My Houzz: Hip Midcentury Style for a Mom's Backyard Cottage

It was a running joke that once design blogger Dana McGill-Perez became old and eccentric, she would move into the backyard shed of her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Joe Eggleston. The joke took a turn when she decided to let the Egglestons and their two boys move into her house, and she would live in her own backyard instead.

But a shed was out of the question. So she designed a clever little one-bedroom unit with a kitchen, a full bathroom with a walk-in shower and plenty of space for her collection of midcentury pieces.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Dana McGill-Perez
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 676 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Cost: About $65,000, including basic construction, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and interior fixtures and furnishings

There was an existing concrete slab and a detached carport with a two-room workshop where the suite would fit perfectly. McGill-Perez sat down with a piece of graph paper, a ruler and a pencil and went to work on a redesign, turning the existing footprint into the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom and building out for additional living space. After she finalized the floor plans and hired general contractor Jose Camarillo, construction began; it took three months to complete.

Exterior paint: Thunderous, Sherwin-Williams; planters: Oscar, CB2


Camarillo wasn't familiar with midcentury architecture but followed McGill-Perez's instructions to a T. "I'm as comfortable in this suite as I was in the main house," she says.

McGill-Perez designed a partial wall with shelving to display her smaller midcentury treasures, and to create a barrier between the living space and the sleeping space. Vintage pieces by Giovanni de Simone, Scheurich, Larry Laslo and Royal Haeger; a West German fat lava vase; and birds by Tapio Wirkkala adorn the shelves.

Sofa: Rochelle, Gus Modern collection; chair: vintage, IB Kofod-Larsen


McGill-Perez, shown here, says her family members all agreed at the outset to respect one another's need for time alone, but they still enjoy lots of family activities together, like sharing a cup of coffee, having a movie night or grilling on the patio. "So far, our experiment in multigenerational living is working splendidly," she says.

8 ways to make multigenerational living work


Sourcing the furnishings and fixtures was a bit of a challenge for McGill-Perez. She basically scours the Internet at different times around the clock for sales and bargains. "I am not a thrifter; I do not have the patience," she says. "Invariably, I'd start off looking at high-end materials and then talk myself down."

Chair, ottoman: Alpha, Ekornes


One of McGill-Perez's first purchases was this credenza, which she paid less than $200 for. She later found out it was designed by Jens Risom.

Bird accessory: Eames House Bird, Vitra; macramé hanger: Ouch Flower


McGill-Perez initially wanted custom kitchen storage but went with budget-friendly Ikea cabinets. "I do not have a complaint in the world about the quality," she says. The kitchen cost roughly $15,000, including the appliances, sink, fan and faucet.

Countertops: Night Mist quartz surface, Silestone; cabinets: Akurum, Ikea


Some of her proudest purchases are the light fixtures that hang over her home office area (and also in the bathroom). She paid less than $30 for each.

The Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe manual typewriter is a recent purchase that's an ode to the early days of her career as a high school business teacher.


Desk: vintage drop-front secretary; glass birds: Oiva Toikka; framed art (right): Sol LeWitt print, Art.com


"My two grandsons love to visit what they call Grammo's Little House," she says. "My typical day starts with their sweet voices shouting, 'Grammo, Grammo, wake up!' as they rush into my bedroom."

Planter: IN2, Architectural Pottery


A huge walk-in shower and a modern, straight-side toilet were musts in the bathroom. She also used kitchen cabinets, which are deeper than bathroom cabinets, for more storage. The bathroom cost $10,000, including the sink, toilet, shower fixtures and faucet.

Faucet: Lahara, Delta; shower: Linden, Delta; accent tile: Tessera Square Tundra Glass, Merola Tile, Home Depot; shelving unit: Expedit, Ikea; baskets: Knipsa, Ikea; mirror: Raphael by Howard Elliott, Wayfair; toilet: Cadet Straight Side Toilet, American Standard, Lowe's


Having lots of plants in the green space off the bedroom was a must. McGill-Perez wanted to be able to look out and see green, not just bare fence. In the fall she'll grow chrysanthemums and ferns. In the winter she will add pansies.

Drapery: Track Panel Curtains, Casa.com; flooring: 12-millimeter oak laminate, Lumber Liquidators

More: A Family of Four Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

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