My Houzz: 2 Old Cottages Become 1 Cool, Colorful Home
A central entry unites 2 small houses, creating a home with an open living area, private bedrooms and eclectic decor
A family of three had to think outside the box, or actually two boxes, to picture these side-by-side houses as one home. Interior designer Kathy Farley of Art Decor and her husband, artist Michael Shemchuk, knew the neighborhood they wanted to live in but had trouble finding a home they liked. Eventually, their search led to a great place with one drawback. “The lot was perfect, but the property contained two small rundown cottages,” Farley says. “So we followed the same footprint and connected the cottages to create a single-family house.”
AFTER: The main entrance to the new house sits in the middle of the former driveway and connects the two cottages.
The home now features an open floor plan combining the living room, kitchen and dining room. The fireplace, enclosed in the silver box, has a perforated steel screen. The wooden doors, made from ipe, hide the TV and storage space.
Artwork and comfortable seating define the living room.
Painting: Michael Shemchuk; sofas: Ted Boerner; shag carpet: California Carpet; ottoman: vintage
Painting: Michael Shemchuk; sofas: Ted Boerner; shag carpet: California Carpet; ottoman: vintage
“The kitchen was added on to the back of a cottage, which allowed us to raise the ceiling height and to add steel clerestory windows,” Farley says. It’s an updated version of the kitchens in the original cottages. The countertops are Carrara marble, and white subway tiles make up the backsplash.
Wall paint: Boca Raton Blue, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Boca Raton Blue, Benjamin Moore
Floating wood shelves display a collection of American pottery.
Shelf paint: Apple Blossom, Benjamin Moore
Shelf paint: Apple Blossom, Benjamin Moore
The custom-stained cabinets are a combination of tongue-and-groove doors and flat-panel drawers. Kitchen gadgets dangle conveniently along the backsplash. “We use every one of these tools,” Shemchuk says.
Upper cabinet paint: Purple Haze, Benjamin Moore; lower cabinet paint: Amethyst Shadow, Benjamin Moore
Upper cabinet paint: Purple Haze, Benjamin Moore; lower cabinet paint: Amethyst Shadow, Benjamin Moore
The custom island has a zinc top and provides storage for small appliances. The kitchen’s walls have a custom plaster finish.
White leather bar stools: Crate & Barrel; metal stools: vintage
White leather bar stools: Crate & Barrel; metal stools: vintage
Sliding panels are more attractive and space-saving than conventional doors. This one hides the family’s stacked laundry appliances.
Door track: McMaster-Carr
Door track: McMaster-Carr
Exposed steel beams structurally and visually connect the open spaces.
The dining room sits in the center of the house where the former driveway used to be. One of Chet’s primary school projects hangs proudly from the light fixture in the dining room as a counterpoint to his father’s painting on the wall.
Harvest table and benches: Ted Boerner; lighting: Tech Lighting; custom steel doors: Melissa MacDonald Metalworks; chairs: vintage
The dining room sits in the center of the house where the former driveway used to be. One of Chet’s primary school projects hangs proudly from the light fixture in the dining room as a counterpoint to his father’s painting on the wall.
Harvest table and benches: Ted Boerner; lighting: Tech Lighting; custom steel doors: Melissa MacDonald Metalworks; chairs: vintage
Extra seating can be found against the wall just around the corner from the dining area.
Photograph: Zeke Berman;
leather chair and Mexican hutch: vintage
Photograph: Zeke Berman;
leather chair and Mexican hutch: vintage
Farley uses the spare bedroom as the office for her interior design business. Her desk, file cabinets and shelving are custom-made.
Maple table: Ted Boerner
Maple table: Ted Boerner
A vintage metal expandable file holder contains Farley’s folders of current clients and ongoing design projects.
A flea market find helps Farley stay organized.
The frosted glass front doors give the home privacy while allowing in plenty of daylight.
Wall paint: Citron, Benjamin Moore; fork print: Tracy Kendall
Wall paint: Citron, Benjamin Moore; fork print: Tracy Kendall
The master bedroom is tucked in the back of the home. Windows overlooking the garden make it feel more like a treehouse than a conventional room.
Painting: Michael Shemchuk; wall paint: Sea Pearl, Benjamin Moore
Painting: Michael Shemchuk; wall paint: Sea Pearl, Benjamin Moore
The homeowners built a wall to hide their walk-in closet. They found the oak mercantile cabinet in the dumpster of a recently vacated factory. Framed vintage wallpapers hang above it.
Wall paint: Blue Note, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Blue Note, Benjamin Moore
The master bathroom is a study in blending old with new. “We used the vintage cast-iron tub and storage cabinet from the original cottages,” Farley says. The glass brick wall lets in plenty of light while providing privacy.
The custom floating vanity has a Carrara marble top. The medicine cabinet is recessed, and its door is flush with the wall.
Dillon sconces: Restoration Hardware; fixtures: Chicago Faucets; steel-framed mirror: custom
Dillon sconces: Restoration Hardware; fixtures: Chicago Faucets; steel-framed mirror: custom
Chet’s bedroom is on the opposite side of the house from the master bedroom and has its own bathroom — good privacy for a teenager.
Paintings: Michael Shemchuk; wall paint: Dreamy, Benjamin Moore
Paintings: Michael Shemchuk; wall paint: Dreamy, Benjamin Moore
“Our kitchen has been featured in various kitchen decor books,” says Farley, seen here with son Chet.
Shemchuk’s art studio was built behind the house, leaving room for a garden, seating area and fire pit.
Shemchuk is surrounded by some recent paintings in his studio.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Michael Shemchuk, Kathy Farley and their 17-year-old son, Chet
Location: Albany, California
Size: 1,760 square feet (164 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 2012
BEFORE: Here are the two original cottages with worn-down exteriors.