Shabby-chic gingerbread house

Sandra Foster’s Catskills, NY dream home does not include a bathroom or a kitchen. It was a complete labor of love to turn it into her personal shabby-chic retreat. She lives, with her husband, across the river in their 1971 mobile home that does include a bath and kitchen, but this place is truly inspiring. She did the renovation of this old hunting cabin and furnished it herself for $3,000. She transformed the 9 x 14 cabin into a beautiful Victorian cottage, a space all for herself. She used vintage columns that cost $60 each and floorboards for the exterior facade and wavy glass windows. The home was painted green and white, the front door was left in its original vintage style. Sandra has her own blog that has more about her life and her home here.

Filled with tissue paper flower-like garlands that Sandra herself created and flea market finds such as the $15 crystal chandelier gracing the sitting area.

Sandra built this china cabinet herself; she found the arched French doors for $15 each at a yard sale.

The mirror was another yard sale find for $22 and was painted off-white.

The bedroom loft is only accessible by ladder.

The chandelier over the bed and the bedding from the Rachel Ashwell collection are finds from Target.

Everything on this porch has either been salvaged or is a flea market find, with the exception of the glued on garlands in the window box that come fromdoityourselfchic.com.

The front porch was extended out from the original design.

Prior to being renovated, the small cabin was just a 9 x10 foot box that had a porch roof supported by white willow tree trunks.

This stream links the cottage to the trailer that Sandra shares with her husband.

The trailer has been aptly named “Groove Tube” due to its interior decor with hues of gold and avocado-green.

The interior of the trailer.

Photos: Trevor Tondro

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