1. Be Persistent

If you fall in love, fight for what you want. “We love, love, love this house. We love the location. We love the simplicity and the European influence,” Christy says. “But when we first noticed it, the house wasn’t for sale.” While Ryan waited in the car, Christy knocked on the door and asked the owner if he would consider selling what was then a house in major disrepair. The man said no, but Christy begged for a tour. “Just show me what I’m missing,” she said.

Throughout the four months that followed, Christy would call the owner, and he would waffle between maybe and no until finally he gave them the answer they were waiting for. That was when the fun began. Ryan and Christy spent the next 18 months renovating their prized cottage, with Ryan acting as general contractor and Christy choosing all of the paint colors and furnishings.

Door and window paint: Palladian Blue (HC-144) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.