Rustic Cottage Co

Rustic Cottage Co Renovating John’s granny’s cottage in Donegal 🇮🇪
Empty for more than 25 years
New YouTube videos every
Thursday at 6pm
⬇️ Watch the journey

A week ago I was wondering what life would be like living here full-time.Now I know.The days have been filled with sunsh...
12/06/2026

A week ago I was wondering what life would be like living here full-time.

Now I know.

The days have been filled with sunshine, for one week only 😂 renovation progress, visitors dropping by, cups of tea, and plenty of cleaning as I slowly settle into life at the cottage.

With no internet, no nearby shops, and no car during the day, you’d think I’d be climbing the walls… but it’s actually been one of the most peaceful weeks I’ve had in a long time.

The plasterer has been transforming the inside of the cottage, John arrived home for the long weekend, and there’s even a brand-new mystery project underway.

Can you figure out what John is building now? 🤔🏡

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/uCncL6oXJ_o?is=0g8OwqgkLhEq4USW

Have you ever enjoyed being completely disconnected from the world for a while?

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

What Is John Building Now?! 🤔🏡This week was my first full week on my own in Donegal while John was away working, and hon...
11/06/2026

What Is John Building Now?! 🤔🏡

This week was my first full week on my own in Donegal while John was away working, and honestly… I loved it.

No internet. No nearby shops. No car during the day.

Just peace, quiet, sunshine, and plenty of jobs to keep me busy around the cottage.

I cleaned inside and out, tackled the bathroom (still no hot water, so plenty of lukewarm kettle baths 😂), enjoyed the beautiful weather, and even started writing my next book while sitting outside overlooking the Donegal countryside.

The plasterer has also been making incredible progress, and the cottage is starting to feel more like home every day.

Then John arrived for the long weekend and, as always, he couldn’t sit still for long before starting another project…

The question is…

🤔 Can you figure out what John is building before we reveal it?

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/uCncL6oXJ_o?is=yL319w7eAlw-gcdb

Have a guess 👇

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

All work going on this week, busy and enjoying every moment. 💛🏡Some weeks feel like everything starts happening at once,...
10/06/2026

All work going on this week, busy and enjoying every moment. 💛🏡

Some weeks feel like everything starts happening at once, and this is definitely one of those weeks.

The plasterer has been making fantastic progress, rooms are starting to look completely different, deliveries are arriving, plans are becoming reality, and every day brings another little step forward.

John has been full of a cold and should probably be taking it easy, but that doesn’t seem to be in his nature. He’s still finding jobs to do, collecting abandoned logs from the roadside, and keeping the momentum going.

It’s hard work, a little chaotic at times, but honestly we’re enjoying every moment of it. After dreaming about this cottage for so long, seeing it slowly come back to life makes all the effort worthwhile.

Sometimes I stop, look out across the bay, and remind myself that this is really happening.

🎥 If you’ve missed this weeks video or renovation journey so far, you can start from Episode 1 here:

https://youtu.be/KpoIekr77OE?si=Kk3IRZFpN-3bu6qL

Have you ever worked on a project that seemed to reach the stage where everything suddenly started coming together?

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

Today’s postCome along on a tour of the cottage as John shows me everything that’s been happening and just how far we’ve...
09/06/2026

Today’s post

Come along on a tour of the cottage as John shows me everything that’s been happening and just how far we’ve come while I was away. 🏡💛

After 6 weeks in England, I’m finally back in Donegal! 🇮🇪

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I walked through the door. While I’ve been away, John, the plasterer, the electrician, family, friends, and neighbours have all been helping to move the renovation forward.

Some of the changes completely took me by surprise.

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=ijRs-kV79o3wS0Jz

Have you ever come back to a project after a few weeks away and been shocked by the progress?

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

🏡💛 I’m back in Donegal and ready to get stuck in!Every time I come back, I’m amazed by how much progress John has made w...
08/06/2026

🏡💛 I’m back in Donegal and ready to get stuck in!

Every time I come back, I’m amazed by how much progress John has made while I’ve been away. The cottage is really starting to feel like a home now, and this week has been all about settling in and taking it all in.

The bedrooms are now ready for paint, the plastering looks fantastic, and for the first time I can really start to picture how everything is going to come together.

The funny part? We’re officially living here now… and the house still isn’t finished! 😂

No hot water yet, so it’s cold baths and kettles for us. No fancy comforts, just making it work one day at a time. But honestly, waking up here every morning with the peace, countryside, and views around us makes it all worthwhile.

It’s not perfect yet, but it’s ours, and that’s a pretty special feeling. 💛🏡

🎥 If you’d like to follow our renovation journey, the latest video is here:

https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=Ymi4cxJ9CYzoRaI3

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

Donegal gives me a sense of peace and tranquillity that I’ve never found anywhere else. The countryside, the sea, the qu...
07/06/2026

Donegal gives me a sense of peace and tranquillity that I’ve never found anywhere else. The countryside, the sea, the quiet roads, and the slower pace of life always seem to calm my mind and spark my creativity. This photo is out of my kitchen window.

