RenovationsMeet The Buffalo Stone Cottage May 30, 2017Okay friends, a momentous day has come! I’ve been dying to share this for the last month! I’m officially introducing you to our next home, The Buffalo Stone Cottage. In the last two Our Story videos, I broke down why we sold The Buffalo Bungalow and how we found this little gem in our same neighborhood. She has more existing charm and character than any house we’ve ever bought. She was built in the ’40’s and is definitely in need of a little TLC. As I broke down in the last video, our initial plan was to add on, making the house a 3 bed/2 bath 1600-ish home. But after all of our realizations this last year about living more simply and the journey to be debt-free, we’ve decided to scrap the addition plans and make her 1100 square feet work for this next season. We may choose to add on in the future or move on to a bigger house at some point…we have no idea! But we do know that we’re supposed to do this renovation as cheaply as possible to allow for more debt to be paid off and more room to save and give in this next season so that it can launch us into things in the future. As I kept saying in our story videos, we don’t know the whole picture (not even close), but we know the next step….and here she is, The Buffalo Stone Cottage, in all her glory. While there is PLENTY to do here, this is the smallest reno we’ve done by far. Take a look at the before and after floor plans: Yes, very little change. The only floor plan changes you’ll notice are the two walls we’re removing in the main living areas. The rooms were small and very choppy with walls, so to really make this space function for us, we’re opening up the walls between the living room, dining room, and kitchen. We’ll still be doing some things to help define those spaces, so it isn’t one large room. But we can already tell the house will feel much larger with them opened and I love that I can be cooking and watching the kids play at the dining table or in the living room. In the plans above, no room’s function is changing, so I only labeled the BEFORE plan, so that you could see more of what we’re doing in the AFTER. I’ll talk more about this in specific room plans, but you’ll notice that we’re changing up the kitchen layout to make it much more functional and largely increase storage! While we’ll definitely have less storage than our current house, it isn’t by much even though the space is much smaller. We’re doing built-in wardrobes on either side of our bed, as the master closet is really small. There’s a ton more that we’ll be tackling to help this space function for us that I’ll share as we go! The main thing that told us we could do this as is right now was the tiny little room off the side that you see is Dax’s room. This is an old screened porch that had already been closed in, but needs a lot of work and reinforcing. While it wouldn’t be ideal for an older child (though I do think you could make it work), it’s absolutely perfect for a nursery! I really wanted the kids to still have their own rooms. I am all for kids sharing, but didn’t want to put a newborn in with Rosie unless I had to. Sleeping, feeding, etc. would definitely wake her up. So, this space is perfect! This was the first thing we measured out and all the furniture we needed in there fits perfectly, like it was designed just for him and his needs. There’s so much more to share about what we’ll be doing here. Today is just a glimpse of where we’re starting. Who’s ready to see some before’s? I’ve gotten a lot of requests in the past for a video tour because it’s so hard to really picture a space from a layout and pictures. This time, we put one together for y’all and I am so glad! I do think it helps give you a much better feel for the house. You’ll notice I’m extremely pregnant in this video…we filmed all of this and took all of the before photos on Dax’s due date! Since we were closing so close to Dax coming (it ended up being the day before his arrival), they let us stop in early to make plans and take all of this. I’ll share some before pictures as well down below, but welcome to our Buffalo Stone Cottage! I’ll have to do more video tours of rooms and the house as it finishes up! Now, here are some before photos of each room as well. As I said in the video, thankfully, the whole house doesn’t have to be gutted like others we’ve done. You can see in a lot of rooms, the plaster is already patched and sanded! So the white splotches may not look great, but that’s way less work we have to do. The only rooms that ended up having to be gutted are the kitchen, bath, and Dax’s room. There is so much to share! I am so thrilled to have another project to work on…we thrive on these! And I can’t wait to share all of the renovation progress, design plans, etc. going forward! I’m so excited about my overall vision for the house and will share that later this week! It’s going to be good, y’all. Thanks for following in our journey! Our fourth house in seven years…here we go! *** Thatโs been The White Buffalo motto for the last three years and is still what Iโm striving to do each day in our home and with our family. Yes, that often means tablescapes, inspiring interiors, and fun before and after renos. But it also means family. Faith. Joy. Struggles. Laughter. Health. You’ll find a little bit of all of that here as I share how we’re choosing to live with both style and purpose. A huge part of that is our journey toward a more natural life that’s focused on enjoying each and every moment together. A huge thanks to my main blog sponsor that makes this dream of mine possible:
