Get the Look Decor: Cottage Renovation

For this week’s Get the Look Decor post, we’ve partnered with Fresh Home, the DIY home decorator’s best friend. They’ve provided some simple decorating tips that’ll show you how a few small changes in patterns and textures can make a big statement.

It wasn’t what they had in mind, but when Marnie and Howard Owens stumbled upon a funky little cottage, they knew they’d found the right place. The problem? It needed a facelift. Outside, they took a magical lavender-and-rose-filled cottage garden and made it a space where friends and family could hang out. Inside, they gave the formerly stuffy space more personality — and made it a place a young family could appreciate and live in — by going to town, splashing color, pattern and texture wherever they could. From the Moroccan graphic on the formerly beige sofa to the mash-up of blues and reds in the guest room, strong colors and textures inject a sense of fun, and lively patterns camouflage the kids’ chocolate milk stains.

Live In All Your Space

Maximize your living space by giving every room — even the kitchen — a place where the family can hang out. In this kitchen, the homeowner chose a simple white finish to offset darker hardwood floors and keep the room bright and airy. They also built an extra-wide center island to accommodate activities that ranged from food prep and cooking to homework and lounging, including a spot for the TV. Now the kitchen is the true hub of the home.

[Left to right, top and bottom: 4 Clear Glass Containters with Wooden Lids by Pickins; Acorn Shaped Globe Pendant Light by BlueMoonLights; Dried Yellow Yarrow Bunch by repurposedstyle; Vintage Farm Stool by cottagefarm; Lemon Meringue Caramel Sauce by milkbutter; Wood Cutting Board – Serving Tray by DolceHome]

Define Your Area

Brown dining room furniture, walls and floors are sophisticated and modern. Carve out smaller rooms within a larger one by defining spaces with carpet, lights or drapery. This dining area — a section of a large, open living room — didn’t feel like a well-defined space at first. The homeowner added paisley print curtains, which complement the $900 flea market rug and Herman Miller chairs, and suddenly the space had its own identity.

Dominique Vorillon

Mix a Lot

Dominique Vorillon

Stay Symmetrical

Dominique Vorillon

Bring the Indoors Out

To make the most of this home’s secret garden, the homeowners wanted a space where friends and family could hang out. They transformed a previously wasted backyard patch into an intimate al fresco retreat with pea gravel, a built-in brick bench and a cool outdoor fireplace.

Dominique Vorillon

Fresh Home is a website, blog and newsstand publication featuring easy ideas for hands-on people. We get excited about teaching folks how to rehab a dresser, make-over their kitchen, paint a room big, bold colors, rearrange furniture and throw fantastic parties. We’re not shy when it comes to having fun in and decorating our homes. Check out our site, which is stocked with hundreds of DIY projects, inspiring room galleries, party menus and a constantly updated blog.

Looking for more styles and interiors? Check out our video series, There’s No Place Like Here, where creative types show us their unique spaces — infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect. Get involved and show us your amazing space in this Flickr pool.

More Get the Look: Home Decor Editions.

Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares