Our first small house tour of the new year and it’s gorgeous! Beaufort, South Carolina, where this home is located, is one of my favorite places to go soak up architectural style.. There is just something about the classic southern design elements that warms my heart.. I may be a Texas girl, but I was born in Savannah, you know.
Quick particulars: This lovely southern beauty sits on approx. a third acre, was built in 1941, with three bedrooms and two baths; approx. 1633 square feet.. OK then! Now, it’s time for this small house tour!
When you say small house, it doesn’t mean that it cannot look grand, right? The circular steps welcoming your visitors, along with the archway framing the charming front door. Simple yet elegant. Lovin’ the wood windows. How about the weeping moss hanging from the trees? Only in the south! Now let’s peek inside this lovely home.
We begin with the living room. Notice there is not a foyer. Now, I personally am not big on foyers in a small home. I think it wastes valuable space that can be used elsewhere. The living room furniture is arranged to compliment the direct entrance into the room. Ideal for movie night or just hanging around with family/friends enjoying easy conversation by the fireplace…
Quick comment about the TV over the fireplace. It’s a very popular way to go these days but I always wondered how that played out in real life. I mean does your neck get sore when not watching TV straight on? We just moved into a house with the television set up like the one in this small house, and I’m here to tell you it works fine.
Tips for Hanging TV over Fireplace
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- Hang TV as low to the fireplace mantel as possible. The TV you see in the living room above could be placed about six inches lower.
- If you are building, select a fireplace with as low a mantel as possible that still works with your room proportion.
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The kitchen is a good size for a small house. Remember we’re talking just a little over 1600 square feet. Looks like a total update, and very well done. When you’re considering a home that’s been remodeled, make sure the quality is up to par.
Streamlined flat-paneled cabinets with slick stainless appliances. Note with the cabinets, they installed old fashion style knobs to balance the semi modern kitchen with the older home. The country kitchen sink is a very expensive addition. FYI, I’ve never seen one less than about $1700. Also, they splurged on a refrigerator cabinet for a polished, finished look.
May I complain for a minute here? One of my pet peeves is this: If someone is taking pictures of your house (for any reason, but especially to sell) get rid of the clutter! The dishes, and dishrag, and junk on the fridge, MUST GO. Pheww, ok now I feel better.
Ok, another view of the kitchen. I’m diggin the range and vent. Oh, and hardwood floors! You noticed those, right?
I also want you to note how the cabinets go all the way to the counter. We also did this in our big house. Scroll down to the kitchen picture here and you’ll see. I liked that and would probably do it again, but my kitchen had extra counter space next to the cabinets, while these do not. The only reason that matters is if you have stuff on the counter and want to open the cabinet, there’s no place to scoot it. Just remember that if you decide to build.
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Oh yeah, smart, smart how they opened up the space from the dining room to the living room. And the sleek dining set is perfect for this small house.
Onto the light and bright master bedroom. I love that the windows are situated strategically so when the sun shines in and it’s time to wake up in the morning, you’ll get the full benefit.
Even though this is a small bedroom, they got all the important pieces into the room and it looks great! The white is a perfect compliment to the warm tones of the bed and hardwood floors. It’s unusual to have hardwood floors throughout a home because they are more expensive than tile or carpet. This is a perk you’ll sometime find in an older home.
Crisp, clean small bathroom right here. I seriously love this bath! I can’t tell id there’s wood on the walls, but I think there is. The window brings in lots of natural light.. and speaking of light, how about the fun light fixture above the pedestal sink! You know me, I’d probably tear up the floor and replace it with the black and white tiles that we did in our black and white bathroom here.
I’m telling you, this small home has fabulous windows to enjoy the natural light. And see how they are even all cased out to give a more finished look. (Cased out means they have wood trim around them) anyway, this is quite a large bedroom for this modest square footage. Cool.
Speaking of windows.. Just look at this screened porch! And the garden! It’s really inspiring, isn’t it? Imagine reading your book here while drinking some iced tea on a hot summer day… It’s fantastic to have extra living spaces like this that extend the indoors to the outdoors, and double our enjoyment of our home.
Which brings us to the backyard of this lovely home.. You don’t always get such a generous outdoor living space in small houses, but this one over-deliverers. Plus it looks so peaceful and private with the thoughtful use of hedges along the fence line. Again, I have to say if you’re selling, move the boat! Although I guess it does imply there’s water nearby, now that I think about it. Hmmm. OK
So, this country cottage is actually still available to buy (photos from Realtor .com) at the time of this post. Check out MLS#127651 or call listing agent Neil 843.252.2121.
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