We are so excited to share more of the Sweet Laurel Cottage! Next on the tour is the entryway, living room, and dining room spaces. When Laurel and Nick bought this house it was a classic 1950s LA home which means it had really short 7 ft ceilings with small sectioned off rooms. We decided to open it up quite a bit and vaulted the ceilings to bring in the amazing natural light.
Let’s start in the entryway where we did this wrap around wallpaper from York Wall Coverings. We wanted the house to have a Sussex meets Santa Monica vibe. I love the pattern because it’s so delicate and sweet and has little green details to tie the elements together. We added this velvet bench and coat rack from Room and Board for a special moment.
The front door is Laurel’s favorite part of the house. We put in a gorgeous dutch door in a beautiful shade of green. I love that you can keep the bottom shut and open the top half and can really let the outdoors inside. It makes for a very bright and quaint foyer entryway.
Now here we are in the living room. When you move out of the entryway, you are in the dining/kitchen area. When you have a big open space, you need to work to create geometry, otherwise you feel like you’re in a warehouse or you end up with an island of furniture that doesn’t have a purpose. It is important that a big space be functional. One of the things we looked at was creating a fireplace to be the central function for the room. It was a way to frame the space and give the room a focal point. We did a
gorgeous glazed brick from Fireclay Tile which is in such a subtle and cozy color.
The mantle is important because it shows off this amazing painting that was done by Nick’s great grandfather. His grandmother gave him and Laurel the painting when they bought the house and it’s place over the mantle is the hearth of the home
Laurel and Nick host a lot – whether for bible study or family gatherings. So when we furnished this space, it was super important that it could host quite a few people. We decided to build benches around the fireplace and add pillows so when guests are over, there is extra seating.
Styling the room was all about layering textures and making the room feel purposeful. Books, photos, and little collectibles help bring personal touches to layer it together.
All of the furniture is from Room and Board. The goal of the cottage was to have old world references and an English countryside feel without feeling like an old ladies house. Room and Board does such a good job of balancing the old world and modern aesthetics. Laurel and I fell in love with this rich dark green velvet fabric and used it to cover two art deco swivel chairs. I also love the classic tufting on the sofa. We finished off with Laurel’s favorite Viola Sconces from Troy Lighting again in this room.
When you go around the other side of the wall is the dining room. It floats on it’s own, but also interacts with the living room. One space really brings you into the other.
The flooring is the foundation of the home – it gives it that old world European quality. We chose Duchateau Herringbone which really gives it this rich dept and sets the tone of the room.
On the wall behind the table we created a gallery wall with artworks from Society 6. Laurel and I joke that one of the pieces is a portrait of her. It’s a post impressionistic portrait of a woman that looks just like her.
We chose the Viola Chandelier from Troy Lighting. It has that old world quality without being gaudy and it’s similar to the sconces that Laurel loves so much. I love mixing the old chandelier with new clean furniture. It makes for an interesting conversation so the pieces talk to each other rather than talk over each other. We went with all Room and Board furniture in this room as well. I love their clean, modern, simple lines and their mid century sensibility.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about the living spaces at the Sweet Laurel Cottage.
xo, Claire
Watch the full tour here!
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