There is nothing like the satisfaction of bringing an old, unloved, abandoned house back to life. This little gem sits steps away from Miller beach, a small beach community less than an hour from Chicago.
We took this house right back to the studs and completely renovated it. The main floor was built around the original fireplace and given a modern open concept layout. Raising the roof allowed for additional bedrooms and this home is now a 5 bed 2.5 bathroom property.
It is currently available as a holiday rental on VRBO.com
We fell in love with this abandoned house in a sleepy beach community located across the street from a lovely path through the dunes to the Lake Michigan Beach. Suffice it to say, this was a complete gut rehab. We opened up the entire first floor and finished the basement. Halfway through the project, my partner stood outside and said, I think we should just take off the roof and build a real second floor. We designed as we went and created a magical beach cottage.
We opened up the first floor creating an open floor plan flooded with light allowing our guests to enjoy each-others company while still offering space for people to relax and enjoy. We installed pennies in the Powder Room floor just for fun, and interest. The open kitchen has a large free standing island made of reclaimed wood from Restoration Hardware which fit perfectly in the space. The cabinets were custom made by an Amish cabinet company, and the open floating shelves add to the light and airy feeling in this home. The kitchen wall has miniature subway tile to the ceiling with platinum grout and we installed beautiful glass and platinum tile above the stove to create a fun focal point. We wanted the tile above the stove to feel casual and haphazard as if we tossed a bunch of sea glass from the beach. The wall of windows overlooking the yard offers a glimpse of the path to the lake inviting our guests to enjoy the outdoors and the lake experience.
The lower level offers 3 bedrooms one of which is a bunkroom, a cozy common room a full bath and laundry. The Second Floor has 2 large bedrooms and a large spa bath with separate soaking tub.
The white picket fence encloses the large yard with blue hydrangaes and wisteria. The large back deck offers a great place to have bar-b-ques, and enjoy outdoor meals, and the firepit encourages late night campfire gatherings.