Cassie Bustamante says May 30, 2017 at 7:49 am i watched a bit of your video yesterday but then got distracted and forgot to comment, but i wanted to say i am SO excited for this! i think our country puts too much emphasis on stuff and house size, etc. and we all need to reprioritize and realize what is important and that there is so much more to life…. small homes build close families. ๐ Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 2:58 pm Thank you so much, Cassie! We’re so excited. And I love what you said about that – they do breed close families! Excited to see what it does for us…I know it’ll come with its fair share of challenges like anything, but I think it’s going to be so good for us! Reply
aussiebushgirl says April 4, 2018 at 7:02 am Totally agree! Families have become too disconnected today. So happy that Lindsay has taken the plunge to downsize and reevaluate what’s important in life. – heather Reply
Cassie Bustamante says May 30, 2017 at 7:52 am PS- this house is adorable and i can’t wait to see you buffalo it! Reply
Susan Lawson says May 30, 2017 at 8:20 am After my mom passed I moved my dad from a 2-room assisted living apartment to a smaller one-room. He was in rehab, so as I arranged everything I came to appreciate how comfortable a smaller space can be. When he came home from rehab to his new home, his first comment was, “This is so cozy!” It made all my efforts worthwhile. My husband and I downsized soon after. We’d planned to make our move to his mom’s former condo temporary while we built a house (she was in assisted living), but decided to stay because the smaller space just fit us so well. Like my dad said, it was just so cozy. And efficient. And easy to care for. And. And. And… Well, you get it. LOVE this cottage and am so excited to see what you do with it. Love the divided panes on the upper window sashes. Hope you can replicate that. Maybe you can save those French doors and reuse if you decide to add on later. I’ll enjoy watching this take shape. Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 2:57 pm Susan, I love hearing that. Such a powerful testimony from someone who has actually lived it! Reply
Judy Clark says May 30, 2017 at 10:18 am I could not wait until 5am this morning to see your new house. How exciting! Hubby andI downsized last year and we have not regretted it at all. It is amazing how our home journeys have been over the years. Our first house was 900 square feet. And we were raising three boys int it! Over the years we increased square footage and now we are back o just under 1500 sq. We feel that this is our forever home since we have retired, but if God decides to move us somewhere smaller so be it. I cannot wait to see what you do with this house. It is going to be beautiful. God Bless Your Precious Family. Judy Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 2:51 pm Oh thank you so much, Judy! That means so much to me to hear your journey in a small house! I’m so encouraged to hear that! It may be for just a season or maybe forever, who knows! But either way, I know it will shape us and teach us so much that will change what we do going forward! Reply
Leslie Angell says May 30, 2017 at 11:37 am So excited to watch your journey into living more simply! Reply
Kathleen Grace says May 30, 2017 at 12:39 pm I have been working through your story videos. So fascinating and I have to say I think you are doing the right thing. I will tell you we renovated a 600 sq ft house as young newlyweds and added on until we had 1100 square ft. We thought it would feel so big! Well, it wasn’t big, but it was cozy and we made it beautiful and we raised two daughters in that 1100 sq. ft house with one bathroom. Our girls love the home they grew up in, and we have always been grateful for the financial freedom it gave us. I look forward to seeing your new home take shape. Many blessings to you. Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 2:48 pm Oh I love hearing that, Kathleen! Makes me so happy to hear that. It’s hard to imagine living in that small of a space some day sand then other days, it feels so exciting and thrilling! Now that we’ve adjusted our mindset, those thrilling days are the majority haha! But it’s encouraging to hear your story and experience with small living. Reply
