Today is the Day!!!! I seriously cannot express how excited I am to share The Little Green Cottage reveal today. It took twice as long as we planned and almost twice as much as we budgeted, but now that we are finished, I can honestly say it was worth it. She is 600 square feet of pretty Cottage Style, and I am truly in LOVE with how she turned out.

this …

If you are new here, we bought a home in 2021 to renovate into a Short-term rental property. You can see that house here. Next door was this green cottage that was in rough shape. I kept looking at the abandoned cottage next door as we worked on that house through the winter/spring to prepare it for summer rentals. I may have even peeked into the holes in the cottage on more than one occasion.

We even tried to reach the owner at one point to no avail. Then, one morning, a for sale sign was in the front yard! We couldn’t believe it and contacted the agent for a tour. To wrap up a long story, the house was overpriced for the work it would entail, and we passed. The agent contacted us again after the house sat for months with no offers. We tossed out a low offer (basically paying for the lot) and figured it would be refused. We were shocked (and excited) when it was accepted.

You can take a look at all her before pics here.

*This post contains affiliates. See our affiliate disclosure here.

Cottage Style

Once the house was ours, I knew I wanted this little house to have all of the original charm this vintage cottage could have. Cottage style is usually defined as a mix of vintage, rustic, and shabby chic vibes. It can also include lots of warm woods and natural elements to create a cozy, comfortable home.

Color Palette

A cottage-style palette will have lots of wood and whites as the base, so I started there when planning the design. I then decided on blues and green with hints of pink throughout the cottage. The green on the door makes me so happy whenever I see it.

Vintage Cottage Kitchen

We had to start from scratch here, and laying out the tiny kitchen in less than 70 square feet was difficult. All of the appliances are smaller than average, but we were able to get everything in. We had to switch out the window (and add the octagon-shaped window) over the stove as the original window dipped below the countertop. To add cottage style, we used butcher block countertops in a chevron pattern for warmth and pretty floral wallpaper. I was thrilled to find the retro fridge in blue added the perfect vintage feel to this cottage kitchen.

The cottage is so tiny we used a Murphy table and stools for a dining space. The glass beaker vases allow some extra plant space, and here I am using them as a propagation station.

Cottage Living Room

The living room is the coziest spot in the cottage. We added a soft rug in pale pink, which is perfect for curling your toes into. We found a very comfortable slipcovered sofa from Crate and Barrel that leans into the cottage style but is still easy to throw into the wash to keep it clean.

The bookcases are original to the house -they are a bit short and shallow, but I wanted to keep them because the pretty scalloped trim felt like such a perfect cottage-style detail. Woven chairs from Target (I added the white cushions for additional comfort) add a touch of warmth to the room.

Main Bathroom

The bathroom was in rough shape, so we took it down to the studs. We were able to raise the ceiling to gain some added height. Then we added the shiplap for texture and the pretty textured wallpaper for interest.

Small Cottage Bedroom

It was not easy getting a queen-sized bed and end tables in this 9 x 10 room, but we did. I love the Wall Mural from Anewall; the oversize pattern creates visual interest in such a tiny space. Lighting is something I paid close attention to in this renovation. This pretty light has little daisies all over it.

Primary Bedroom

This is the room where we made the most changes. We raised the ceiling and pushed the wall out about 3 feet. It allowed room for a little sitting area and a king-size bed. The ceiling height helps it to feel spacious, considering the square footage of the house is only 650 square feet. We added cottage style to the room with the rustic wood accent wall and kept the bedding neutral with whites and cream.

The woven chair also adds texture to the space.

Cottage Wet Room

The primary bathroom is a wet area. Which means the entire space is designed to get wet. I love this bathroom tile! The green color, the texture, the pattern we laid it in, everything about it. We also used it in another bathroom remodel that you can see here.

We used the river rock tile on the floor to provide some slip resistance.

Cottage Style Outdoors

The color of the cottage became a neighborhood debate. I had loved the green from the moment I saw it and then only loved it more as I stared out the window at it the year before we bought it. Not everyone in the neighborhood felt the same way. 🙂 I am so happy we kept it.

The Blue Door (SW-SALTY DOG) looks beautiful with the green siding.

Shop this post:

I hope you enjoyed the tour today. I’d love to know what you think.

Until next time,

-Libbie

You may enjoy seeing a peek at some of our other renovations.

We bought a foreclosed property and renovated it into a short-term rental property.

Modern Cottage Living Room