This Man Beautifully Transforms A $100 Old Wooden Shack

At the time of this project, Richard was 65 years old. He was in search of an old historical shelter he could transform into a comfy cabin to be closer to nature. A man named Billy Howell reached out and was willing to give Richard his old run-down shack for free. Richard instead gave the man $100 and began getting to work on his project. Let’s see how Richard transformed the dilapidated shack into a beautiful family cabin.

Richard had been interested in purchasing a cabin for some time. After everything he had accomplished, we can’t blame him for wanting to wake up in peace each morning, surrounded by a calming forest! While “purchasing a cabin in the woods” doesn’t seem all that off the wall, this particular choice wouldn’t exactly have been most people’s ideal.

The cabin and property? $100 in cash. But as you can see, most people wouldn’t exactly call the decrepit structure a building. Including the previous owner himself, as it turns out. He offered it to Richard for free, but Richard insisted on paying something.

The cabin, and Richard’s future second home, had a fully collapsed roof and was full of debris. Even the average city dweller could tell that it looked dangerous inside, and most wouldn’t even step foot in it! Of course, that didn’t stop Richard. With his spare time, he made the decision that he would slowly work on the cabin, with the goal of eventually fixing it up into decent condition. He strived to turn it into something beautiful.

What did that mean? With most of the original wood unsafe and unusable, Richard knew that he would have to start from the ground up. He would need to tear down almost the entire cabin. Even knowing that, he wanted to keep some of his original intentions — and the cabin’s original integrity. He saved whatever wood he could, to recapture some of that essence.

As he worked, he got to enjoy the surrounding woods. It was such an oasis! And of course, the property was a huge motivator in why he chose this particular location and property. But even Richard was in for a surprise.

Waterfront property? Sounds like a dream. But for those working to build it, digging out the newfound spring was a lot of work. The family knew it would be worth it in the end though, as Richard could move the now-dismantled cabin anywhere that suited him.

Plus, they took this as the perfect opportunity to add even more to the property by building a small dock. Being the master builder that he is, Richard was able to showcase his skills not just in his goal of rebuilding the cabin, but also in the craftsmanship of the dock. That project was easy enough, but it was time to return to the main event.

With the pond finished and location chosen, it was time to begin rebuilding the cabin. All the plans were set and labels organized, all that was left was to begin physically piecing together the disassembled cabin from the ground up.

Six feet was not enough to build a strong foundation on, so this meant that the family would have to raise the cabin a few feet above ground instead. This was more work, but they didn’t let this discourage them! Instead, they realized that a cabin on higher ground actually meant they would have better views to enjoy once the project was finished.

The family was lucky to have such beautiful materials just steps away. They were able to use white oak and cedar shakes to create the floor joists and shingles. They also decided to add a rustic porch to complete Richard’s vision. The choice to use local materials really made this revived cabin feel like something truly unique.

The family chose a rustic Rumford fireplace, a style common for older log cabins.

The oak tree was a fallen nearby tree, meaning Richard didn’t have to cut down any of the beautiful living trees to create his dream. The age of the wood added a nice touch.

For this piece, the family chose to work with a carpenter. They brought materials and a design concept, and the carpenter was able to create a simple design that maintained the integrity of the original cabin.

This mixture helped seal the cabin against the weather. It was also a good choice of sealant to maintain a natural look on the outside of the structure.

While the home was new, the rustic style choice made it feel older and very cozy — the perfect country retreat.

With this wood choice, the final dining table was lightweight and easy to relocate to different places in the house. The family didn’t plan on having modern heating in the cabin, so it would be important to be able to gather all activities around the new fireplace.

With no electricity wired to the cabin, natural light would be an essential element. Richard installed a large, high window in the house to capture as much sunlight as possible during daylight hours.

While it isn’t the only sleeping location in the cabin, it does make for a great relaxing afternoon snooze, and also adds more room for sleeping arrangements, particularly if guests are around.

Nothing says rustic more than cooking over a fire. This feature also meant that Richard didn’t have to install a full kitchen in the cabin, which would have been difficult given the intentional lack of modern amenities.

Alas, even with this dilapidated shack, the pair was more than able to produce a beautiful transformation. It makes any fixer-upper seem doable!

The inside of the original house was completely destroyed. The structure would need new windows everywhere, full rewiring, and a complete rehaul of the floor and ceiling. Could it be transformed? Some might ask for a miracle.

But even that was hardly a challenge for Joanna Gaines. Aside from just flipping the house, she added a brand new porch and metal roof, and replaced the windows and foundation. She used her knack for country home design in adding shutters and other features.

Joanna Gaines created a stunning kitchen, featuring magnificent cabinets and a large kitchen island for additional seating. She also went with gorgeous hardwood flooring and stainless steel appliances.

They knew that an open design would be important for a young family, and kept that in mind in the new living room. Joanna Gaines also turned to her well-known shiplap design for the walls. Off-the-floor shelving keeps from compromising on space, while also accenting the room and providing storage.

While most folks would have simply torn down this shack and built a new home instead, it’s people like Joanna Gaines who can come to it with an open mind and create something enviable. This master bath is no exception, as you can see from the walk-in shower, beautiful cabinets, plentiful storage, and timeless clawfoot bathtub.

The design choice to incorporate salvaged wood from the original beat-up structure has become somewhat of a trend, and a gorgeous one at that!

This room came out just right, and is the perfect balance of sweet accent colors with softer tones. Large windows ensure that the room gets plenty of sunlight. The dark hardwood floors will be sure to hold up for years to come.

For the boys, it also made sense to include bunk beds — a custom design meant to resemble an adventurous tree-house!

Instead, they opted for an open outdoor gathering space. The design went for a combination of classic rustic and modern country living. This is where the formal dining table ended up, but it’s also just the right space for cozy family dinners.

To keep them fully separate, she opted to go with two very distinct designs to best take advantage of the space. Given the rubble that these rooms were before, this transformation is truly special!

Crawford, Texas is quiet and comfortable, and will be the perfect place for the Matsumotos to raise their young family. It’s a classic small town.

Of the experience, he said, “On a typical day I work as a co-worker with Chip and Jo, so it was really different being the client.”

To top it off, this new home is childproof. This was a very intentional choice, especially for the expectant family.

It’s not always easy to visualize, especially when you don’t know what you’re working with to start. The key is to find them, and build up from there.

Looking at the start and end points of this project, it’s incredible to see how this structure was transformed.