The “French Country” House

When browsing online, I came across a sad looking manufactured home having the designation of being an “estate sale”. The description stated the home had been very well cared for but was dated and was sitting on a cul-de-sac location. Okay….my interest was peaked so Mr. Mobile Cottage and I decided to give it a look, not really thinking we would purchase it because it was not in our coveted park location, nevertheless, the description and price was intriguing.

Once at the homesite, we could see the large yard and the home was perfectly perched on a hill in a quiet cul-de-sac. What we couldn’t really see, was the home itself. Both time and a multitude of overplanted trees, flowers and weeds literally engulfed the home.

So much overgrowth almost swalloing the home!

So many plantings!

You can “almost” see the home.

But we were not deterred at this point. Even through the trees (literally) we could see this home still had potential. It had a good roof, a large screen porch, and as advertised, seem to have been well cared for. So we decided to venture inside and see how”dated” this beauty really was.

Well…..as the pictures show…..”dated” was perhaps a kind word. This gem had never been updated and still contained all the paneling, fixtures, countertops, wallpaper, etc. that was original to the home. But the home itself was large and contained a family room, living room, galley kitchen, dining area, laundry room, and 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, all in immaculate shape.

Family Room

Living Room

Galley kitchen

So what did we do? You guessed it…we purchased the home on the spot and began our adventure in turning this once dated gem into the most charming French Country manufactured home we’ve ever seen and what could be better than that?.

Stay tuned to future post reveals about how this once “charmless” home turns into a French Country showstopper.

Back to It – $100 Lake House!

Hello Everyone! I just viewed my blog and realized just how long it has been since I posted anything and for that, I sincerely apologize. With Covid 19, unfortunate family issues, coupled with being completely immersed with 4 other mobile home renovations, my blog was unfortunately completely ignored. But now, with a new enthusiasm for sharing how all these renovations transpired, I am dedicated to get back to my blog and am hoping you enjoy and are also inspired to maybe add some cottage charm to your own spaces.

First, I want to share pictures of the “$100 Lake House” completion. I can’t believe it has been over 2 years since this was completed and it is still one of my favorite renovations we have ever done. And while it tested our resolve and creativity in bringing cottagey charm to a once forgotten and well worn home, I feel the completed renovation perfectly captures it’s lakeside location.

Master Bathroom

Master Bedroom – so serene yet a nod to lakeside location

Master Bathroom, so cute!

View of Great Room from porch/den

Porch/den…. wonderful spot to enjoy the lake!

Oh that kitchen! Oozing with charm!

Great Room – WOW! A river rock fireplace, vintage windows and benches!

Lakeside porch with pergola….perfect!

Another view of porch

Front of Home

Many of you have commented how much you loved the transformation of this home and admittedly, so did we. When we originally started renovating manufactured/mobile homes we had no idea how much our ideas and/or creative ideas would inspire others. For that, we are truly appreciative and love how we have inspired and challenged others to tackle their own homes and truly make them their dream home!

Since the completion and subsequent sale of this home, we next tackled an “estate sale” manufactured home which while was in good condition, definitely needed our help and will be featured in my next entry entitled the “French Country” home. You won’t believe the transformation of this one and what could be better than that?

I love hearing your comments so please feel free to let me know what you think and if you wish, click the follow link at the bottom of the page and you will automatically receive my latest post!

$100 House – Great Room Revamp Reveal – The Fireplace

Hello everyone –

I’ve had many of you ask to see the newly revamped ‘Great Room”.  While I have provided sneak peeks in other blog posts, I now want to share with you the impressive transformation of this particular room with one of the newly added details – a fireplace.

As you recall, this home enjoys a lakeside location with fabulous views of the lake from the Great Room and Mr. Mobile Cottage and I wanted to have a cottage interior reflective of those views.  It was our idea to garner the hand crafting you might find in lake cottages built years ago oozing with cottage trims, beams and large fireplaces to gather around.  And while we wanted to ensure the cottage felt charming we needed a plan to incorporate all the cozy charm we were craving, but also to do it on a very restricted budget.  So what did we do?

