Kaufman's Cottage Guest Post

As you can see....we have a guest today!!!  I am so excited about this!  I hope you enjoy Melissa and her home as much I have!  And when you get done here, pop over to Kaufman's Cottage, where I am guest posting!  It's an exciting day here at Where Beauty Meets Function! :)

Hi! My name is Melissa and I'm the author of Kaufman's Cottage. Thanks for stopping by today!

I believe that your home is your sanctuary. It should reflect your personal style and that of your loved ones. It's more than just a place to store your belongings.....it's a retreat from an often chaotic and cold world for your family and those who visit.

My husband Chris and I live in the Pacific Northwest with our 15 year old cat in a small, small home! Technically we are on the tax records as an 867 sq foot house but truth be told, the inside is just shy of 800 sq feet. When we first looked at in April of 2008, I thought my husband had lost his mind! It had been on the market for quite some time and it was easy to see why. There were piles of garbage every where and the smell alone would turn most perspective buyers away. But Chris could see the potential through all of the junk...and it was a good thing because I couldn't!

Join me on a small tour of before and after shots of our home.....

Exterior Before

Exterior After

Living Room Before

Living Room Before

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Living Room After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Kitchen After

Bathroom Before

Bathroom Before

Bathroom After

Master Before

 Master Before

Master Before

Master After

Master After

Studio Before

Studio After

Before I go much further, I think it's important to let you in on a few things about how we choose to live our lives. First and foremost, Chris and I are both believers in Jesus Christ and that alone changes the way we do things! We are a single income family and do not carry any debt outside of our mortgage. All of the work we have done to our home has been done over the last couple years and was paid for in cash. It's also important to note that after moving in in September of 08, we had a house fire and lived in a hotel for two months. While we wouldn't recommend a house fire to anyone, it completely changed our outlook on our home.....forever.

*Spend less and live more. Is our home perfect? Heck no! But it's ours and we want to be here. There are some things we'd like to do in the future like remodeling the kitchen, building a shop out back and adding some extensive landscaping to the front yard.

*Make the best out of what you've got. Storage is an issue in most small homes so it forces us to be creative. See the black coffee table in the after shot of the living room? I use it for extra food storage! And it works out pretty well if I do say so myself!

*Don't spoil what you have by focusing on what you don't! Would I like to have another chair in the living room? Yes! Am I willing to put it on a credit card to get it? No! Perspective matters. We are blessed to have a safe and comfortable home to live in.

*Live well. While I LOVE decorating, if I wasn't able to spend any money on decorative items I would still make sure my house was clean. It doesn't matter how nice your furniture is if your guests can write their names in the dust on your end table! Make it a point to pick up after yourself and you'd be amazed at how much calmer you are when unexpected drop in company arrives.

*Go with what works for you. Don't worry if your sister in law thinks the colors in your home are too dark....she isn't the one who lives there! Make your home your own by surrounding yourself with meaningful things that bring joy to your heart. If an item isn't useful or beautiful donate it to a local thrift store where someone else can get some enjoyment out of it.

This has been fun! Thank you Erin for the chance to guest post at Where Beauty Meets Function...it's been a blast!

Many Blessings,

M.