# A Cottage Makeover



## thedesignhouse (Dec 9, 2011)

Recently here at The Design House I had the privilege of designing a living, dining, and kitchen area.  The room was previously designed with a neutral palette with red accents.  With the transformation finished walking into the room now feels like a breath of fresh air.

  My client wanted a well designed updated space reflecting the cottage style that she loves.  After getting to know her I wanted to design a friendly, cheery space for her and her family because it would be a perfect reflection of her fun personality and as she is home frequently due to an illness it would help her through the bad times. I gave her the soft blend of blue and green which are very livable, happy colors and is a complete 180 degree flip from the red accent she previously had.  I chose this color palete because when designing a "healing" kind of environment I love using soothing colors and elements that you find in nature.

  To help keep the budget lower we kept her existing sofas and rocking chair and entertainment center.  We brought in new drapes, rug, coffee table, some art, and most of the accessories. The walls were painted a nice yellow-tan color to add to the cheery atmosphere and we re-arranged the previously displayed art and photo's to better showcase them.

   For the second part of our Cottage Makeover we're showing the kitchen and dining room.
   We kept our cheery cottage theme in these spaces by continuing the buttery-tan paint on the walls and adding in the pops of blue and green. We transformed the dining room by bringing in a brand new dining table and chairs. I selected a french country inspired, durable parawood table to hold up to the daily routine of housing three young children and customized its finish by specifying a gorgeous glazed and distressed tabletop and antique white painted apron and legs. Utilizing paint and stain on one piece give it versatility and longevity while adding interest. y  We purchased new side chairs and distressed them like the table legs to help bring in the cottage style and painted them an antique white. To add a bit of fun we took two of the chairs our client already owned and placed them on the ends of the table. We rearranged her existing cabinet and shelf accessories while adding in some new ones. The kitchen windows were adorned with new casing and beautiful woven wood shades were installed. We then gave her table the finishing touch with a centerpiece made by mixing fun cottage treasures into a big basket - allowing for easy removal when mealtime arrives. And then I finished it off with a dainty lemon tree, which I think always adds a touch of class.
   All over the rooms were cohesive and created a beautiful harmony. My client was thrilled and couldn't believe the transformation. And I'm happy that she can sit back and enjoy her beautiful new room.


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## rollingmurphy (Dec 13, 2011)

Looks great! You did a good job.


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## shainakhan (Jan 2, 2012)

I liked the monochromatic colour scheme you have used in the room with the use of paint and curtains!


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## markleena (Jan 13, 2012)

Look awesome..Thanks for sharing


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