So called “Great Room” when we purchased the home…absolutely disgusting!

 

Great Room area after initial renovation…clean and charming.

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Another view.

First we decided to build a massive stone fireplace you would find in an old lake cottage.  The fireplace that everyone would gather around at night, eating popcorn while recalling events of the day or years gone by.  But there were two problems.  First, this home didn’t come with a fireplace nor did it have a place to put one.   With windows on every wall in the Great Room we were challenged as to where it would go.  Ultimately, we decided to forego the window area directly facing our neighbors home and place the fireplace there.  Mr. Mobile Cottage built the frame of the fireplace covering both windows and also ensured it included a place for our television above the fireplace box.  No, this was not going to be a real working fireplace, but nonetheless, it sure was going to look the part.  Utilizing faux River Rock purchased on clearance from a local distributor, we began the journey of crafting our own, old-fashioned stone fireplace.

Once all the rocks were securely in place, we next grouted around them and put on two coats of polyurethane in an effort to both protect and also enhance the colors of the rocks.  We also crafted doors to hide the television when not in use along with a mantle made from scrap wood and of course, added a dose of our signature trim.  With the addition of an electric fireplace insert which also directs heat should we desire to use it and adding real wood to the fire box area, I believe we achieved our dream of having a stunning old-fashioned, lakeside stone fireplace.

Once the fireplace was in place, we also decided to add “built-in” cushioned benches featuring storage areas and even found two small, vintage windows that fit perfectly on each side of the fireplace.  With all the pieces in place, this fireplace has become a favorite spot of all who visit and no one can believe the fireplace it is not real.  And what could be better than that?

New “old” stone fireplace WOW!

Another view….so cozy and charming indeed!

Notice the beams?  More revamp posts coming soon….you won’t believe the transformation.

 

The $100 House – Bathroom Renovation Revamp – Lakeside Style

Hi Everyone!

When we think about bathrooms, the first thing most people focus on is how they are going to function versus decor or style. In our renovation revamp of the $100 house, one of the rooms we really want to focus on was the guest bathroom.  It is a room used by everyone whether family or friends and I wanted to add some uniqueness to this very utilitarian room and ensure it would have the same charm as the rest of the cottage.

Guest bathroom when home was purchased – totally disgusting and just plain ugly.

While this room looked good after the initial renovation, it just didn’t exude the charm or have anything special and was pretty boring.  So what did we do?

Guest bathroom during initial renovation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom after initial renovation….clean and fresh.

First, we replaced the original vanity with a closeout model that provided more storage space and exuded the cottage charm we wanted thus providing an instant update to this space.  We also added a new, bright white toilet and resurfaced the original tub/shower combo with an finishing treatment found at our local big box store.  But still there was something missing.  But once I spied a porthole mirror at a local thrift store, I knew exactly how to fully transform this small space while giving a nod to our lakeside location.

Like most manufactured homes, the guest bathroom is located right off the hallway of the home.  With a total of five doors (yes 5) located in proximity of this small space, Mr. Mobile Cottage came up with the idea of putting in a “barn” or rolling door thus freeing up space in the bathroom.  So utilizing the original door that came with the home, we added trim boards around the perimeter and also included a dose of our signature trim in the middle, put the porthole mirror on the outside and finished it off with a boat cleat for a handle and suddenly the charm was starting to come into focus.

Nautical rolling “barn” door embellished with trim and porthole…fits perfectly with lakeside theme. Notice with boat cleat handle?

Next we turned our attention back to the bathroom itself.  After repainting the upper walls a soft, light gray and adding bead board all around the bathroom, we knew we needed something more. If you are a follower of my blog, you know I always like to add unexpected elements or details to a space and this was no exception.  In this particular case, a large vintage life ring found at a local antiques market on clearance was just the item I needed.  Not only did this gem hail from my home state, it came with a photo of the freighter it was housed on as well as a complete typed history of the now de-commissioned freighter….what a find!

