Tiny Gardener’s Cottage

Twenty-five years ago, Janet Korff took a wrong turn down a wooded drive and came upon a quaint little cottage surrounded by roses. At the time she wondered, “Who could be lucky enough to live here?”

Twenty-five years later, Janet and her husband, Larry, struck gold unexpectedly when that same cottage came up for sale.

Built in 1890, the small—960-square-foot—house was originally the gardener’s residence on a large estate. It was in a serious state of neglect, but the roses were hard to resist, and the Korffs saw its potential.

What Janet and Larry did to their new house is an inspiration.

in her own words

“The house itself was unlivable. The other interested buyers wanted to tear down the property. It took us six weeks of working around the clock, but when we moved in, it felt so good to have done every bit of it, save some electrical work, ourselves.” —Janet Korff

First, they painted walls and ceilings a crisp, clean white. Then, they refinished the original flooring one-board-at-a time. The end result is a beautiful, comfortable home filled with personal treasures and thrifty finds.

Step Inside and Stay Awhile

The lush garden is tucked inside a fragrant 40-acre citrus grove. Enjoying a simpler lifestyle, Janet dries her laundry outdoors on a clothesline.

Black-and-white stripes visually widen the narrow porch. Windows protect the seating area. A collection of plates hanging on the back wall hint at what’s inside.

in her own words

“Our sun-dried sheets and shirts take on the scent of the surrounding flowers and citrus trees. A drier sheet can’t come close to competing with the fresh aroma.” —Janet Korff

The living room is quiet and cozy with sunlight streaming past gauzy white drapes.

An eclectic mix of comfortable furniture, flea market finds, and antiques add charm to the room.

In the dining room, gilded mirrors reflect the natural light as the subtle use of glass vases on the writing desk and cloches atop the china hutch add to the room’s open airy feel. Janet and Larry chose an antique wicker desk for their day-to-day dining needs. Anything larger would have reinforced the “empty” in “empty nest,” which is something they did not want to do. Ingenious.

Vibrant navy walls, covered with carefully chosen treasures, warm the home office. The Korffs stumbled upon the antlers during a hike, and are secured together on the wall with twine. Janet’s thrifty finds are on display throughout the cottage—she scored a bedside table for $1 and found one of the chandeliers for $10 at a garage sale.

The Korffs replaced the bathroom door with a toile curtain to improve traffic flow in the small space.

Rather than edit down their large collection of artwork, Janet created a gallery wall in the bedroom.

For Janet Korff, downsizing was a plus. She appreciates the simplicity and practices yoga daily among a thicket of bamboo in her yard. Sounds lovely!

in her own words

“Now I get to focus on the little things that mean so much to me—the nature outside my door, the elegance of living frugally—as opposed to cleaning two stories or vacuuming the stairs.” —Janet Korff