Before we dive into an incredible home transformation from Erin, Sherry shared a small Easter DIY she made for Clara over on Young House Life, so feel free to visit that post for step-by-step details (there’s a sneak peek below):
Now, back to Erin’s remarkable renovation. Both Sherry and I have long daydreamed about lifting a roof a few feet higher to gain ceiling height, so we were completely captivated by the story of a couple who essentially made that dream come true — while completing several beautiful room updates. Here’s Erin’s letter:
Hi John and Sherry! We fell in love with our 1938 cottage near Lake Michigan in Wisconsin the moment we saw it in 2002, but it had a few problems: cramped bedroom headroom and a leaky roof, to name two.
We began by fixing the roof — what seemed like a perpetual leak turned out to be a poor original design. Repairing it led to a redesigned roof, which led to a few additions, and ultimately we removed the top half of the house and set it back on higher to gain height.
In the backyard we had a deck built and installed cable railings — we’re sailors, and cable railings remind us of lifelines on a boat. I laid the stone walkway to the detached garage, built mini retaining walls around the garden, and designed and planted the beds. That landscaping project is the DIY accomplishment I’m most proud of.
Upstairs, we transformed two small, low-sloped bedrooms into two well-proportioned bedrooms. One now includes a walk-in closet, and we added an extra bathroom — something you don’t realize you need until you’ve gone eight years without a bathroom on the bedroom floor.
Our best decision for the master was custom built-ins: they provide so much storage that we don’t need dressers. We installed bamboo floors ourselves and painted almost the entire house (we skipped the living room’s cathedral ceilings — I love my neck and there’s no family chiropractor).
The new bathroom is compact — just 8 x 8 feet — but we managed to fit a 5 x 3 foot shower and plenty of storage. Like the bedroom built-ins, I designed the bathroom storage and then had it built. From the upstairs hallway (which looks down into the living room) you can see my mini gallery wall, inspired by yours. One treasured item in the display is a board found during demo that reads “Put here July 11, 1938.” The bathroom door was salvaged from my grandparents’ house.
We couldn’t imagine loving our house more than we did before the renovation, and now we’re certain we’ll only ever live in one house: this one! – Erin
Isn’t it the kind of place you’d love to visit? Erin has documented many of the other makeovers on her blog, where you can see more details and photos. Pick your favorite part of this redesign — mine is the salvaged board from 1938, and Sherry’s favorite is the “bed-and-breakfast” vibe of the backyard. Thanks to Erin for sharing her inspiring renovation story!