Text by Katie Wood / Photography by John O’Hagan / Styling by Yukie McLean
These young homeowners bring their neutral coastal cottage to life with personalized statement pieces that change with the tides.
Elisabeth Hays and her husband, William, purchased this charming bayside cottage in 2011 and have spent the past few years decorating and redecorating their humble abode. When asked about their style, Elisabeth laughs as she admits, “It’s always changing!” And while her tastes may change, the eclectic, casual, and, most importantly, practical nature of her home stays the same. “I have a black lab that is on everything from the sofa to the chair to the bed, so I need things to be pretty durable,” she says.
Style Idea: Painted shutters can make a huge impact on your home’s exterior. These dark brown board and batten Z-board wooden shutters add loads of character to this coastal cottage
Nestled in the heart of Fairhope, Alabama’s, historic fruit and nut district, Elisabeth takes cues from her surroundings and listens to what her house is telling her when it comes to decorating. Like life on the bay, she wants her home to have a relaxed feel to it. “I like things to flow from room to room, but I don’t like it to be boring. I like statement pieces to really make it feel like it’s my house,” she says. With a durable, neutral foundation Elisabeth balances the bold and the bland by layering interesting textures, colors, and fabrics that make each room feel specially curated yet connected to one another.
One of the greatest design challenges for this young couple was making their tiny kitchen functional for their needs. When they first moved in they realized the kitchen sink was in the laundry room, so they added a spacious island with a built-in sink in the kitchen, which not only resolved the issue but also provided ample space for storage.
Downstairs the couple’s master bedroom is layered in luxurious creamy tones that easily blend with the natural light pouring in through the room’s large windows. “It’s a teeny-tiny room so I kept everything really neutral,” Elisabeth says. “I’ve got some fun art on the walls, but it’s so small there really wasn’t a lot you could do with it without it feeling like a closet.” Elisabeth finds that less is more as she maintains balance with a few sophisticated accessories.
The couple furnished their home for entertaining with a handful of welcoming vignettes and sitting areas both outside and inside. “We have friends that are spread out across the country,” Elisabeth shares, saying it’s great to have a cozy place with enough space inside and outside for everyone to get together. Upstairs the couple has two charming guest rooms that are just big enough to sleep in.
“Everything changes so often,” Elisabeth says of her home’s interiors. She explains that her home décor shop, LuLu & Me, allows her “to play with other’s people’s styles,” and some things are so fun and interesting she just has to try them out for herself.
Utilizing Nooks: In the Hays household small spaces make a big impact. The guest bedrooms utilize smaller furnishings to maximize each nook all while retaining cozy charm.