whitney-new-photos.png

Welcome to the Cottage.

The Tiny Canal Cottage is a resource for helping folks mindfully conceptualize, decorate and enjoy versatile + smaller home spaces. Founded by designer, consultant, stylist, creative director and author, Whitney Leigh Morris, this family-owned small business recently finished the construction of a new, compact cottage and greenhouse-office in the southeastern US, and are also restoring a little 1800s French farmhouse and its outbuildings with co-stewards. Morris’ focus is crafting flexible, sustainable, and more community-focused home spaces. Explore Whitney’s book, blog, and social channels for years of tips and tales from living and working in — and with — a smaller footprint.

Using Recovered & Reclaimed Wood Remnants for a Unique Flooring Pattern

Using Recovered & Reclaimed Wood Remnants for a Unique Flooring Pattern

They say that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Well, we’re the second-hand treasure seekers over here!

We’ve used reclaimed materials as well as surplus supplies from larger local builds on parts of our new, small cottage. Now we have three palettes of diverse leftovers of recovered wood from Goodwin to add to the mix!

We decided to experiment with these leftovers, attempting to create bedroom floors with a pattern I’ve had in mind for well over a year. It’s a pattern I’ve seen before in Europe, so the design details feels like another little nod to our French Farmhouse in a roundabout way.

It’s not only the pattern that drew me to the idea of this flooring. It’s the reusing of hundreds of remnant scraps, which came from boards that were both river-recovered and building reclaimed.

Not only are there different types of character pine in this floor, but there’s also very noticeable variation in the wood’s size, surface condition, age, and color.

The variation is all welcome here, as the mix of widths and face markings only makes everything all the more special in our minds.

In certain light, the floor reads a more muted-brown. In other light, it has a red tint to it. We will be staining it with a healthy, whey-based layer in order to mute and even the tones without taking away from the general tonal variations and markings.

When paired with the lime painted walls, this room feels lovingly handmade and full of character. It’s exactly as I imagined.

Built-In Kitchen Step Stool

Built-In Kitchen Step Stool

Packing Carry-On Only Bags for Family Travel

Packing Carry-On Only Bags for Family Travel