The Prettiest Little Cottage Painted Black

The prettiest little cottage painted black and furnished with thrifted treasures. Janet has the best eye and knows what to keep and what has potential as she curates her lovely home in a way that makes you wonder why you would ever want or need a big house.

Updated Post: April 17, 2023

Update: I’m updating this post of one of my all-time favorite content creators. Since this post, in 2019, Janet has sadly lost her husband, Larry. I can’t possibly update this post without sharing this. Over the weekend, Janet posted this lovely photo of her cottage porch, and the instant I saw it in my feed, I knew it was The Gardener’s Cottage.

The Gardener’s Cottage Cottage Porch

Janet’s home will be featured in Cottages & Bungalows Magazine sometime this year! She has a lovely new gallery wall with lots of vintage art. You can visit that post right here to see it!

Now Back to the original post…

I have a really special house tour for you today! I’m sharing the home of Janet of Gardener’s Cottage, who was my first blog friend. We started our blogs about nine years ago and connected by leaving comments. Comments turned into emails, and then we spoke on the phone the other day. One day we will meet in real life. I learned so much from Janet about living simply but stylishly.  Those are her words!  She taught me about photography, cooking, thrifting, and home decor.  Madeline and I were never into thrifting until we “met” Janet. We loved flea markets, but not in the way Janet did. She could put together an outfit for under $10 and looked like a million bucks. Janet calls Madeline “M,” and we sorta love that.

Janet and her husband, Larry, purchased the home about 10 years ago. The home was built in 1890 as the caretaker’s cottage of a large estate. When they purchased the home, it was basically unlivable.  Other interested buyers looked at it as a tear-down. They brought the 970-square-foot cottage and gardens back to their glory with thoughtful decisions and a lot of hard work. The home’s exterior was once red, and Janet explained that no one ever needed their address. It was just known as the little red cottage in the park. Doesn’t that sound charming?  But years later, they decided to paint it another color.  There was talk of painting it white with black accents, and even Patrica, or PVE as we know her, illustrated and painted Janet’s cottage in the most charming way with a striped awning.  But in the end, the little red cottage became the little black cottage. The actual color is Benjamine Moore Black Bean Soup. The cottage surrounded by roses looks like it was always meant to be exactly as it stands today.

Cottage Living Room with Slipcovers

Inside the cottage, they have slipcovered sofas and chairs, and most things they thrifted for just a few dollars. Janet loves to live frugally and has made it into an art form.  She has an incredible eye and sees potential in something many would never notice. For example, she got a mirror she found for only a few dollars because the frame was broken. She took a few pinecones and twigs she found on her many nature walks and glued them to the broken spot, making it even more beautiful.

Art, Frames & Mirrors Found at Thrift Stores

Janet’s Cottage Kitchen 

Even in a small home, Janet can host a dinner party for eight and make it look this glamorous. Vintage silver candlesticks on the table and fall foliage in galvanized containers flanking the stove make for simple but beautiful decor.

Open Shelving, Farm Sink, and No Dishwasher

Cottage Pantry with Baskets & Glass Jars

Janet’s kitchen and pantry are one of my favorites. There’s no dishwasher, and she’s fine with that. Her open shelving is both beautiful and functional. The same goes for her pantry.  Narrow shelves hold glass jars, and baskets hold things like bags of chips, vegetables, and linens. Isn’t this the pantry of your dreams?

Cottage Bedroom with Sandberg Raphael Wallpaper & Vintage Pillows

Recently Janet updated her bedroom with beautiful new wallpaper. I absolutely love it, and it looks like this room was always meant to have this exact wallpaper. She added a little bedside table (that was free) and painted it black. I love the mix of the floral pillow and green velvet with the wallpaper. Janet also updated her blog with the help of Shari from Little Blue Deer. It suits her perfectly! Timeless and elegant. That’s Janet, alright! Thank you, Janet, for sharing your home. Make sure you follow Janet on Instagram too!

 

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