From Birkin Dreams to Budget Realities: The Renovation Journey of my 1900’s Farmhouse
Part 1: The Shed MakeoverWhen I first walked through my 1900’s farmhouse in April 2023, my design ideas were practically bursting out of my brain. I had endless visions of transforming this neglected property into a stunning retreat. But an unexpected bidding war (hello, nearly $100K over asking—ouch!) forced me to pump the brakes on my grand design dreams. And really, in what world did I think I could complete a gut renovation 30 days before summer season!? When you’re working with Birkin taste on a tote bag budget, something has to give.
As it turned out, this pause was a blessing in disguise. It forced me to live in the house “as is” for the summer. Surprisingly, that changed everything. Living in the space gave me the luxury of letting the house speak to me—yes, I’m one of those people who believes houses have opinions—and I discovered what it truly needed. I learned how the light moves through each room at different times of the day and how I actually lived in the space. My original plans? Out the window. I realized they wouldn’t have worked for how I wanted to use the house.
For me, beauty is nothing without functionality. When something doesn’t function the way I need it to, it frustrates me to the point that it sucks the joy out of even the most beautiful design. But that’s a rant for another day.
After closing at the end of April and shelving my interior renovation dreams, I decided to focus on a different mission: transforming the backyard into a summer oasis, - this was something I could accomplish quickly!
Let’s just say the backyard was... a project. The biggest eyesore? A large, unfinished shed so thoughtfully plunked smack in the middle of the yard. While I have grand plans to convert it into a functional space eventually, my resources were better spent elsewhere for now. The solution? A quick, inexpensive facelift—paint and a bit of sprucing up—just enough to make her pretty for summer.
Shed Before:
Shed After:
Who knew a shed could have a 'glow-up'? Turns out, all it took was a little black dress... of paint, that is!
Full disclosure, as much as I would like to say this was my own DIY skills (I WAS truly excited to do this DIY myself!) I quickly learned that while I to think I enjoy rolling up my sleeves, painting this shed was unfortunately not a skill set I possess. I am better suited as the creative visionary and leaving the execution to the professionals!
While there are many more projects in the works for Wildflower Cottage, at least the shed no longer stands out like a sore thumb!
Paint colors I used:
I love that this black has a bit of depth to it. When the sun hits, it picks up a beautiful green / blue tone
Since the use of the shed will change in the future, adding electrical now did not make budget sense, so I found these great solar sconces on Amazon. They are bright enough to light the pathway, and inexpensive enough that I won’t feel terrible when I remove them to do the major shed remodel.
