Home Town: A Craftsman Cottage for Canadian Expats
Peggy and Patrick are interested in relocating from the Great White North to the deep South — and searching for a vacation home where they can eventually retire. Ben and Erin help them update a neglected vintage home while resurrecting its Arts and Crafts roots.

Related To:
Craftsman Revival
Craftsman Revivalists
Nature and Nurture
Contrast and Dimension
More Tranquil Touches
Meet the Homeowners
Patrick and Peggy Guay (left) are Canadian natives but, once Patrick spent some time in the Laurel area for work, he fell in love with the place. So did Peggy. So the couple decided to take the plunge and move south – way south. “We love the fact that everyone [in Laurel] is just friendly,” said Patrick. "They have big, huge hearts.” The couple was looking to buy a vacation home, but one that they could one day retire to as a forever home. They were in search of a one or two-bedroom house and hoped to find something with elements of traditional, classic style. Their all-in budget, including any renovation costs, was $140,000.
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Erin's Vision
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Living Room, Before
Living Room, After
Living Room, Before
Living Room, After
Living Room, After
Living Room, After
Living Room, After
Living Room, After
Living Room, After
Dining Room, Before
Dining Room, After
Dining Room, Before
Dining Room, After
Dining Room, After
Dining Room, After
Dining Room, After
Kitchen, Before
Kitchen, After
Kitchen, Before
Kitchen, After
Kitchen, Before
Kitchen, After
Kitchen, After
Kitchen, After
Rustic Nouveau
Chef-Worthy Amenities
Pancakes, Anyone?
With bench seating, the peninsula provides a space for casual breakfast-bar dining. "The [black cabinets] are the dramatic element of the whole house," says Erin, "but the maple countertops are what soften it ... It's like a 'pancake kitchen' ... a very breakfast-y, cozy, cottage-y, warm kitchen."