Betsy and Manny are a duo who clearly enjoy a good renovation project. They moved to Savannah from Brooklyn, New York a little over a year ago after outgrowing the city—and their 400 square foot studio apartment. They put an offer in on this little bungalow two days after arriving in Savannah and since then, have completely transformed their house with a great mix of clean lines and textured, vintage pieces.

Betsy and Manny (and Tilly!) are the perfect Southern hosts. Their 1920s “kit” home was designed to waste no space and is still wonderfully functional today. Follow them on their blog to get all the renovation details—even the break-down on what their kitchen renovation was expected to have cost (and then actually cost) and be on the lookout for future renovation projects.

Our Style: Scandinavian-meets-Craftsman

Inspiration: Manny has a lot of family in Stockholm. A few years ago, while we were visiting, his grandmother took us to Millesgården. There’s a guesthouse there, known as “Anne’s house” after Anne Hedmark, which was decorated by Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank. It’s a simple place, but something about it really spoke to me. I’ve been sort of obsessed with mid-century Swedish design and Josef Frank textiles ever since.

Favorite Element: Our home is a 1920s Aladdin, Co. “kit house.” The period details are really special—it’s hard to pick a single favorite. I’d say it’s a tie between the living room built-ins and the original windows in the breakfast nook.

Biggest Challenge: When we bought the house, it needed a lot of updating and repairing. The single biggest problem, though, was the kitchen. It had so many issues: terrible layout, dilapidated cabinets, sketchy wiring, acoustic tile ceiling, orangey laminate flooring, dated appliances—you name it. We were DIY-novices, but we realized that in order to get the kitchen we wanted while staying in budget, we needed to do the work ourselves. It was an arduous four-months, but we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.

What Friends Say: This house doesn’t waste an inch—the floor plan is really functional.

Proudest DIY: Our kitchen reno! But the sunroom was also in a state. It used to be a wrap-around porch that a previous owner closed in, and we decided to reveal and rehab the original wooden flooring. We ended up painting it hunter green, which transformed the space entirely.

Biggest Indulgence: Our black Alcott Oxford sofa by Article

Best Advice: Give DIY a try. When we first moved in, we had no idea how reno-savvy we’d eventually become. It’s been quite a process, but we’re proud to say now that we’ve changed with our house over the past year.

Dream Source: Svenskt Tenn

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