One of the great things about Pinterest is that I keep coming across beautiful houses I’ve seen in magazines over the years but had kind of forgotten about.
Today’s rediscovery was this 1840s schoolhouse in the Catskills called “Monkey Cottage” that I fell in love with when Country Living featured it.
It belongs to Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, a magazine editor and a decorator, who bought the neglected Federal-style schoolhouse for only $30,000.
At that time it was a rental, and it was a big ol’ mess.
They spent a year transforming the 900-square-foot schoolhouse into a colorful little weekend retreat they dubbed Monkey Cottage.
Read the article and see the photos at Country Living
(photos by Lucas Allen; story by Sara Bliss).
Visit my Cottages page to see more I’ve featured!
I think I could stare at those photos for hours! Adorable outside and inside.
By the way, if anyone has interest in English Country Manor Houses, PBS is showing Secrets of the Manor House at 8pm this Sunday night just before Downton Abbey. Set your PVRs and enjoy some big old English homes and their stories.
Jenny Allworthy at janeautenfilmclub.blogspot.com
P.S. Just found out that you have to “check local listings” as some PBS stations are carrying this and some are not. I hope all who are interested can see it!
I wish I had a side entrance that looked that good. Love love love the green, it’s the perfect shade.
oh my goodness! i love every little nook and cranny. thanks for sharing. what a great sense of color!
I love this little cottage. A little less prints in the living room would be better
for me, but it’s great.
You know me, Julia… I love, love, love cottages! I’ll have one some day!
This is such a cute one! Even though I’m not crazy about green, I think it looks fun here.
Have a Blessed Day!
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
What a fabulous little cottage. I love all the colors…so bright and cheery.
i’m so glad you posted this (i’ve already repinned it)!! i, also, had totally forgotten about this house. just looking at those pics make me feel bright & cheery–thanks!
nanne in columbus, in
What a beautiful cottage. I love to see historical structures lovingly renovated. There are so many historical buildings and houses in the Catskills that are in need of tender loving care, especially in Schoharie County.
How wonderful! Love that cupboard and sideboard. And that railing is just adorable. It looks modern and old fashioned at the same time. Suppose it is the use of colors.
oh wow, i love everything about it!! I’m bookmarking this one, thanks for featuring it because I never saw it in Country living.
Isn’t that like a dream come true…. so cute! I think I need to say these photos in my dream book too!
Thanks for sharing
I do love this too. I would love a cottage in the back yard for overflow company or to just get away….not too far. I think it would be nice to wake up in my own back yard.
ps. we are puppy sitting 9 week old Shih tzu for Mother-in-law while she’s in hospitol. Our 2 boys play with her but 2 girls are snobs. How’s Maizie?
rick
Aw, the girls won’t have anything to do with the puppy, huh? Maizie is doing really well–as she has gotten healthier and stronger she’s gotten a lot more energetic and playful. It’s wonderful to see! Thanks for asking. 🙂
What a lovely cottage. I’m glad you posted it and I’m loving the cottage category!
It makes me happy just to look at these pictures!
It looks like it’s in a beautiful setting too!
what a great “rescue”! I bet that cozy little schoolhouse cottage is now happy inside and out!
I love this cottage, inside and out! Thank you for sharing it with us!
I KNOW this place!!! We lived in a big ole farmhouse in The Catskills(that, ironically, was also featured in Country Living aftr we had moved out!)…this little schoolhouse was the next town over…I used to love it!!
I wonder how tall the ceilings are on both floors? I can relate to the lack of closets. Our house has exactly ONE closet.
I love this so much! I love the colors and the furniture. It’s just so sweet.
Wow … absolutely adorable. I would love one too!
I totally remember this house! I think I could live in that yellow bedroom with the green and white upholstered bed quite happily.
Ooooohh—I wish there was a “Like” button. 😉 I am in love with the cheerful color scheme and their clever storage ideas. Beautiful!
So cute! Thanks for sharing. Isn’t Pinterest totally addictive?
What a fun school house! I think this would make a fun guest house.
Absolutely love the green beams and those yellow built ins. Cottages seem to be short on storage. Our little cottage was built in 1927 and we assume it was a beach house for a family living not too far inland. There is no entry closet and small walk in closets. Thank heavens for our attic!
So adorable. Love the bright colors.
It would be great to have a tiny cottage or a cabin in the woods to get away with the family.
~ Dana
Small but cheerful!
Wow, this is great! I love the cubbies for storage as well.
Oh that is soooooooooo cute!!!
I love this cottage – I tore out the pages from the magazine and still have them in my House Dreams file. That side entrance is charming (well, the whole cottage is!)
These designers also have a home in NYC that was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. It’s done in much the same style of the cottage, but a word to the wise—their style is not for those who like minimalism! In fact, it merited a two-part post on AT, which is unprecedented, as far as I know..there’s just too much to see for only tour, I guess.
I hadn’t seen those posts–thanks so much, Laura!!
I think the inside, while impressive and charming seems a bit cluttered. (I guess I’m a bit of a minimalist.) But I could just cry over the exterior. BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks for giving us the fun peak!
What a great cottage! I’m loving all that green and that super-duper cute kitchen 😉
So nicely decorated! Love the brightness and freshness of it!
Oh, it’s so pretty and fresh! Love all of the bright colors. Thank you for sharing. Have a grand evening. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
LOVE this, Julia!!
Hi Julia I admire people who restore old cottages and do it beautifully and this cottage is exceptional. Thank you for sharing this beauty. Regards Esther from Sydney. Have a great weekend.
Such a fun place! I love it.
I remember seeing this home in Country Living and it’s always been one of my most favorite homes that has ever been featured in the magazine. This home just really spoke to me and I love how they mixed lots of fresh greens and whites…really makes everything feel bright and cheerful.
OMG I love it. Especially those lovely circular windows. Divine!
So nice!!! I love it…
Oh, I remember this house when it was featured in Country Living! In fact, I think I still have that issue because I can never seem to throw away a Country Living magazine. Thanks for sharing this. I’m adding your blog to my RSS feed. 🙂
Adorable! I love all of the bright fresh colors. The house has such great curb appeal too.
I remember this article! Amazing restoration of an american classic! I have a thing for One Room School Houses. I still have this issue somewhere. Going to have to dig it out. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
What a beautiful house! I’m wondering what it cost to renovate it! I’d love to have something like this one day.
ohhhhh that is so cute! I am really getting into the Vintage style lately and this just makes me droool!!
Hey, I know this house! This is my neighborhood. I remember when this was a stark little building (granted with “good bones”) in need of some TLC. Nothing makes the people around here happier than when a couple of guys from Manhattan move in. It tends to result in a lovingly restored or remodeled older home created by people who want to invest in the community, thus making it a better place for everyone. Thanks, guys.
I love this little home . It is very close to my families summer lakehouse . One day while shopping for bunnies 🙂 we turned down the wrong road and there it was. Now I drive down that road on purpose just to look at it . It is even prettier in person ! The gardens have really matured. Great job guy’s thanks for the eye candy !
When I saw this cottage, I knew it was a Catskill home and can almost see it located on the main street of the same town my husband attended school – many years ago. What a great cottage with good bones. I wish I could’ve bought it.
I adore the idea of blending a rustic style with a modern one. The best aspect of it would probably be its intensely illuminated interior (The people of sunny Austin, I envy you!) and the absolutely gorgeous yard, both contributing to a relaxed feeling even more.