The Lettered Cottage

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Cottage Red

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Our camera shy carpenter had to finish up a job at another house yesterday and today, but he did start cladding our closets before he left on Wednesday afternoon. So exciting!

I’m probably driving him nuts at this point, but I’m just so fascinated by this whole process!

Next week, he plans to finish up the planking, and then line the inside walls of each closet with sheets of MDF paneling…

Then it’ll be time to trim the plank ends off and pop in the doors- woo hoo!

After the door frames are nailed into place, Brian’s going to take the doors off for me so I can paint them. (He said that was the best way to do it)

This room will act as our guest bedroom and Kevin’s home office, so I left it to him to pick the color scheme he’d feel most inspired by. He decided he wants to keep it pretty neutral, but that he’d like to use red as the accent color.

I played around with some sample colors yesterday, and we’re leaning toward a color called, “Burnt Peanut Red” (Benjamin Moore). Sarah Richardson used it on the closets that lead to the master bathroom in her summer cottage…

We’ll wait until some of the bedding elements get here before we totally decide though. Here’s a peek at one of the goodies we’re anxiously anticipating the arrival of…

(Gr8Gear.com)

That says “rocker dude-meets-cozy cottage”, right?

Brian will be back on Monday to do some more work on the closets, and in the meantime, Kev and I are going to clad the ceiling in more tongue-and-groove planks. I think we’re just going to white-wash them with Benjamin Moore’s “Moonlight White”, so hopefully the painting process will be quick, and our necks don’t hurt too bad come Monday- ha!

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    • Layla

      Hi Natasha! I added the link to the blankets up there in the post. Happy shopping! 😀

  3. Sabrina @ Neverland Nook

    I’m so in love with the red and white! I’m trying to get brave enough to do a mostly white room, I just fear I won’t be able to pull it off with as much charm as you do. Nervous it will be stark. You always do a great job!

  4. Ann Marie | white house, black shutters

    A few years ago, I would have shuddered at the thought of yellow or red as accents. Now they’ve quickly become favorites. Love the idea red, particularly that shade. Can’t wait to see it when it’s finished!

    My dad of a carpenter is camera shy too, I always get an sheepish sounding “you’re not taking a picture, are you?” No dad, I’m not, just pick up that hammer and hold it for a second… Okay, perfect. Nope, no pictures here! 😉

  5. K a y

    Sarah Richardson is one great source of inspiration, is she not? Remember the red doors in her farmhous mudroom? Swoon! Kudos on the Swiss army blanket. I’m on a Swiss cross “high” of late and have been stenciling it on anything that doesn’t move! YUM! Love your blog!
    Sincerely,
    K a y

  6. hello haha narf

    loving watching the steps in this process! so fun. although i will totally admit that i was surprised the two of you talented folks didn’t build the closets yourselves.
    i adore red and can’t wait to see how everything turns out! thanks for sharing.

    • Layla

      Well, we both have a crazy full plate right now, but Kev would’ve said, “no way Jose” to this project anyway. We usually wing our way through things like this, but then end up unhappy with our sloppy results. We wanted this one done right…the FIRST time! 😀

  7. Deidra

    Red is a great option for a manly office-guest room duo! My boys have two red accent pieces in their bedroom.

  8. Cathy

    As I was viewing your blog pictures I thought….. that would look great in the red that Sarah Richardson did in her island cottage and wow there was the picture… I think it will be fantastic. Those blankets are great. Now I am off to check out their site.

  9. Kaye Chastain

    Love, love, love, love, love me some Sarah Richardson!!! Wish HGTV would get her back on. Her summer cottage just makes me swoon! Love your new closets, too, tho I must confess they seem really small. Guest size, I guess! My husband and I lived in Montgomery for three years back in the 70s and I am very familiar with Prattville. We loved it in Ala!!

    • Layla

      Hi Kaye!
      There was actually already one small closet in the room to begin with, but you’d be surprised how many microphones and craft supplies you can fit into 64 square feet of additional storage space! 😀

  10. Geri

    Layla, you have the best ideas ever.
    You take those ideas and not just run with them, your race
    those suckers into action.
    Ahhhhh to be Layla for a day. hehe
    Love Sarah Richardsons summer cottage from top to bottom.
    Love your house from top to bottom too.
    I would watch a any show you do.
    I still have a feeling you will get a show one day once the net works wake up and smell the paint. They need real people with real budgets and real taste and talent like you and Kevin.
    Have a wonderful holiday weekend. Hugs, Geri.

  11. Kim in MD

    I think the red is perfect, and I can’t wait to see how the whole room turns out!