Large vintage life ring, bead board add interest to an otherwise boring wall. Notice the boat cleat used to towels?

So after installing the life ring, I also decided it would be fun to include both the typed history and the picture of the freighter to the room too.  After scoring very inexpensive frames (BOGO sale!) from my local crafts store, these little beauties now provide friends and family a snipet of history but also add to the charm of the room.

Framed prints provide history on vintage life ring in bathroom. Boat cleats used for towels provide more nautical charm.

 

New gray paint, closeout vanity, mirror and clearance light. Also huge life ring on opposite wall to provide more character. Notice freighter picture?

Now this guest bathroom is not only extremely functional, but a one-of-a-kind memorable room as well and what can be better than that?

Please follow my blog and you will automatically receive all my new posts.  Many more remarkable reveals coming soon!

 

 

The $100 House – Renovation Revamp – The Laundry Room

Hi everyone!

I wanted to provide you with  a quick post on our newly revamped laundry room.  Like most laundry rooms, this little space not only serves a utilitarian purpose but is also the main entrance to our home thus the area that everyone must pass through.  Therefore, I knew we had to do something, (anything really) to make it charming to blend with the rest of the cottage.

Initially during our first renovation, we first cleaned up the area and then laid new flooring, added fresh paint and simply staged the area to with the intention of selling the home. (see picture below).  But once we moved into the cottage and installed the washer and dryer, the space felt cold, empty and completely devoid of charm.  So what did we do?

Laundry area after initial renovation sparsely staged to sell.

First, we decided to add a butcher block counter on top of the laundry machines for folding purposes and also to give the space more dimension.  In addition, we added a backsplash to cover up the unsightly hose and electrical connections and stained and polyurethaned both surfaces.  We also decided to add a cute awning (of course made by Mr. Mobile Cottage), two cute laundry signs found at a local big box store on sale, a thrift store overhead light painted white and finally finished off this area with a darling galvanized tote containing flowers.

Charm abounds with added awning, folding counter two cute signs and flowers.

While the area was starting to finally feel a bit more cottagey, it was still missing something, namely on the wall opposite the washer and dryer.  It was your standard manufactured home entry wall and completely boring.  So we decided to add bead board from floor to ceiling, add a chair rail, also added top and bottom moldings and finish it off with wooden pegs the length of the wall and paint it all a crisp white.  FINALLY….the space was cute, but it still was lacking something.  So after scouring my decorating closet I decided to utilize wooden letters which spell “Home” and painted them white and finally finished the entire space off with a cute wreath.

Bead board walls and and pegs for added charm. So cute!

Another view

When renovating, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I always try to incorporate charm into every area of our homes, regardless of what the space is used for.  Such as the case of the laundry room/entry area.  Now the space not only serves its utilitarian purpose but also is a charming, welcoming area which is not just an entrance, but an integral part of our cottage and what can be better than that?

Stay tuned……more stunning revamp reveals coming soon.  Let me know what you think in the comments section…I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The $100 House – Renovation Revamp – The Kitchen

Hello all –

If you follow my blog, you no doubt already know we purchased a manufactured home for $100 and have been on a renovation journey since then. Initially we renovated the home to sell it, but have since moved into the home and have now undertaken a secondary renovation in an effort to make it work for our everyday life and more suited to our cottage taste.

In this post I am going to reveal our kitchen revamp which includes countertops, newer appliances, more gingerbread trim and other added features.  Below is a picture of how the kitchen looked when we first purchased the home.  There was 1980’s wallpaper, standard kitchen cabinets, worn linoleum flooring, and absolutely no charm to be found in addition to it being a filthy mess.  However, the layout of the kitchen was efficient and worked well.

Kitchen as we found it – food and garbage scattered everywhere and no charm to be found.

So after taking down walls, painting the cabinets, adding a cute vent hood trim, an awning over the window, replacing the flooring and adding a little charm to the entire area, the kitchen was initially transformed and more importantly clean.