Kris Shock says May 30, 2017 at 1:52 pm Love the stone cottage! I know you plan on removing wall between kitchen and dining room. But Im just curious if the current dining room would function better as a living room. Leaving kitchen/dining room wall but still taking out dining room/living room wall. Making current living room the new dining room. A little unconventional but in the small space possible more functional. Just a thought. Cant wait to see finished space! Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 2:47 pm Thank you for the suggestion, Kris! We thought briefly about that, but it’s a foot shorter than the living room and I just really want the dining and kitchen side by side. Not that it’s that far to walk, but it just feels right to me ๐ And I really want the kitchen open to the rest of the house…it’ll make everything feel more open and I’m really excited about the views seeing the statement hood wall from the front. We entertain a lot, so I like that people could be in all three rooms and still be hanging out too….needed in this small of a house haha! In our current house, we did a lot of hanging out around the kitchen island while we cooked with friends….while this kitchen is way too small for that, the banquette area will let us still hang out that way ๐ Reply
Cheryl says May 30, 2017 at 4:08 pm I loved catching up with your story! We also live in a very old small house and I love it. When we were house shopping, we were deciding between our current house, and a new home twice its size. We chose our home for the financial freedom of a significantly smaller mortgage payment, and for the neighborhood, and it was definitely the right choice. Having a big network of neighbors and extended neighbors has been such a blessing. I can’t wait to see what you do with the living room as mine is exactly the same size and I’m a little stuck on how to maximize the space! Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 5:04 pm So happy to hear your story, Cheryl! I’m so excited to figure out how we’re going to use it and enjoy living in it! Any suggestions you have are welcome! What you described about y’all’s choice sounds so similar to what we chose. And I totally agree with you! Yes, neighbors go so much farther than a house can ๐ Reply
Austin says May 30, 2017 at 4:14 pm So. Stinking. Excited. I am eagerly awaiting renovation/decorating posts within these spatial limitations. Sometimes those limitations really get the creative juices flowing! It also reminds me of perspective โ my husband and I live in a 3/2, just the two of us, and sometimes I feel like WE don’t have enough space! Crazy. (I’m also constantly purging, but who knew how much stuff two people could accumulate in their lives?!) So excited for you, Linds! Reply
Austin says May 30, 2017 at 4:54 pm (Also, I am DYING over all that natural light. Consider this duplex-dweller (aka ZERO natural light) green with envy!) Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 5:02 pm Oh girl I’ve spent our whole life dreaming of more space…no matter how much we had! I think it’s human nature and it’s been a process to fight against it and give this a try ๐ And it may not be forever…we shall see. But it’ll be great for this next season, I know! Reply
Shamrock says May 30, 2017 at 4:35 pm Love the stone cottage – can’t wait to see your designs. Just a thought for the other side of the laundry area (since you’re losing your office space.) How about incorporating an office area there and you would probably have enough space for some storage too. Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 5:08 pm That is such a great idea! I love that! Right now, that space is going to have to go to my ellyptical haha! Function over form there for sure….I depend on it to exercise each day with the small kids. Having something I can do at home is a necessity. I really hate to use up that space for it in a small house, but it’s needed for now with our current season. But I love that idea! What’s funny though….I have this beautiful office here and hardly ever use it. I work from the couch, the dining table, the kitchen island all depending on my mood or what else I’m doing. So working from the main spaces won’t be too bad for now…maybe another office will be in my future though! Reply
Brenda says May 30, 2017 at 11:45 pm Seems like you could incorporate some ‘office’ storage in the base of the banquette and you could ‘work’ there… Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:21 am Yes! My plan is to work there at the dining table ๐ I have a drawer already set aside for my office stuff! Great idea! Reply
Gina says May 30, 2017 at 4:55 pm Love the Stone Cottage! As I was watching the video and you were talking about taking down the walls I was thinking about those French doors with the crystal doorknobs. Then you said (with a hitch in your voice) you really hated to lose them Sure hope you can use them in some other way! If you sell them let me know please! Love the character of the stone chimney in Dax’s room, the fireplace in the master and all those windows! Is the window in the bathroom real stained glass or faux. Cannot wait to follow you along during this renovation. Reply
