Who wouldn’t want a professionally designed coastal style cottage to play in this summer?
I recently worked with a client on such a fun job-I got to help her create Postboxes for almost every room in her new family cottage in Northern Michigan. Since the coastal cottage style is my absolute fav, I was delighted when that was the style she requested! She gave me an overall budget that we divided into six different rooms she wanted to concentrate on. I love it when I get to do multiple rooms for a client, because we can come up with a “Master Plan” where all of the rooms flow together. Now she has a plan to furnish her entire cottage so they can spend the summer doing what they REALLY want to do…hang at the lake!
One of the main rooms in their cottage was their family room. She requested durable furniture with a coastal vibe that didn’t scream with overly bright colors. I created two different version for their family room:
Version #1 has a slipcovered Pottery Barn sofa in a dark navy to help hide stains (#3). I’m in love with slipcovered furniture when you have children or pets (as this family has both!). A seagrass rug (#1) is the perfect choice because it naturally repels dirt, and can easily be cleaned with a bit of water. These nautical pillows (#4 and #5) can be swapped out with the seasons and this “La Mer” artwork (#7) refers to their close location to the water. This reclaimed driftwood coffee table (#2) is both beachy AND will help hide the nicks and dings of life. I chose this soft gray: Benjamin Moore “Owl Gray” (#8), throughout the whole main floor as a peaceful, neutral backdrop.
They currently have a neutral fireplace that could use a bit of dressing-up. I loved this pre-made mantle from Home Depot (#9). For any of you who aren’t DIY handy, all you have to do is paint and install…easy as can be.
In Version #2 I still stuck with durable and easy-to-clean theme, but changed up the color scheme. This slipcovered sofa is also from Pottery Barn (#1), but in a lighter color palette. It is a twill fabric which is durable and is the color of sand…which will be abundant in this lakeside cottage. I also love using outdoor rugs indoors for their extra level of durability. This gray and white striped beauty from the classic rug choice: Dash and Albert (#4) works great. Throw pillows (#5 and #7) add a pop of color to the otherwise neutral palette. A different idea for artwork came from an Etsy find-a map of Michigan divided into nine panels (#6) for a custom piece at an affordable price. Another rustic coffee (#2) table doesn’t scream “you must use a coaster at this house!”
In addition to the main family room, there is also a small Bonus Room where family can relax and watch TV when they need a break from the fun and sun! So I created another Postbox for that room:
The homeowners already had a neutral gray sofa, so I just had to find items to coordinate. I chose another indoor outdoor stripe rug from Dash and Albert (#1). I loved this rutic beachy coffee table (#2) and coordinating side table (#10) both from one of my favs-good old Target! To keep the room from getting too matchy-matchy I selected this white TV stand (#4), that kept with the room’s neutral vibe. A pop of blue comes in this polka dot pillow (#5) and sea glass style lamp (#9) that help pull in the color scheme from the adjacent family room.
But my favorite idea for this room is the artwork. One eye sore the room has is a big electrical panel box right on the wall! I wanted to cover it up for them with this oversized piece of artwork (#3) to go right over the sofa. This is from Jenna Sue Design Co, she has an Etsy shop where she will create a custom map of any town. I suggested picking the town their cottage is located, then having it printed in an extra large size in this neutral color. I bet the kids would have fun trying to find their cottage location on the map! I suggested an idea for converting a frame by adding hinges to the top so they can easily lift up the frame to access their box, and included a tutorial for it as part of their Postbox.
Off of this bonus room is an empty wall right next to the main door. I chose this beautiful console table (#8)-that I want to steal for MY house by the way! And I suggested placing above the console table their existing piece of art (#7) and this fun oar with hooks (#6). They can add in some seagrass baskets for extra storage. I would throw in bottles of sunscreen, bug spray, googles, etc. in here-handy but hidden from site.
And here is their Postbox Ready to go…filled with a Master Plan for six rooms of their new cottage! What a fun thing to get in the mail! For each Postbox I create a Floor Plan, Mood Board, Tips & Notes, and customized Shopping List. And you can even add on a 3D Perspective if you really want to know what your room will look like in real life. Then I package it all up with all of your material samples and send it right to you.
Stay tuned when I reveal the rest of the spaces I designed-including the dining room and a couple of bedrooms. I joked with her I hope she liked the spaces because now I want to make some changes to my own family room with some of these ideas! Don’t miss a single Real Postbox Project, special deals and behind-the-scences looks when you subscribe today. Try it out HERE!
Or let’s hang out at Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and check out oodles of free design ideas!
Leave a Reply