During initial renovation walls coming down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After initial renovation….so much better!

Yes, the kitchen looked nice, but to us, it was still lacking charm and needed something more.  So what did we do?  First, we decided to add new butcher block countertops, more in keeping with a vintage lakeside cottage.  Next, while we were not in love with the standard kitchen cabinets, they were in great shape and worth keeping.  So after adding a little more of our signature trim to both the upper and lower cabinets, the kitchen was starting to take shape.  But something was still missing…..we had not yet included a plate rack which is standard in every home we have ever renovated.  Normally we add these above the refrigerator or upper cabinets, but this time we decided to utilize a deep, unusable corner and give it a bit of charm.  With the addition of a farmhouse sink and new faucet (of course on clearance), a crisp white curtain and more trim on the cabinet doors under the sink, the kitchen was finally coming into focus.

Butcher block countertops and our signature trim added to bottom of cabinets and glass inserts on upper cabinets. The cute vent hood adds to the charm.

Cute, cute plate rack added into unusable corner….adds so much charm!

 

 

 

 

Cut out window added to pantry door along with cute sign and basket above.

But the kitchen was still lacking something.  Without hesitation, Mr. Mobile Cottage decided to put glass inserts into the upper cabinets…something that would also be found in vintage kitchens.  Using a regular jigsaw, Mr. Mobile Cottage cut out the grid pattern and then had glass cut to size and instantly we have more vintage charm! In addition we decided to add X pattern trim on the end kitchen cabinet along with molding around the bottom of all the cabinets to finish them off.

And while we debated for some time about getting new appliances, in the end we took the plunge and it was well worth it.  They not only enhance the kitchen aesthetic of being updated, but also blend in perfectly with all the other updates.

 

Fully updated kitchen has become hub of the cottage. So much character and charm now.

The one thing I have learned when renovating kitchens or bathrooms in manufactured or mobile homes is that you do not have to have to gut everything or purchase everything new to give your home character and charm.  In fact, most times it is just the opposite.  Adding simple things such as new knobs, a plate rack, adding trim pieces or simply skirting a sink will start you on your journey of creating your special cottage no matter what type of home you have.

Stay tuned more renovation revamp reveals coming soon!  Also, if you wish to receive my posts automatically, please click follow at the bottom.

Thanks for stopping by.

The $100 House – Renovation Revamp – The “Boat House”

Hi everyone –

Okay…time for me to admit that one of the biggest requests in moving into the $100 House was from Mr. Mobile Cottage.  As we do all the renovation work ourselves on these homes, we have a plethora of tools and other supplies and need a large space to house all these items.  Mr. Mobile Cottage also wanted a space he could work on projects out of inclement weather, thus the journey of building the “Boat House” was underway.

Unfortunately, the $100 house came only with a teeny tiny shed under the carport as most older manufactured homes do.  Sure it’s great space to store simple yard tools or a few supplies, but we needed a space to house workbenches, power tools and everything else and the tiny shed was just not going to work.  So after sketching out  a few drawings on cardboard and finally deciding on a plan, we obtained approval from the park and proper permits, and set out to create our “Boat House”.

The tiny shed before construction begins on the “Boat House”.

We started by adding an addition to the already existing shed space under the carport.  We took out the original front shed walls and door and built new walls and decided to also build a new double-door opening for the front of the shed.   (see pic. below)

New “Boat House: shed walls go up!

Next, white siding was added to the new walls on the shed along with two new windows and Mr. Mobile Cottage began the task of creating front doors as well.   Not wanting just to add a simple “garage-style” door, I scoured magazines and websites for door ideas which had character and were something a bit different.  Once I came upon a photo of a particular boat house overlooking a waterfront, I knew this would be the perfect template for creating our new doors, thus how the name “Boat House” evolved.

While Mr. Mobile Cottage was crafting the doors, I decided to add some additional character on the side of the new shed as well. This space had minimal landscaping, no character and was just too plain for my taste.  More especially, since this is how we can access the lakefront at the back of the house and would be used daily, I wanted it to look nice and reflect the cozy charm of the rest of the home.