Lindsay says May 30, 2017 at 5:06 pm HI Gina! Great questions and ideas ๐ Yes the french doors are so sad to lose! But the function we’ll gain by a bigger living room, especially with little kids who run around is huge…it’ll let us arrange the furniture in a way that gives us a few extra feet and we live in our living room…hahha…obviously. But we do spend so much time in there! We actually already sold them ๐ I’m so sorry! We thought about keeping them to try to use elsewhere, but didn’t have a place in the existing house and storage is a huge concern now. The window in the bathroom is definitely not stained glass…it’s like a film glued onto the window haha! It’s bad… Reply
Kathryn says May 30, 2017 at 5:01 pm Love the stone cottage! I am pretty new to your blog (I found you through a pin of your gorgeous rug…I think we might be rug solemates :)) I have been enjoying your recent video series. We moved from the city out to the country to live a simpler life. I think it is going to feel so good to use all the space you have to its fullest. In a larger space there is so often spaces we just don’t really use. We are in our forever house because we live in an intentional community and have committed to this place, but the house itself is a little big. To make our space feel a little cozier I just moved our boys into the same room. I was sorry to say goodbye to the nursery. The tiny nursery space was part of how I knew this house was the one. Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:18 am Kathryn, I completely agree! With every house we’ve had, I’ve thought that! There were unused spaces! While deciding to live in this size of a house was purely based off of debt reduction, I’m so excited to see what living smaller can hold for us! We may live in a bigger house in the future, but I think after this experience, we would use the space so much better and realize what we actually need ๐ Reply
Katrina says May 30, 2017 at 5:34 pm Super excited for you!! We live in a small house around 1100sq 3b 2b (we added an extra bathroom and indoor laundry room down the line) in Northern Cali and I gotta say along as a the floor plan and kitchen are well thought out the space it won’t feel tiny at all!! Friends and family often tell us our home is super cozy and doesn’t feel small at all. Cheers to Small Home Living ๐ its also one of my FAV topics to discuss on my blog ๐ Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:23 am Katrina, thank you so much for sharing that! I love what you said!!! That’s what I thought – if you plan the function out perfectly, it won’t feel small! But I didn’t know if that was just naive to an extent since I haven’t done something like this before. So good to hear that from you!!! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:23 am And I need to glean small-living inspiration from your blog!!! Reply
nancy says May 30, 2017 at 6:20 pm Any plans to do this for others as a business? If I lived in your town I’d love to work with you to find a similar project with you running it and me owning it! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:22 am Haha, Nancy! Great question ๐ That is definitely something we’re working toward and have been for quite awhile actually. Praying over it a ton right now! More on that to come… Reply
Sharon says May 30, 2017 at 10:53 pm I am SO excited to see your new home. Honestly, it’s so good to see a home that I can identify with. The size, budget, and style are right up my alley. So many times the blog world focuses homes that the majority of its’ readers can’t identify with. Thank you for sharing…I can’t wait to watch your journey unfold! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:21 am Thank you so much for saying that, Sharon! That makes me so happy to hear ๐ Reply
Brenda says May 30, 2017 at 11:42 pm When my husband wanted to go back to college (with four kids, aged 9-17) the only way we could think to make it happen was for us to sell our 2,700 sq ft dream house and buy whatever it was we could pay cash for, so that we could live on a part-time income. We landed in a 1,500 sq ft house that was very tight for a couple of years until the older two moved out for college, but we made it work. He got his degree and a job he LOVED and we began to make plans to move ‘up’ again. But, as is so often the case when we make plans, God had other things in mind. My husband was diagnosed with Melanoma and lived just four more years in our cozy little home. We had thought the reason we bought the house was to enable us to be free of a mortgage and complete his education. God knew all along that I’d need a mortgage-free home after my husband’s death. His timing is always perfect! I’m still here, ‘Brenda-fying’ my home and enjoying the financial freedom it affords me. I’m proud of you two for knowing so early in the life of your family just what matters – freeing yourself of financial burdens will bring so much joy as the years go by. Needing less money to sustain your lifestyle will free you up for more time with family and for service to your neighborhood and beyond. I’m so looking forward to watching you make it work! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:20 am Oh Brenda, thank you for sharing your story. I know that can’t be easy. I am so so sorry for your loss! That broke my heart to read, but how amazing to see God’s all-knowing provision for you and your children! I’m so encouraged to hear that and how you’re loving your mortgage-free home! That’s huge. Reply
