A Designer Transformed a 1977 Sears Kit House into a Bright, Colorful 600-Square-Foot Retreat

Two years ago, residential, commercial, and product designer Ghislaine Viñas and her husband, Jaime Viñas, purchased this 600-square-foot Sears kit home originally built in 1977 located in Elizaville, New York, just a seven-minute drive from their primary home in Tivoli.

They purchased the space as a little lake house and guest home for friends and family, but before they or anyone else could relax in the space, they had to renovate the “neglected, dark, cramped, dated, and disjointed” tiny home.

“Our renovation process touched nearly every part of the tiny home and took place between spring and late summer of 2024. Because the home is only 600 square feet, we had to treat the floor plan like a puzzle. We started by addressing the layout, light, and basic functionality, as we knew these changes would have the greatest impact on how the home felt to move in,” Ghislaine begins.

“We pushed the kitchen wall forward to create room for a concealed fridge and washer-dryer for the bathroom while also improvising the hallway alignment,” she continues. “We enlarged and reconfigured the bathroom, removed the crawlspace above it to increase the ceiling height, and added new windows and skylights throughout. In the bedroom, we added sliding glass doors that open onto the backyard and incorporated a transom window above the bed to bring in more light.”

The couple purchased the home for $200K, and Ghislaine says one of the biggest challenges was deciding the most sensical place to spend renovation money on. “Most of our renovation budget went towards construction, layout changes, windows, and labor costs so we tried to be scrappy where possible and selective about where an investment would make the most visible or functional improvements,” she admits.

“At the same time, as a designer, I was very aware that the home would become a reflection of my work and design philosophy. The goal was to create something distinctive and highly considered without compromising on the elements that mattered most.” 

Thankfully, Ghislaine says they owned a lot of the furniture and household items already, so that helped with the budget. They also partnered with brands like Bjelin, Kast Sinks, Clé Tile, and Lumens, who gifted products, which helped the couple make “certain design choices possible while keeping the overall investment appropriate for the scale and value of the home.”

Today, the small house is “a sunny, happy place where my family and our guests can slow down, spend some time outside, and enjoy the lake nearby,” Ghislaine writes.

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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