Transformation: From Schoolhouse to Country House

click thumbnails for larger pics

We have an entire clippings file of favorite country homes (just in case!), and this 900 square-foot Catskills schoolhouse charmer, from Country Living, would fit right in. Jason Oliver Nixon, Style Director for Niche Media and designer John Loecke, who together operate John Loecke Inc. found this c.1840 Federal-style former schoolhouse for $30,000! Although it had no closets, second-floor ceilings so low that they couldn't stand upright, and layer upon layer of wallpaper and paint, they knew they had something special. The space required a gut renovation, and they did most of the work themselves.

One of our favorite things in this space is that themed gallery wall. We'd like to do something similar in our own home, but we're keeping our theme a secret. (We don't want any additional eBay competition!)

If you like all the green and want to see more, we recently did a round-up of more homes that were heavy handed with the green.

Country Living has more than a dozen additional photos of the space, and John Loecke Inc. has photos of this space and many others.

(Images:1, 3 Lucas Allen for Country Living; 2, 4-6 from John Loecke Inc.)

Comments (21)

Very sweet little place.

posted by PhillyLass on April 28th 2009 at 1:07pm
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So freakin' adorable! The setting looks perfect too.

posted by clampers on April 28th 2009 at 1:07pm
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What a great pad... it reminds me of my mom's 1914-Finnish-Community-Hall-Turned-Cowgirl-Dreamhouse in Red Lodge, Montana. Her neighbors have the old Finnish school house that they've also turned into a lovely home, complete with a greenhouse made from the old school house windows! I love the pictures on the bedroom wall in this shoot, and the cute seahorse statue.

posted by Jesse Lu on April 28th 2009 at 1:22pm
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How cute!!

posted by GreatFriend on April 28th 2009 at 1:22pm
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Good Lord, this is cute!

posted by oakland on April 28th 2009 at 1:30pm
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I WANT ONE! you did an AMAZING job decorating!

posted by Oneformybaby on April 28th 2009 at 1:32pm
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I love it! I love when other non-residential buildings are converted into homes, like schoolhouses, churches and old train station depots. Instead of tearing them down to build new, they have been given a new life.

posted by junklover on April 28th 2009 at 1:50pm
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I love it!

posted by alisonK on April 28th 2009 at 1:56pm
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this is unbelievably cute!

posted by xjacklynx on April 28th 2009 at 1:57pm
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I love how charming this cottage is without succuming to Cutesy-Country.

posted by bepsf on April 28th 2009 at 2:11pm
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Jesse Lu-
Would love to see pictures of the Montana space! Send us an email at amya at apartmenttherapy dot com

posted by Amy A on April 28th 2009 at 2:16pm
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small but i love it!

posted by hernandezeligio on April 28th 2009 at 2:26pm
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So tiny and soo cute!

posted by jessimarie33 on April 28th 2009 at 2:58pm
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It seems a jumble of this and that. A grandma's house. Busy. Dark. Claustrophic. This just isn't my style, and while I undertand that others love it, it's just not doing anything for me.

But, as my sainted mother used to say...wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all the same?

posted by Ms. Pea on April 28th 2009 at 4:16pm
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very cute.
just burn some sage to clear out decades of miserable students' energy.

posted by baba yaga on April 28th 2009 at 6:44pm
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Oh, it's so cute. I love that tiny wee bedroom with the lovely round window, and the built-in bookshelves are awesome.

posted by nessaneko on April 28th 2009 at 8:06pm
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I love when people take older places designed for one thing and turn them into fantastic homes. I love this place!

posted by baileyb on April 28th 2009 at 9:00pm
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I absolutely love everything about it. My dream has always to have a schoolhouse like this. Well done.

posted by Betty14 on April 29th 2009 at 1:10pm
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Cute exterior but the interior isn't me.

posted by wednesdayaddams on May 2nd 2009 at 3:11pm
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Totally me... I would love something like this! I would have decorated differently, but a complete charmer. Tons of character.

posted by sfteri on May 2nd 2009 at 6:34pm
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I don't usually go in for charming cottages, but I absolutely dig this place. I want to spend a snowy weekend here. Great use of pattern, and way to dispel the misconception that you have to use under-scaled furniture in a small space. Kudos!

posted by jacksonlalonde on May 3rd 2009 at 11:49am
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