From Two Dilapidated 100 Year Old Sheds to One Gorgeous Backyard Cottage

Transforming the Sheds

From the interior photos, you'd hardly be able to tell that this cottage once used to be two rundown 100-year-old sheds. It's pretty incredible what designer Paige Morse from Dallas, Texas was able to do when she worked her magic on these dilapidated buildings. Even from the outside, the backyard cottage looks fresh and updated with a coat of dark grey to almost black paint and white trim for the windows and doors. The contrast between the dark and light colours is actually quite nice on this little cottage, and the old windows definitely instill some charm as well. Overall, it took Paige four months to completely renovate the sheds to create a 250 square foot two bedroom guest house. Inside, the cottage is bright thanks to the white walls and high ceilings with exposed beams. She also used soft, flowing curtains to soften the space and to provide privacy as well. The couch is also white or at least covered with a white cover, and the floors are painted black to add some depth. She mixed a bit of vintage with some modern elements like the two modern style tables that serve as the coffee table.

Bringing Nature Indoors

The addition of a large plant in the corner and some others around the room help to keep everything feeling light and airy, bringing the outside indoors. The beautiful seashell chandelier is a wonderful addition that brings some style into the space and draws the eye upward. It's little touches like this that can really make any space feel like home. You can find vintage items like this in thrift stores as well as online on eBay or Etsy. Always keep your eye out for items at garage sales too, you just never know what you'll be able to find that will just make your space. The kitchen is a lovely space that is once again, all white with touches of black. There is a small gas stove and oven as well as a tiny black fridge and a sink with a cute window above it. The open shelving is great for keeping that open and spacious feel. Plus there are closed cabinets above for things like garbage and recycling. Luckily, there are some floor to ceiling windows in the cottage which really helps to open the entire space up to the outdoors offering views of the lush green surrounding garden.

Innovative Storage Solutions

For storage, Paige also used an old wooden ladder to hold a nice collection of blankets and hung a long branch of a tree from the ceiling to act as a plant hanger or a clothing rack. She also demonstrates how to create curated collections in the cottage with her collection that she calls "Ladies Looking Left." Then she also used the vertical space very well too which is a great idea in smaller spaces. The jazzy dresser in the space is a great addition too, bringing some more black and white contrast, adding some more personality. In the bathroom, she made use of not just one, but two vintage mirrors which always helps to make a space feel much larger than it is. If you're designing or decorating a smaller space, just add a mirror or two and notice how much light is reflected. Paige also created some much-needed storage in the bathroom by adding a skirt around the bottom of the sink using Velcro. Paige is a designer living in Dallas, Texas and in Southern California. Besides decorating lovely cottages like this one, she also does commercial and other residential projects as well. Her design style is inspired by her travels and all of the amazing textiles she finds along the way. She's been working in design since 2003 and has a passion for transforming spaces as you can very much tell by her incredible renovation of this shed space.