Anne says May 31, 2017 at 5:07 am This is so exciting! Can’t wait to see what you’ll do with this new home! I’m currently renovating my first home and although it is a real challenge, it is soooooo rewarding. Looking forward to seeing the before and after’s!!! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:19 am Thank you so much, Anne! We’re so excited to tackle it ๐ Reply
Ashley says May 31, 2017 at 8:55 am What an exciting change! And this home has so much character! Besides the yellow paint- lol, I’m sure that’s your favorite part too ;). I’m looking forward to watching you transform it! Reply
Lindsay says May 31, 2017 at 9:18 am Haha oh I know! One of my least favorite things for sure ๐ We definitely won’t be keeping that! Reply
Stevie Storck @ Stevie Storck Design Co. says May 31, 2017 at 9:46 am I am so excited for you guys! I can already feel that the Buffalo Stone Cottage is going to be a very special place in the Jackman family story. What a beautiful time in your life! Thank you for sharing your heart and journey with us so openly. I can’t wait to see the way you transform this house to reveal into it’s true potential! Reply
AmandaKB says May 31, 2017 at 2:54 pm This is great. You’re going to love this house and what it means for your family. I have a lot of respect for you guys… you both seem so thoughtful in your decision making… brewing over things… reflecting… trying to make sure you’re making the right decisions down the path God has for your family… and having the courage to course correct when necessary. (I know that is not always an easy thing to do!!!) It’s so encouraging. It’s hard to go against the norm. We’ve gotten some “looks” from friends… you know the one… where you can tell they think you’re a little crazy… but they’ll love you anyway. ๐ The stone cottage has so much potential, and I can’t wait to see what you do with it! I love what Cassie said above, “I can’t wait to see you buffalo it.” This is going to be so good. Reply
Kristina Atkins says May 31, 2017 at 4:08 pm So exciting! I missed the original announcement, so this is the first news I’ve seen of this house. Can’t wait to see how it blossoms under your magical touch! Reply
Lani Lupul says June 1, 2017 at 3:41 pm What an adorable house! You’ll have so much fun making it your own. I think it takes courage to go against the flow but the simplicity will be so worth it for you guys! And congrats on the new baby boy! Reply
Debbie says June 2, 2017 at 8:24 am I was so surprised to hear that you are moving but now I realize why creating a nursery wasn’t necessary! It will be interesting to follow another renovation, especially as you have to make your spaces work big. I grew up in a home a similar size to your stone cottage but with a terrible floor plan. I’m convinced that if it had had a better arrangement, our home would have functioned much better. The renovations you are doing makes sense but I am wondering how you will place furniture in the LR. I am convinced that we purchase furniture that fits our spaces so I imagine that you will be selling and replacing some pieces. Good luck, it looks like the house has a lot of character and of course, the natural light is great. Looks like you have a nice yard and that will be a big plus, too. Our weather in the Upstate is so nice most of the year that I know you will make some great outdoor spaces, too. Reply
Lindsay says June 15, 2017 at 5:12 pm Hahaha yes, Debbie, creating a nursery wasn’t on the list for this house since we were moving so soon. It didn’t make sense to design one for him here when the space would be so different elsewhere potentially….but it was so hard not to do one! I cannot wait to design one for him! Thanks so much for all of your sweet words about our little cottage – I’m thrilled to move in and get started on the designing! And yes, I will definitely be selling a ton of our furniture and getting smaller pieces….most of ours would never fit! Reply
Val says June 2, 2017 at 9:18 pm This house is so adorable! Looking forward following along! Also, found the “Radical” book at goodwill and can’t wait to read it! Reply
Offrs says June 9, 2017 at 7:54 pm I LOVE this cottage(yes, itโs feel like a room) Lindsay!! I canโt wait to see what you do with the living room as mine is exactly the same size and Iโm a little stuck on how to maximize the space! Reply
Corinna says July 2, 2017 at 11:42 am It breaks my heart a little bit hearing you describe how small everything is. My home is 1200 square feet and the bedrooms are all about the same. But we have 0 character lol. This does make it really exciting to see how you maximize the spaces though. I can relate so much better to this home than any other you’ve worked with. Reply
Lindsay says July 5, 2017 at 3:57 pm Haha, it is a HUGE change for us! But we’re excited to live here for a season…I can tell it’s going to change us! Reply