  12. Amanda

    Love it! I just love your style. My favorite of any other blogger by far! Would you ever think of doing a post on your favorite websites you browse for inspiration? Or your favorite places to buy things for your house? Maybe you already have but I’d love to know!

  13. michelle

    “rocker dude-meets-cozy cottage” is EXACTLY right! beautiful.. really beautiful… OR WAIT.. cool, really cool 🙂

  18. Emily @ The Wicker House

    I am so excited for this room!! It is going to be so cool, I can already tell. Love that inspiration picture next to your rocker dude, where is it from? Also loving all of the red and gray together.
    Good luck with the rest of the room!

  20. Sarah Dorsey

    Love that you are using red as the accent color! Under the window would be the perfect spot for a built in bench. Not sure of the floorplan, but that may be the only place to put the bed (which would look great framed by the closets too!) Looking good!!

  22. Liz

    Can’t wait to see the results. I so love Sarah Richardson’s designs! Great inspiration piece for your current project! I also love the pops of red. I just can’t seem to decorate without at least a little red.

  24. jeanne

    I love anything Sarah Richardson does. She is a phenomenal talent. But I am so in love with the farmhouse she did. That just has cozy all over it. Love every element she selected. Not really of fan of red but I loved how she used it in the farmhouse. Its gonna look great when you’re finished. Can’t wait to see it.

  25. Sharon Stinson

    Cottage Red (a/k/a Apple Red) has always been the “pop” color in both my kitchen and family room – love, love, love the cheery brightness of it – instant smiles!

  26. Ginger

    Love. I painted my sons closet door bright red and it is one of my favorite things in his bedroom. Love the whole look.

  27. Marianne in Mo.

    I remember Sarah’s red from the Cottage. I liked it, but thought it was a bit on the orange side….but what do I know! I did love it, and I think it’s a great color for that room you have there! Love the tongue and groove wide planks on the closets! I feel for you, doing the ceiling! We installed tongue and groove on our covered deck quite a few years ago, and boy, did the curse words fly then! We’d gotten “a bargain” and found out why! It was slightly warped, so the tongues wouldn’t get themselves into those grooves. We’d get one end in, and the other would pop out of place. Took us 3 days on a 10×10 deck. But it was wonderful when we finished! Too bad we moved from there about 3 years later, after having been there for 32 years!
    I think you’ll both need deep massage after this weekend is out!!

  28. Sandy

    Can’t wait to see it all done! Are you getting the planks for the ceiling from Lowes? Cuz we tried to get some from our Lowes a few weeks ago and they were not available. We’re in eastern NC, hope you can still get them in AL!

  30. Ter'e

    Rock on! Rock on! I love everything!
    But I’m curious………where in your house is that red door that Kev is standing in front of???? That’s not in your house is it????
    OH my GOSH…………….it’s dreamy!!!!!!!!! Past dreamy. I want some of these doors so bad!!!!!

    P.S. Red is my very fav color. I have it everyplace! Such a cheery color.

  31. Kristin S

    Love that red!

    Anything Sarah does is spot on. Can’t go wrong. Thanks for stalking your carpenter. I’ve loved watching the process too.

  34. erin

    Love the red! I used Benj Moore’s Heritage Red on our beach cottage door and it’s the perfect beachy red-bright and cherry without being at all pink. Highly recommend! It’s a discontinued color now, but the formula is still in the computer bank!

    • Layla

      Thanks for the recommendation, Erin! I always like to learn about new favorite colors! 😀

  36. Kelley

    You’re too funny – you look like a stalker at the window with your camera!! The closets look great and I love the blanket. I’m so gonna check out that website:) Thanks for all the fun tips!

  37. birdsandsoap

    It’s rough and tough and manly. and cozy at the same time. I love red. I’m using Valspar’s “Sangria Red’ on my next furniture redo (or maybe “Pomegranate Red,” I haven’t decided). It will look beautiful against a neutral backdrop.

  38. Vicki

    Can’t go wrong with a “Sarah” red! Hope it goes quickly and you two can head out for a bike ride before the weekend’s done. Happy Painting!

  42. elaine

    Layla~
    Burnt Peanut Red is MY favorite RED! It will look fabulous! You will love the way the light plays with the color…one of my dear friends on Martha’s Vineyard used it on her stairs and then in her dining room and I instantly fell in love with it! Can’t wait to see the finished product!

  43. April

    I LOVE the red! It’s perfect. I have a question though…do you know where you can buy those unfinished thin planks that your carpenter is using on the closets? I want ones I can stain and rough up, and I can’t find anything like it around! Any hints? 😀