Transforming Our 18th Century Cottage… One Stone at a Time

For this week’s episode of My Tiny Estate, we continue restoring the exterior of our 18th-century cottage — and some of the biggest changes yet are finally starting to happen. Over the last few weeks, we’ve planted a new hydrangea border, added traditional Victorian rope edging, and started uncovering the original character hidden beneath years of modern alterations. But today, we tackle the path. Using a collection of 200-year-old flagstones that we’ve been saving for years, we begin the careful process of laying a pathway that feels as though it has always belonged here. Every stone is different, which means measuring, numbering and planning each one individually to make sure we can use every single piece. It’s slow work… but the result is incredibly rewarding. As we continue uncovering the original brickwork around the porch, we also make an exciting discovery. After removing the old cement render, we realise that our idea of building benches on either side of the entrance wasn't a new idea at all — it was exactly how the cottage used to be. Moments like this make us feel we're not changing the house… we're helping it find its way back. In between projects, Borja takes Danteo out for a little adventure that ends in a way I certainly wasn't expecting. Let's just say it seems we may now have a pond project in our future... To finish the path, we carefully point the joints with lime mortar — a long but surprisingly satisfying process that slowly brings everything together. And finally, we need your advice. It's time to repaint the cottage windows. While this will only be a temporary solution before we eventually replace them with heritage-style replicas, we've chosen a colour we absolutely love: Soft Parchment by Fenwick & Tilbrook. But were we right to move away from white? We'd genuinely love to know what you think. We’ve also been sharing more behind-the-scenes moments, family life, and extra content over on Patreon. If you’d like to support the channel and join us there, you can find the link below: 👉   / mytinyestateofficial   Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey and for all your support 🤍 If you're new here, welcome — and don't forget to subscribe to follow along with everything coming next. #CottageRestoration #HistoricHome #EstateRenovation #MyTinyEstate