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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.

The Upcycled Bedroom Sink

The Upcycled Bedroom Sink

One of the small but mighty features I was most excited to include in the design of our new cottage is the sink in our primary bedroom.

Our ~900 sqft home has one bathroom for the four of us, which we believe is enough since the kids’ grandparents’ home, which has multiple bathrooms, is a lovely one-minute stroll away. Plus, a key concept behind this “ADU” cottage and our French Farmhouse is to live with less stuff by sharing more resources.

One of my clients overseas has a sink in her bedroom, and it’s a design feature I enjoyed often when staying at her home. I found the opportunity to keep select self-care routines within the intimate cocoon of the bedroom to be beneficial in terms of both logistics and mental wellbeing.

I personally don’t function well when I’m rushed, and having (wonderful) children tugging on my clothes while I attempt to capture two minutes for myself at the bathroom sink to be stressful, but not reason enough to add a costly and largely unnecessary second bathroom.

Per usual, our aim behind the design of this sink was to use up as many existing items as possible, rather than sourcing newly-manufactured goods. However, I do intend to acquire a decorative switch plate cover and electrical outlet plate via Buster & Punch, as those standard white plastic ones make me cringe.

  • The sink is an antique, wooden French bowl (via Elsie Green). It’s coated / waterproofed inside with Rove & Dwell finish coat.

  • Much of the copper piping was salvaged from local, small business that was modernizing their interior.

  • The pedestal is a handmade plant stand I found on Etsy,

  • The mini cabinet was a second-hand find.

  • The ledge is a spare, river-recovered pine floorboard from The Goodwin Company.

  • The hooks and folding mirror were leftover from a previous project.

  • Clay candleholder is vintage via SSS Atelier.

  • Lime paint in “Cobblestone” by Color Atelier.

  • Vintage-style rotating soap holder via Vivi et Margot.

Our friend Danny helped us bring this to life, and we’re thrilled with how it turned out. It’s one-of-a-kind, meaningful, and ever-useful.

Simple, Intentional Exterior Lighting

Simple, Intentional Exterior Lighting

Our New Cottage's Combo Bathroom + Laundry Room

Our New Cottage's Combo Bathroom + Laundry Room

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