I had mixed emotions when I first stepped inside the small cottage my parents were considering renting. It was unfurnished and I was distracted by the assortment of wall colors the owner had chosen for each room. My immediate impression was that the kitchen was too tiny and needed updating. Despite these distractions, we fell in love with the spacious area off to the side of the kitchen set apart by French doors (see Cozy Cottage #2). It would be the perfect place for a long dining room table and my mother’s dream of a space large enough to host family gatherings.

Because the home was for rent, our options to transform the space were limited, but this extra room beyond the French doors was too good to pass up. Once we sealed the deal we began to transform the space by using some of the tasteful home furnishings my mother acquired over the years. In addition, we brought in new pieces to coordinate with the new layout, giving it a showroom ready, modern rustic charm that rivals those seen in magazines.