open concept kitchen idea in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

French country beige exterior home photo in Charlotte

Our Cascade Model. Small modern cottage. Lots of natural light. Timber accents and Hardie exterior.
Small coastal blue one-story concrete fiberboard gable roof idea in Calgary

Custom cottage bedroom with built-in day beds
Bedroom - coastal master medium tone wood floor and orange floor bedroom idea in Toronto with white walls