Text by Lydia McMullen
Photography by Rett Peek
Styling by Stephanie Maxwell

During an Arbor Day celebration in eighth grade, Daniel Keeley found himself pocketing extra tree saplings, intrigued by their tiny forms and the possibilities they posed. As he sowed sprigs in his parents’ yard that day, a seed for design was likewise planted. Though Daniel studied business in college, he eventually found his way back to landscape design, beginning with projects for friends before opening his own firm, DK Design, crafting fine gardens and outdoor living spaces.
Today, Daniel shapes environments that feel refined and deeply considered. While residential landscapes remain his bread and butter, his trained eye for space, color, and form seamlessly translates indoors. When he purchased a 1940s cottage he had admired for years from next door, Daniel approached the renovation as a deliberate departure from past work. In contrast to the dark, moody home he had just completed, he explains, “I wanted it to feel light, airy, playful—things I hadn’t done before.” The project became an opportunity to experiment freely, leaning into a palette of pinks and blues that felt fresh and cottage-inspired.

BEFORE THE TRANSFORMATION

From next door, Daniel long admired the cottage before purchasing it in November 2020. Once a rental with little more than bare ground, the landscape and exterior were revived under his expert hand.

Inside, the home is a blend of garden party and Palm Beach. The living space benefits from ample natural light, where the rosy shades of the upholstered seating subtly shift throughout the day as sunlight brightens and fades. The room’s centerpiece is a custom-designed armoire, crafted from durable Ipe wood and inspired by an outdoor television cabinet Daniel once designed for a client, adding warmth and texture while reinforcing his indoor-outdoor sensibility.

The kitchen, previously dysfunctional and dated, received the most dramatic transformation. While walls largely stayed intact, the layout was reconfigured and the doorway widened. A new range and hood in an eye-catching azure serve as the focal point, echoed in tiny specks within the backsplash’s blue tiles. Daniel painted the hood three times before settling on the perfect hue, Resolute Blue by Sherwin-Williams. Brass finishes and a butcher-block surface pull the space together.
Throughout the home, old and new pieces intertwine. A French walnut secretary sourced from a favored local shop lends history to the spare bedroom, while custom lamps atop the dining area sideboard add a personal touch. The primary bedroom is the quieter counterpart to the rest of the home with softer tones and a more masculine feel.

Just off the kitchen, the dining space exemplifies Daniel’s indoor-outdoor sensibility, with cane-backed bistro chairs and bench that evoke the relaxed charm of a neighborhood café. Above the round table, a navy-and-gold circle-rimmed light fixture introduces a playful, jazzy touch.

In answer to the funky, vibrant blues and pinks throughout the interiors, the master bedroom is more muted and soothing. Though much of the home’s layout remains as it was, a doorway was added to lead from the primary suite to the backyard, one of the few architectural changes Daniel opted for.
True to Daniel’s day job, the yards are immaculately imagined. “I wanted to add a front enclosure to give a cottage garden feel and make it more interesting yet intimate,” Daniel says of the front lawn, where boxwoods and azaleas add further curb appeal. Out back, the once-bare space was transformed with a deep deck, lounge seating, a gravel fire pit, and a second doorway from the primary suite for easy access.

At the core of Daniel’s work is an ethos of quality over quantity. “I’d much rather have a small space that’s beautifully finished than something large and poorly done,” he says. His philosophy has been further informed by neuroaesthetics, a field exploring how design affects human well-being. It’s a science-backed affirmation of what Daniel has always known intuitively—that thoughtfully designed spaces can calm, restore, and invite connection.

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