Cottage Full of Character

Photography by Kamin Williams     

This Do-it-Yourself young couple created a home together starting with a single mattress in the middle of their bedroom floor. What they ended up with is a beautiful cottage full of thoughtful details that reflect their personalities, love of color, and amazing eye for design.

The homeowner says it was a few key elements that gave her a place to start developing her design scheme—a piece of furniture, a color, a pattern, a lampshade. Little things often inspire an entire space, she says, such as a gray and yellow pillow and a yellow area rug in the living room.

A colorful arrangement of flowers brightens a room while adding depth and texture. The homeowner made all the flowers using leftover scraps of fabrics—an easy, cost-effective project that makes a bold statement.

Stripes are part of the signature style of this charming home. After researching countless blogs and design magazines, the owners decided to create this metallic-striped hallway. And though it proved to be a time-consuming task, the payoff was well worth it. They also carried the stripes into the living room by using vertically striped draperies. 

The cluster of photographs, artwork, mirrors, and metal letters took months to pull together. The homeowner took her time, even doing the artwork herself to achieve the desired depth, dimension, and composition.

The couple loved their cream-colored tufted sleigh bed paired with the graphic rug, but something was missing. With the walls originally painted a pale blue, they knew it would take a darker gray paint color to showcase the bed.

With a degree in graphic design and fine art, the homeowner has an extensive collection of her work from college. She found the perfect place to hang some old pieces—above the dresser in her master bedroom. Besides pillows and accessories, she loves to collect lampshades, like the ones that flank the headboard and others that sit atop a chest.

The homeowners believe that your home should say something about you. Displays of favorite books, magazines, family photos, and keepsakes give the place character and can serve as conversation starters when guests come. They also advise that you don’t rush when decorating your home—choose accessories wisely. This couple has collected patterned pillows over time that add color to her neutral furniture. 

The kitchen is more understated than the rest of the home but still carries the neutral cream and gray color scheme. Sleek stainless appliances and fixtures make it modern and updated, creating an overall clean and simple look.

When it comes to their office space, the homeowners share that the secret of placement is to assemble items in an appealing manner so that they look artistic and not messy.

 

Recover forgotten spaces like the window at the end of the hall—a perfect place for a desk, and the clear Lucite ghost chair keeps the design light and transparent.

STYLE IDEA: Bulletin boards and shelves make great use of wall space and keep the desk surface free; small, similar items can be sorted into cups, boxes, and interesting jars; up, out-of-the-way, and handy, these brushed metal round boxes work for the everyday necessities of paper clips and pushpins.