Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 11 Extraordinary Outdoor Travel Experiences to Try This Year

      11 Extraordinary Outdoor Travel Experiences to Try This Year

      Have you ever slept in a treehouse? Paddled by moonlight? Seen the Milky Way? We challenge you to try one of these activities. Read More
    • Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      One has conquered the world of plant-based baking. Another runs a microbakery from her home. Two own businesses with their spouses. And the fifth is a James Beard finalist chef. The common thread? Absolutely delicious cakes. Read More
    • The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      For many Midwesterners, holiday feasting kicks off with a relish tray. We dare not mess with an icon—at least, not too much. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Des Moines' Hottest Food Neighborhoods You Need to Know About

    Des Moines' Hottest Food Neighborhoods You Need to Know About

    Korean egg sandwiches, Australian baked goods,Southeast Asian bing bing wraps—here’s an in-the-know guide to eating your way through this culinary capital.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    The Delicate, Spongy Basic Crepe Recipe You Can Master at Home—Plus 4 Ways to Upgrade It

    The Delicate, Spongy Basic Crepe Recipe You Can Master at Home—Plus 4 Ways to Upgrade It

    With encouragement from the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, creperie, you’ll perfect these delicate pancakes in no time.
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal With These Ideas from a Minneapolis Makeover

    Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal With These Ideas from a Minneapolis Makeover

    With fresh paint and a terraced slope, a Minneapolis stucco goes from mousy to magnetic.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    How to Plant a Rain Garden

    How to Plant a Rain Garden

    Turn a wet trouble spot into a lush and Earth-friendly oasis by capturing the rain.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath

    Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath

    For this do-it-yourself spring wreath, we bundled inexpensive paper-mache eggs in fuzzy, vibrant yarn.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Homes
  3. Homes Featured in Midwest Living
  4. Re-Creating a Cottage

Re-Creating a Cottage

By Sara Reimer; Photographer James Yochum; Field editor Gisela Rose May 28, 2013
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Exterior update
A tiny riverfront home in southwestern Michigan recaptures its original cottage character with paint, fabric and a floor plan overhaul.
Start Slideshow

1 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cottage redo

Cottage redo

Antique and new furnishings create an eclectic cottage mix in David Bradley's home in the Michigan beach town of Saugatuck.When David purchased the 1,100-square-foot house, its charm had been stripped away. "It was vinyl-sided and very linear. It reminded me of a mobile home," says designer John Cannarsa, who reworked the floor plan for better function and returned the house to its 1950s cottage style-with modern accents. John moved the entryway, added a porch, and expanded the kitchen and dining room within the footprint. New painted wood floors, wall panels and wainscoting deliver inviting texture. A refurbished stove and retro-style refrigerator highlight the kitchen's throwback design.

1 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Open up

Open up

To make the house seem larger, designer John Cannarsa raised the dining room roof and added decorative rafters. A bench seat keeps sight lines open into the adjoining kitchen. Cornflower blue transforms a wooden piano into a bold statement piece.

2 of 8

3 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Stylish storage

Mudroom entry organization

This creative storage design turns a shallow entry space into a stylish spot for holding towels, shoes and other beach gear. 

3 of 8

Advertisement

4 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Modern kitchen skirt

Modern kitchen skirt

A skirt under the sink looks fresh in a modern print.

4 of 8

5 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Relaxed retro

Relaxed retro

A refurbished 1946 Blue Bonnet stove from eBay gives the kitchen an old-school vibe. 

5 of 8

6 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Vintage-style bath

Vintage-style bath

A vintage-style faucet is fitting against classic subway tile, while easy-to-make curtains brighten the bath. Throughout the home, fabrics and bedding in midcentury prints (stripes, polka dots, boomerangs and atomic graphics) add flair for little cost.

6 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Color cheer

Color cheer

Yellow walls add big cheer to a small bedroom.

7 of 8

8 of 8

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Exterior update

Exterior update

When the home's vinyl siding was peeled away, it revealed a mustard yellow hue-close to the color chosen for the new siding. "We started to discover the true nature of the cottage," says designer John Cannarsa.Click here for a buying guide to this home.

8 of 8

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Sara Reimer; Photographer James Yochum; Field editor Gisela Rose

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 8 Cottage redo
    2 of 8 Open up
    3 of 8 Stylish storage
    4 of 8 Modern kitchen skirt
    5 of 8 Relaxed retro
    6 of 8 Vintage-style bath
    7 of 8 Color cheer
    8 of 8 Exterior update

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Re-Creating a Cottage
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.