The 1,000-square-foot-house, built in the early 1920s, was big on charm but small on space. So, a decade later, the couple added a large living room, kitchen and dining room.

"But we still had just the one bedroom," said Linda Kuhn, who is Sanford's mayor.

To accommodate house guests, they decided to convert a rundown shack in the backyard into a guest cottage.

It was stripped down to its frame. The floors, doors and windows were replaced, and the plumbing and wiring upgraded. The main room would house a living/dining area with kitchen on one side, a sleeping area with bathroom on the other side.

For the interior decor, Kuhn wanted to create a cozy retreat with all the mod-cons, while retaining "the feel of the historic district." To help achieve her goal, she hired Mickey Searcy, owner of Interiors by Lawrence David in Sanford.

"Linda gravitates toward clean lines and a light, airy look. She likes to incorporate the old with the new," said Searcy. "We decided on a lot of white — paint, linens, furniture — with green, chocolate and silver accents."

They reupholstered a rocking chair that had been a favorite of Kuhn's father, and filled a curio cabinet with linens crocheted by her mother. They hid the TV in a whitewashed armoire, hung gauzy white curtains over the windows, and added several table lamps to cast a warm glow.

The original front door was converted into a headboard for the double bed. And in the kitchen, the original sink was fitted into a new custom-built cabinet and a small metal table was installed to function as a coffee bar.

Now there is only one drawback: The cottage is so charming, guests may never want to leave.

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COTTAGE DECOR HOW-TO

Interior designer Mickey Searcy offers these tips:

Choose a theme. For example, coastal, country, shabby-chic or urban.

To make small rooms look larger, paint the walls white, buy white bed and bath linens, and use lightweight fabrics for window treatments.

Use rugs, pillows and fresh flowers and fruit to introduce accent colors. Rich colors help create a cozy, welcoming mood.

Mix family heirlooms, travel souvenirs and old collectibles with new decor items and art works.

Update old furniture with slip covers. Introduce genuinely old or artfully distressed furniture — or both.

Choose compact, multipurpose furniture, but don't scrimp on key pieces, such as a roomy armchair for reading and TV viewing.

Invest in a good bed. The bedstead may be an antique, but the mattress should be state-of-the-art.