After publishing my first book and being so proud of the response it has received, I’m already looking forward to working on the next one over the summer. There’s something special about sitting outside in the sunshine with the sea and countryside wrapped all around me, letting new ideas find their way onto the page.

I’m so excited to be back in Ireland. 💛🇮🇪

This feels like one of those weeks where we are starting to order items and it’s all happening at once.

The plasterer has started on the kitchen and has been making incredible progress, we’ve had deliveries turning up

But it’s not just the renovations I’m looking forward to.

🎥 If you missed this week’s video

https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=Ymi4cxJ9CYzoRaI3

If your curious for a weekend read Available on Amazon

Journalist… Nope. Writer.
https://amzn.eu/d/0gNZewEE

💛 Little things like this mean a lot.John has been working so hard on the cottage, and after a long day he still found t...
06/06/2026

💛 Little things like this mean a lot.

John has been working so hard on the cottage, and after a long day he still found time to put up a curtain for me so I’d have a bit of privacy while I’m staying here.

The house is still very much a work in progress, but moments like this make it feel more like home. 🏡

It’s not always the big renovation jobs that matter most. Sometimes it’s the small thoughtful things that remind you how lucky you are. 💛

Have you ever had someone do a small act of kindness that meant the world to you?

🎥 If you missed this week’s video

https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=Ymi4cxJ9CYzoRaI3

🏡 I’m Back in Donegal! 🇮🇪We spent Saturday heading back across to Donegal with the car packed to the roof… and when I sa...
05/06/2026

🏡 I’m Back in Donegal! 🇮🇪

We spent Saturday heading back across to Donegal with the car packed to the roof… and when I say packed, I mean packed! 😅

We somehow squeezed in tyres( don’t ask 😂) a fridge, luggage, tools, supplies, and everything else we seem to move backwards and forwards between England and Ireland.

When I walked through the door for the first time, back in Donegal, I was completely speechless.

The progress the new back door and walls finished. John thought I wasn’t happy, but the truth was I was overwhelmed. Shocked. Stunned. Excited. It finally felt real.

In this week’s video, I take you on a full walkthrough of everything that’s changed, and show what John got up too last weekend while sharing my first reactions seeing the cottage again.

🎥 Watch here:

https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=Ymi4cxJ9CYzoRaI3

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

🏡 I’m Back in Donegal! 🇮🇪After six weeks away, I’m finally back in Ireland.John drove over to England to pick me up on F...
04/06/2026

🏡 I’m Back in Donegal! 🇮🇪

After six weeks away, I’m finally back in Ireland.

John drove over to England to pick me up on Friday, we spent Saturday with family, and then headed back across to Donegal with the car packed to the roof… and when I say packed, I mean packed! 😅

We somehow squeezed in tyres, a fridge, luggage, tools, supplies, and everything else we seem to move backwards and forwards between England and Ireland.

Our cottage still isn’t finished yet. We have no kitchen, no hot water, and no heating… but honestly, it feels like a little adventure. A bit like camping in our own home. 🏡💛

When I walked through the door for the first time, I was completely speechless.

The bedrooms, living room, and hallway have changed so much in the six weeks I’ve been away that I genuinely didn’t know what to say. John thought I wasn’t happy, but the truth was I was overwhelmed. Shocked. Stunned. Excited. It finally felt real.

In this week’s video, I take you on a full walkthrough of everything that’s changed, and show what John got up too last weekend while sharing my first reactions seeing the cottage again.

🎥 Watch here:

https://youtu.be/M5lypF2aNI8?si=Ymi4cxJ9CYzoRaI3

💛 New videos every Thursday at 6pm

It’s all happening at the cottage and I still can’t believe this little abandoned cottage in Donegal, Ireland became par...
03/06/2026

It’s all happening at the cottage and I still can’t believe this little abandoned cottage in Donegal, Ireland became part of our story 🇮🇪🏡

What started as an old family cottage sitting empty for over 25 years is slowly turning into the peaceful home and future we’ve both dreamed about.

There’s hard work, chaos, long-distance travel, setbacks, laughter, beautiful scenery, and moments where we just stop and look out the windows in disbelief at the views around us 💛🇮🇪🏡📚🪜🎥🖼️📖💛

If you’re new here or want to catch up from the beginning, you can start the full renovation journey here 👇

🎥 YouTube Series
🔗 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEDQUh3020r0nSkiMqfEIEHM-YqFHRVKo

And along the way, we’ve also been capturing some of the incredible scenery around Donegal for our little Etsy shop ✨

🖼️ Rustic Cottage Co Etsy

https://rusticcottageirl.etsy.com

Have you ever dreamed about starting over somewhere peaceful?

Book 📚🙂

https://amzn.eu/d/0gNZewEE

Address

Chorley
PR71SY

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Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

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