New shed side walls after siding…boring!

 

Another look of side of shed…pretty sparse!

I decided to not only lengthen the landscaping space alongside the shed with more native grasses to encompass the entire new addition, but Mr. Mobile Cottages crafted our signature scalloped window boxes and added adorable shutters as well.  The shutters not only provide shade but also serve as hurricane shutters…a necessity in our southern location.  I also added more 12″ x 12″ pavers to the lawn to make a full walking path back to the lake.  Now this space reflects the cottage style we love and also provides a charming pathway to our lake front area.

New shed side area…so cute and charming!

Once Mr. Mobile Cottage had the new doors crafted he painted them a crisp white color.  Also, knowing that we  needed outdoor lighting, I luckily happened upon two gooseneck light fixtures clearance priced and also painted them white.  But still, the shed just didn’t seem quite right.  After all, what would a “Boat House” be without an oar?  Going into my storage closet I found an oar that fit perfectly over the shed doors.  But of course, I couldn’t just have a plain old oar.  So I had Mr. Mobile Cottage carve the name of our newest addition “Boat House” on the oar and finished it off with a couple coats of polyurethane to protect it from the elements.  Now our newly constructed “Boat House” shed exudes the charm of the rest of the cottage and doesn’t appear to be an after thought, but rather complements our lakeside abode.

New Boat House (shed) doors – charming indeed

Now officially deemed The Boat House!

Sometimes it is worth taking time to think and plan spaces that we deem utilitarian such as our new found “Boat House”.  Sure it is still a shed, still houses tools and other necessary items but has also become the “mancave” hangout area of our home shared by friends and neighbors.  And while we could have just built a simple shed, adding extra details has exemplified the charm of our little cottage and what can be better than that?

Stay tuned for more stunning reveals of the $100 house revamp.  If you want to automatically receive updates on my blog, please click “follow” .

Thanks for stopping by….I really do appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The $100 House – Renovation Revamp – The Porch

Hello everyone –

As mentioned in my last post, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I unexpectedly sold our little Cottage in the City in 5 days with a stipulated move out of 30 days.  Not wanting to move into a rental only to move again (and possibly again), we decided to move into our $100 house.  After all, the home is located in a premier 5-star manufactured home community, is on a stellar lakefront site and most importantly had just undergone a total top-to-bottom renovation.  However, after living there only a short while, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I both knew another renovation was on the horizon to make it home for how we live, not just a home to sell.  So what did we do?

First, we decided to enclose the screen porch in an effort to provide more livable space and also to gain access to what we are calling the “Boat House” (more about that in a later post).  Below are pictures of the porch before any renovation took place and also after the first renovation.

Porch when we first purchased the home.

Porch after initial renovation….much better!

Outside of the porch – UGH!

Enclosing the porch begins – new windows and plywood added!

Once we had a plan together, renovations began.  First, plywood went up to replace the screens and new windows were also installed.  Next, we decided to repaint the blue color on the walls with a soft dove gray color…more suited to our taste and style.  Next, insulation was installed and white siding was added to the outside.

New paint color – love the soft, dove gray color.

New white siding is installed around outside.

Once the walls were up, we decided to install crisp, white bead board from floor to ceiling to offset the gray walls on the other side of the room.  Mr. Mobile Cottage also crafted a decorative fireplace from scrap wood to fit the space and we also decided to soften the floors with new carpet as well.  In addition, we added a large storage closet in this space and finished it out with two sets of bi-fold doors.  We also removed the old sliding glass door and replaced it with new French doors.  Finally, a new steel door for outside access was added along with an air conditioner so this room can be utilized four seasons.

Such a cozy, cute room now with accessories giving a nod to the lake location.

Another view of renovated porch…so cozy!

With the addition of white slipcovered furniture, a thrift store desk and chair, a shutter-turned-awning over the window, curtains and simple accessories giving a nod to this home’s lakeside location, this former underutilized space has now become one of the favorite rooms in the home.

