Welcome To Our Tiny Beach Cottage: A Summer Tour Filled With Creative DIYs

Hey friends! You may have noticed that I’ve shared several coastal DIY projects recently. They have all been a part of our tiny beach cottage summer update.

From the Serena & Lily-inspired decor and space-saving wardrobe makeover to the fresh new bedding, these budget-friendly updates have added high-end style to our tiny space.

Now that the cottage is complete and ready for summer, I’m so excited to give you a full tour so you can see how all these projects finally came together. If you love small-space inspiration and easy coastal style, you’re in the right place.

Let’s get started!

Although our tiny 1940’s beach cottage doesn’t have the spacious open spaces that you see in the Serena & Lily Catalog or in their showrooms, I wanted to create that aesthetic in our coastal home. I also don’t have the budget for their high-end decor, so I looked for alternative ways to get the look for less.

First, here are the projects as they are now displayed in our beach cottage.

Serena & Lily Vases

My first project was to duplicate the seagrass vases I saw in their showroom this spring. With some Dollar Tree Clear Vases and pieces of cane webbing, the vases turned out just as nice as the pricey ones. See the Serena & Lily Inspired Vase Dupe Tutorial for all the details.

I started with them grouped together, but now they are in separate areas of the beach cottage.

High-end Rattan Candlestick Holders

Next, I recreated the ridiculously expensive Serena & Lily brass-and-rattan candlestick holders. I couldn’t be happier with the end result. They were inexpensive and so, so easy to make with this simple 10-minute candlestick holder tutorial.

I have added them to the cottage coffee table along with a thrifted vase of greenery inside a woven basket tray that looks high-end but isn’t.

Updated Bedding in Coastal Hues

Another update for the beach cottage was new bedding. I wanted to capture the soft coastal colors I saw at the Serena & Lily showroom, and I was able to get the look for less with Levtex Home bedding.

I used two bedding sets to give the bed the luxurious feel that you see in all those high-end stores. First, a soft French Flax Washed Linen sage quilt with matching pillow shams is perfect for summer. The Undyed Creme Cloud Waffle duvet cover is filled with a fluffy insert, giving the bedding a cloud-like feel. I’m folding it at the end of the bed for summer. However, as fall and winter arrive, I will switch out the quilt and duvet for added warmth. Matching shams and throw pillows complete the updated bedding.

Local Coastal Art in Beach Cottage Tour

I’ve picked up a couple of paintings by local artists at thrift stores that depict the North Carolina coast.

I have one of my first paintings of our beach cottages displayed on this corner shelf, and the seashell decoupage art is made with maps of Kure Beach and Fort Fisher.

Built-In Cabinets Updated With Rattan

We have had the inexpensive built-in cabinets surrounding our bed for several years and have considered replacing them. They provide much-needed storage, and the cost for replacing them with custom cabinets wasn’t within our budget. So instead, we updated the cabinets by adding rattan caning and new hardware. The result is a fresh coastal feel, and it is very budget-friendly.

In addition to the cabinet makeover, you can see the DIY lampshades for the wall sconces that I made with air-dry clay. Instead of spending $450.00 each for wall sconces, I made them both for $65.00. See the full tutorial at Budget DIY Flower Lampshade Wall Sconces. The wine-cork buoy garland craft above the bed is personalized with dates and beach names for a personal nautical touch.

The two rattan boxes fit right in with the bedroom’s Serena & Lily theme and are perfect for holding our beach treasures. The DIY oyster trinket dish holds my rings at night.

Antique Armoire – Wardrobe Makeover

Another sore spot in the bedroom was the plain, handmade wardrobe. It was also something we didn’t want to replace because it’s huge and easily stores all our clothes. Therefore, inspiration sparked, and we decided to make the old wardrobe look like an antique armoire.

Although the bedroom is very tiny, it feels large with plenty of storage and a few new looks.

DIY Accent Wall

When we found a large handmade wooden shelf at a thrift store, we were excited that it would fit perfectly on this wall in our beach cottage. With just a few adjustments, it provided the base for this DIY accent wall. You can see more details at “From Thrifted Shelf To Stunning Wood Accent Wall: Eco-Friendly DIY”.

The accent wall and cubby bench beneath hold many of our coastal treasures. The DIY oyster shell garland is made with wooden beads to represent old fishing corks.

It’s also a great spot to display our shell collection in the DIY thrifted seashell basket makeover I shared earlier this year and the easy Pottery Barn Candle Dupe from a couple of years ago.

Sofa Side Table

When I found this sofa table in the thrift store, it had a very orange-looking stain. After stripping the finish, I loved the natural wood and have been using it in the beach cottage to hold lamps, books, and other nautical decor. It also serves as a side table for our club chairs.

Open Spaces with a Built-in Bar

When we originally renovated the beach cottage, one addition was adding an eat-in bar. This opened the living room to the kitchen, creating an open-concept layout that made the whole space feel larger.

Tiny Kitchen Tour – Open Kitchen Cabinets

With such a small kitchen, we decided to install open-front cabinets to create a more spacious feel. Brad built the cabinet, and we have been very happy with the open concept.

You can see the step-by-step cabinet-building process in this tutorial.

Every available space is utilized in the tiny kitchen. A hutch filled with dishes and a beverage bar holds extra glassware and the coffee station.

Don’t miss the entire Tiny Beach House Remodel Before & After.

Shop This Beach Cottage Look

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Video Home Tour – Click Below

Pin It To Remember It

Did you find some great ideas you’d like to save for future reference? To save, hover over the images and pin to your favorite Pinterest Boards when you see the PIN button in the upper left-hand corner.