The past couple years, Dan and I have put more hours than we can count into updating the rooms in our boutique motel (on a budget, of course!). We finally had a super talented friend (who also happens to be a professional photographer), come and photograph our place.
We purchased this hidden gem back in 2016, and at that time it was aesthetically stuck somewhere between 1960 and 1995. (meaning, there was no cohesive design to the rooms!). We wanted to embrace the fact that this place has history — it was a TRUE 1960s “resort” motel! Complete with a private beach on Lake Michigan and a connection to nature you won’t find anywhere!
We wanted to hold onto the that throwback 1960s vibe, but with the modern amenities you expect (and need) from a hotel.
One struggle that I have on a day-to-day basis, is not comparing our progress and DIY abilities to others. It seems to be the norm to gut a space and update it with the latest and greatest trends, but for us, we’ve tried to cash-flow every project and/or upgrade we make. (which means, we save up cash before buying ANYTHING, instead of financing). It aligns with our minimalist philosophy on living, but it also makes for slower progress and not as many “huge” trendy changes.
On that note, I wanted to finally share a few before and after photos of our units:
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