It seems like some kind of strange fairy tale come true – and for the owner and designer of this small rural dream dwelling, perhaps it is. At just under a hundred square feet, what was once a little hunting lodge has become (an albeit still-tiny) house remodeled from top to bottom, inside and out in Victorian style. Maybe this is the new American Dream: simultaneously more realistic yet also more visionary than most of us could imagine for ourselves.

Whether your tastes trend toward vintage or modern homes and interiors, this is a compelling case study in do-it-yourself design, craft ingenuity and industrious bargain-hunting. Wood floor board and structural supports were largely salvaged and the porch was added using inexpensive or entirely-free materials. Rather than seeming classless, cheap white and green paint applied all around adds a warm and weathered look.

Faux-classy items – like the chandelier hanging above the bed – were purchased at low-price department stores, which you would never guess at a glance.

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Cheap paint turned garage-sale french doors and flea-market mirrors into lovely, aged-looking antiques. Faded cabinets look suddenly classy with the addition of fine china collected here and there over the years. Warped-glass, single-pane windows become charming when set in a new design context.

Sandra Foster took what anyone else would see as a waste of space and recycled it into the home she has hunted for since her family lost their residence on Long Island when she was a child. Meanwhile, her husband has his own place that is the polar opposite of hers: a truck-sized shed where he keeps a big-screen television, heavy-cooking equipment and other personal items. Their shared space? A trailer that sits in between, but likewise rests on the same large rural lot. (Images via Trevor Tondro for The New York Times)