Ivywild Cottage: A Home of Sentimental Finds & Storied Style

Text by Holly Seng

Homeowner Casey Snipes inherited her mother’s love for vintage finds—something she expresses through the items filling her curated closet as well as the furnishings and fixtures that adorn her home. “I love that there’s someone else that’s owned a piece of furniture and that it has its own life, and now it’s in my life,” she says.

As a stylist, social media lead, and featured artist for stationery company Dogwood Hill, capturing a beautiful moment and conveying the meaningful story behind a design go hand-in-hand for Casey, who has channeled that same mindset into the house she and her husband, Brandon, have called home for almost three years. After the birth of their daughter, Zoe, the couple was looking to move from downtown Birmingham, Alabama, to a quieter and more serene setting within the city. They came across a charming mid-century cottage just four doors down from Casey’s parents. The previous homeowners, Mary and Paul Hopkins, had built and lived in the home until their passing, making the Snipeses only the second family to call it home—or Ivywild Cottage, as they’ve affectionally named it.

Inside, Casey’s personal style, influenced by her family’s Scottish roots, mingles with accents from the original homeowners for a layered approach that builds upon the home’s history—like the beautiful blue-and-white toile wallpaper that graces the walls in the dining room. “I knew I wasn’t going to touch it,” she says. “And that was in our letter to their kids—we love this house so much and hope to live in it till we’re 100. We’re not even going to take down the wallpaper.”

In the center of the room, a round table, passed down from Casey’s mother, serves as the heart of their home. Gathering for meals each night and lighting the dinner candle—a tradition Zoe adores—remains a top priority for the family. A large abstract piece made by Zoe and a chandelier from Visual Comfort lend a more modern feel to the classic space.

In the living room, rich wood furnishings and a rug in deep red tones serve as a grounding element to the floral touches and walls painted Farrow & Ball’s Green Blue. The Ralph Lauren couch, a Facebook Marketplace find, plays into Casey’s “Ralph Lauren’s Scottish country home” aesthetic, which blends an amalgam of color and mixed patterns with classic flourishes for a timeless design.

The kitchen boasts a light and airy ambience with paneling coated in a creamy white paint and Battenburg lace curtains Mary picked out. Casey switched out the hardware for unlacquered brass and brought the island she had built for their previous home. “The top is an old piece of wood from the Lyric Theatre from when they ripped up the old stage,” says Casey. “I have a Birmingham history piece in our kitchen, which is so fun.” Antique painted barstools, copper molds, and art by Loré Pemberton impart delightful charm.

Washed in Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green, the dogtrot doubles as their breakfast room, where her favorite collections of dishes—from pink and green cabbageware to Lochs of Scotland—are artfully displayed among the shelves of the pine hutch. “I love being wrapped in the color of each room,” she says, noting that the painted ceiling enhances the room’s cocoon-like feel.

Casey’s all-time favorite fabric, Lee Jofa’s Althea, takes prominence in the primary suite—from curtains to a coordinating duvet and bed skirt. Scalloped lampshades pay tribute to the home’s exterior window casings, which feature a scalloped border. Since the home didn’t have large closets, Casey fashioned a connecting bedroom into her closet room, which showcases the same blue shade and fabric featured in the bedroom. “Getting dressed is a styling moment every day,” she says. “It’s fun to have a beautiful space that gives me a moment to start my day in a way that I love.”

With intentionality given to each and every inclusion, Casey has cultivated a space layered with sentimentality and storied style. “It has age; it has patina,” Casey says. “Each of my pieces has a narrative—even if I don’t know the narrative.”