Cute desk area adds charm and function to this space.

View from Great Room with new French doors.  (FYI – notice the ceiling in the Great Room…stay tuned for more about that later)

When renovating, sometimes you need to envision spaces for what they can become rather than what they currently are and I believe this space is the perfect example of that.  From a forgotten porch to a wonderful, inviting and useful space… what can be better than that?

Stay tuned….more Renovation Revamp reveals coming soon.

$100 House…So Many Changes

Hi everyone! There have been so many changes (and projects) going on the last many months and that includes in the $100 house. Tremendous progress has been made inside and outside of the home and the results are stunning. The once forgotten eyesore that was going to be torn down has been transformed to a charming lakeside cottage beloved by many in the neighborhood.  After gallons and gallons of paint, new flooring and fixtures along with a ton of good old fashioned elbow grease and sheer exhaustion, this home was not only rescued, but spurred more renovations in the neighborhood.  

And while I gave you glimpses of the initial renovation (yes, I did say “initial”, hint, hint) I wanted to finally let you see how the final “FIRST” transformation looked when it was up for sale.  Keep in mind, the home was sparsely staged to sell, but I think you will agree it turned out pretty fabulous.

Living room before

Living room after

 

Living room after – another view! Notice the ceiling? No more yucky nicotine yellow!

Kitchen as we found it – food and garbage scattered everywhere

Kitchen after….cute vent hood and window awning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Bedroom before – no one wants to sleep here!

Master bathroom after…clean and cozy

 

Screen porch before.

 

Screen porch after – such a relaxing space

 

Master bathroom after…so charming

Guest bathroom after…cute, cute, cute!

 

Dining Room area across from kitchen before – nothing special and enclosed.

Dining Room after – spacious with fireplace too!

 

Front of house before – overgrown and just plain UGLY

Front of home after – can you believe the difference? WOW

Back of home before – overgrowth abounds!

 

Back of home after!

While these photos show what a labor of love this renovation has been, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I have just competed a massive, secondary total renovation of this cottage as this has become our newest home.  We sold our little Cottage in the city so quickly that we decided to move here.   Stay tuned for further updates and pictures on how this little lakeside gem has again been transformed into the quintessential cottage.

If you want to see more of our renovations and share in our journey, please click follow and you will automatically receive my new postings.

P.S.  Also look for pictures of our little Cottage in the City transformation to be posted soon…you won’t believe the final outcome of this charming home….it is truly stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The $100 House – Painting Pains (Part 2)

Hey everyone –  I wanted to give you another update on the painting progress of our $100 House.

With almost 1300 square feet inside the $100 house and another 200 square feet on the screen porch all needing a  ton of renovation and in dire need of paint, our adventures in painting continue.  Couple that with needing a solution to hide all the electrical wires after taking down walls in the Great Room and we continue to be faced with a workload that seems to never end!  However, knowing we have to persevere, we push on with sore elbows, knees, and sometimes sheer exhaustion.

It is during these moments, Mr. Mobile Cottage and I have found we simply need to take a break to reflect of how far we have come and perhaps inject a dose of humor into the project such as the picture below.

A little humorous daily reminder Mr. Mobile Cottage wrote to help keep things in perspective!

Late one afternoon after an especially grueling full painting day, Mr. Mobile Cottage used the remaining paint on his brush to sketch out the phrase above on the floor.  Each day thereafter when we would arrive, that small humorous reminder would make be smile and remember to have a little bit of fun each day.

So where are we now in the project?   With the gray/blue color enhancing the top of the walls and a few gallons of white paint on practically everything else, the house is finally not only looking a bit better, but the nicotine smells have dissipated too!

The painting continues, and progress is showing.  Notice that support post in the middle of room?  More about that in another post!

However, there is still so very much to do and our plans to shape this $100 house into a dream lakeside cottage have only just begun.   Can you imagine what we did next?  Stay tuned….many more reveals are coming!