This Charming 1930s Texas Cottage Is Packed with Vintage Character

Twelve years ago, while antiquing in downtown McKinney, Texas (population: 156,000), Cindy Williams made a left when she should have taken a right. That led her to a street just off the historic town square and her best antiquing score to date: a charming, 1,200-square-foot cottage built in the 1930s. She relocated from nearby Dallas, moved in, and adjusted to small(er)-town life. The home improvement urge surfaced in 2012. "I challenged myself to a kitchen remodel," Cindy says, "and I did it on my own in 14 days." That inspired additional projects to make the space more practical while adding vintage character. "When you're living in a house while you're renovating, you really understand its strengths and shortcomings," she says. In her downtime, she hunted for just the right pieces at local antiques stores and the Round Top Antiques Fair, which she attends, without fail, twice a year. Cindy says she couldn't be happier with the results. "I call it my Continental American farmhouse."