Meaningfully and Intentionally Updating Our 1950s Cottage

Brooke Bowman
by Brooke Bowman
4 Materials
$2500
2 Months
Medium
One of the first things that people notice when they walk into our newly renovated brick cottage is how open and airy it feels. Then, they begin to take a look at the custom built-ins, the new hardwood floors and the freshly painted walls. For all intents and purposes, it looks very much like any modern home would today. Yet, there is only one catch. Our cottage was built in 1957 and has seen many transformations over the course of its decades-long life. When we first rented it back in 2009, it was the way the original homeowners and builders had decided to arrange it.

There were myriad tiny rooms, two narrow hallways, very small closets and original linoleum floors. Though the home had character, warmth and charm, it needed a facelift and lots of TLC to turn it into our forever home. Yet, we wanted to be meaningful and intentional with our changes. So, rather than just tearing everything out and starting from scratch, we made a select number of alterations that enabled us to maintain the integrity of the home while putting our own stamp on it as well. Here are a few of the approaches we took.
First, we wanted to make sure we focused on making the home safe and liveable above all else. The structure still had all of its original wiring, the linoleum floors were sagging in the middle of the living room and there was lead-based paint on every windowsill. As parents to two small children, ensuring that the home would be able to support us and grow with us for years was top of mind.


That said, we worked with a local contractor who tore out the existing sheet rock, removed the old wiring and completely rewired the home with modern equipment designed to keep us as safe as possible. We also removed the existing wood around the windowsills, added new wood there and painted over those areas with non-lead-based paint. In fact, when we replaced the sheet rock in all of the rooms, we painted the walls as well with a safe, modern paint. We chose to go with a dark gray in the living room and light grays and yellows everywhere else to make the small, 1,200-square foot home look as spacious as possible.
Next, we had the task of selecting the main hardware and other components. We started in the kitchen, where the biggest change in the house took place. Though we received some pushback from friends and family members who could not believe we were tearing out the original knotty pine cabinets, I knew I wanted a white kitchen with as much natural light as possible.


So, we added new white cabinets with simple silver knob hardware. That was a decision we made per my uncle, who is an interior designer. He recommended opting for knobs over handle pulls on our bathroom and kitchen cabinets, telling us that if we ever decided to switch out the hardware in the future, it is much easier to find new knobs that fit existing holes rather than trying to find new handles that are the same length as the old ones. We followed his advice and have been pleased with how simple and streamlined the knobs look against the white cabinetry.
Other major structural changes we made were tearing out the wall that separated the original master bedroom from the kitchen and turning that space into a dining room instead, closing in one of the hallways to give more space to the master bath and tearing down a wall in the living room to open the space up a little more.


Though we were tearing down walls and making major changes to the interior of the home, we did so carefully. While we do prefer a more modern, open-concept style, we were always aware that we were living in a vintage bungalow and we wanted to honor those roots. So, we had our contractor add back in a few custom touches to give an old-fashioned nostalgia back to the place. For instance, we asked him to create a built-in hutch in the dining room in an arch shape that mimics the one my own grandparents have in their 1950s kitchen. We also requested small shelves along the kitchen pantry to display teacups like we used to do when we first lived in the home years ago. These little changes make it feel like home and fit the style and character of the property.
Finally, we had to determine which type of style we wanted to decorate our home in. While I adore mid-century modern decor, I didn’t want the home to feel like a time capsule honoring the 1950s. Yet, a home full of modern pieces didn’t fit my aesthetic either. In the end, we opted for a blend of old and new.


When researching DIY design basics, I found that there are myriad ways to make a space feel like yours. From repainting to decluttering, it is often the small touches that make the biggest impact. So, after we nailed down our style focus, we were ready to get to work.
Our sectional in the living room is a mid-century styled one, but the one in the sitting room is a new one from a big-box store. Our kitchen sink is an antique farmhouse one that my husband saved for years from his grandparents’ home place, but we installed a shiny new faucet on it.


These little changes helped us incorporate our personality into the home but still pay tribute to the sweetness and charm of the place that made us fall so in love with it in the first place. Now, it’s a home that we can grow into, enjoy fully and call ours for as long as possible.
Suggested materials:
  • Stud Finder   (Hardware Store)
  • Demolition Tools   (Hardware Store)
  • Lead-Free Paint   (Hardware Store)
See all materials
Brooke Bowman
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