Labor of Love

Manhattan Beach designer Jill Johnson tells us how she remade a rental mess into her dream cottage, one room at a time.

 

Before the kitchen renovation.
Photographer Grey Crawford

Finders Keepers 

CL: This cottage exudes cheerfulness. Is that what attracted you to it?

JJ: Absolutely not! When we bought the house, it was a total shanty, thanks to poor upkeep and a slew of ill-conceived additions. I never thought I'd live here―our plan was to paint the whole thing white and rent it out. But once it was painted, I thought, "This could be cute with a little work."

 

NextMinor Renovation 

Cottage exterior and front entrance

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Before the kitchen renovation.

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