Cottage Kitchen Renovation on Dog House Lane

Byljanning@dukemanorfarm.com

Part of the dream my husband and I had when we purchased our property in the country, was building a guest cottage for extended stays for our family and friends.  The Cottage sits on ‘Dog House Lane’. After 10 years and many visitors later we were ready for a Cottage Kitchen renovation to update and create more efficiency in the space.

Cottage Kitchen Renovation
While our house was being built we actually spent 10  months in the cottage and when we moved into the house the cottage was used by parents, family and friends. Some visits ended up being a tad bit longer then the intended ‘long weekend’, so we needed to make adjustments to the weekend concept and turn it into a functional everyday kitchen.
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation


Cottage Kitchen Renovation

This is the renovated space. The space that I lived in for 10 months was red, had a small counter surface, a dorm sized refrigerator and playhouse sized stove. Which if you recall, I am not much of a cook so it completely met my needs, but those “long weekenders” began to complain, so the renovations began.
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation
The first thing we did after painting the entire cottage and painting the floor here, was to gut the original kitchen space and redesign the space into an L- Shaped formation. 
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation
Since this is an open concept cottage with knee walls, this allowed me to maximize my counter space and to fit a full size oven. For a pantry, we use an over sized armoire that we picked up several years ago at Garden Ridge Pottery. To blend with the colors in the kitchen, I color washed to lighten it up.
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation
 
The unpainted cabinets were stocked cabinets from Home Depot. They got primed and painted in a semi gloss color called Wasabi by Behr.
 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation

 We used bead board for a backsplash over the sink and for the  wall where the oven is. It was painted in a semi gloss color called White Wheat by Duron, which is the same color as the rest of the trim in the cottage. 
The wall color is called Dried Plantain by Behr.

 
Cottage Kitchen Renovation
 
 Because we were limited on wall space, the full size refrigerator sits next to the “pantry”, which makes putting the grocery’s away real easy. 
 
It took a couple of months for us to complete the Cottage Kitchen Renovation, excluding the time it took to refinish the floors. We just love the new space and so do the “long weekenders”.
 
To see more of our Guest Cottage click here.
 
To see the most recent updates to the Guest House click here.
cottage makeover on a budget
 
 
 
 
Grateful for~
Family and friends that come to visit 

   


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Just a gal that loves to share my family, home decor, design and life around here in the country.... on my real life funny farm at Duke Manor

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48 Comments

  2. I so envy your your guest cottage. We have dreams of converting our pool house into just a space (if we ever are convinced we are staying in this house long term!)

  12. I an imagine people would extend their stay!!
    It's beyond darling. I love how you finished off the end and wrapped the stove. That looks fantastic!! So, so cute. I could totally get comfy in that kitchen. You guys nailed it. It's wonderful!!

  16. I must be so nice to have a fantastic place for friends and relatives to stay in and have the luxury of their own space!…I love the "directional street sign"….You two did an awesome job in renovating the cottage!!!

  17. Oh I so wish I had a guest cottage on my property. How convenient. You did an awesome job renovating the kitchen. Now the weekenders will never leave. I love the name "Doghouse Lane". Too funny.

  19. Incredible makeover, Kelly! Your guests are truly spoiled … hmmmmm … are you accepting reservations during Haven? LOL (Love the name, too!)

  21. Wow…so fabulous but I wouldn't expect anything else from you my friend…you really do amaze me …now if you loved squirrels…I think you would be perfect : ) lol!!!! Sending hugs and wishes for a wonderful weekend…talk to you soon!!!

  24. Well, it's no surprise why you have "extended-stay" guests, this is absolutely wonderful! What are the rates and what is the next available reserve date? LOL!

  28. How absolutely fun to have a guest cottage! It looks great and gives your visitors the opportunity to take care of themselves and free you up a bit more. Nice reno job, Laura. ~ Sue

  30. The use of the soft yellows really helps brighten the space while making it "feel" larger. The bold reds (especially on the ceiling) made the room feel closed in, which you don't need especially in an attic.

  32. That looks wonderful! I also love having a guest house, but ours only has a teeeny tiiiiiny kitchen'ette!

    thanks for sharing,
    gena

  34. Having a kitchen for guests is such a smart idea, convenient and luxurious for them and a perk for you keeping them happy and out of your way in the morning! Your guest house looks adorable, I know we are all envious! Very bright and cheery!
    Jenna

  40. I think nobody will complain living in dog house lane, if this is where they're staying. Red painted walls doesn't fit a house in the country. What paint color did you chose now? Letting your guest have their own kitchen is really cool. They can cook anytime they want in their cottage! They don't need to bother you if they want something to eat. Haha!

    Kip Whitehead

  43. Now I know why your family and friends find it hard to leave the cottage. It’s so beautiful! Totally love the makeover you did here. I like how you made use of the space smartly. It’s quite hard to design a kitchen cottage with knee walls because of the limited upper space, but you were able to give that a solution. #Camille Edington

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