The Lettered Cottage

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Cottage Style Decorating

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We’re still working on personalizing the half bath at our place this week…

…so I thought I’d blog about my friend Shannan‘s house today. She and her family have had tons of fun adding color, personal touches, and character galore to their recently-built home.

She created this little vignette in her entry, and I’m fascinated by so many things in it:

It reminds me of why I love cottage style so much. You can mix-and-match finishes, colors, styles, and eras. It’s about loving everything individually so that, in the end, you love everything together!

We named our blog The Lettered Cottage partly because of our love of all-things letters and numbers, so I’m head over heels for all the little lettered things she used to decorate her kitchen with:

cottage_kitchen_7

Don’t even get me started on that curtain fabric, that aqua island, and that sliding barn door. #SoPretty!

Shannan’s dining room is one of my absolute favorite areas of her home:

From the white barn lights…

…to the mismatched chairs…

…to the plate collection that inspired us to create our plate collection…

…I love it all!

Shannan gave us the “L” and “K” letters we used in our plate collection…

…but she kept several that look just like them so that she could create the word “CLEAN” above a drawer-turned-shelf in her bathroom:

Over in the living room, you’ll find lots of lovely personal touches, too. A vintage clock hangs on the wall above a tall & skinny, bin pull-handled chest of drawers. The old camera and perfect-sized painting sitting atop it draw me in closer every time.

Shannan’s friendship is so much like this room. Fun and encouraging…colorful and comforting. The way she decorates her home is so much like the way she decorates people’s lives.

I cherish her bunches, and can’t wait to introduce our Sweet P to her sweet 3!

For now, it’s back to work personalizing our half bath.

Well, for some of us anyway.

PS- Wanna see more of Shannan’s pics and posts? Click on the banner below!

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Comments

  5. nancy

    I just pinned the pic this morning with the aqua island. And now here it is. 🙂 Inspiration (confirmed) for painting my pine island ASAP. Thanks for the look see. Can’t wait to see your 1/2 bath done. 😀

  6. Kristy

    Beautiful work Shannan has done. I saw it on her blog the other day, I was SO impressed. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how your bath turns out! I have a boring ranch that we moved into last summer while 8 months pregnant. We’ve finished the girls’ rooms and one bath but now need inspiration for our kitchen/dining/living room 🙂 Hope your bath goes well!!

  9. Debi k

    Oh my gosh, I want to live in their house!! I LOVE every single picture!! So many cute ideas and personal touches! Thank you for sharing.
    Debi

  10. tara Lowry

    i love that FPFG, too.
    she has challenged me and inspired me in ways she’ll never know.

    love the friendship that you two have cultivated….very special.

  11. Claire

    I ADORE her style! Thanks for sharing. I have a random question for you though – did you have that piano in your former house? I don’t ever remember seeing it there.

  12. Jody

    I am a huge fan of Shannan’s blog and it was great to see her home featured here!

    Seeing the Paper Palmers amid the construction debris cracked me up 🙂

  14. Karie

    Thank you for sharing your friends fun pictures…Her place is beautiful and I love how light and fresh it looks…Can not wait to see the half bath and by the way I love the box figures of you two, what a fun idea….

  15. cindy barganier

    You have turned me into a fan of “cottage”. One day I have to introduce you to our favorite beach hideaway. You will swoon.
    I have to get to know these peeps. They are adorable.
    C

  17. Geri

    Layla, you are both so blessed to have found one another.
    I can see why you love Shannan’s friendship and style.
    You are both filled with love and warmth and a HUGE amount of creativity that you share with all that
    meet. Especially a “sweet pea”. Geri.

    • Layla

      Thank you, Geri! I always love seeing you here, and appreciate your kind comment so much! 😀

  21. Chana

    Love the photos! Everything looks so fresh. I REALLY like the door in the kitchen. Where did you find the track that the door slides on? I have been looking for one of those for quite some time.

    • Flower Patch Farmgirl

      Hey there! We bought the parts for our track at Lowes for a total of $50! If you click on the link in my actual post it will take you to a great DIY how-to. It was super easy! (Says the girl who watched her husband do all the work.) 😉

  24. Centsational Girl

    Oh I love Shannan’s style, it’s so inviting, and I love her sentiments on her blog too, she is a treasure ! xo

  25. Minna

    I am in love with Shannon’s dining room table centerpiece. I am a firm believer that accessories are what make a house a cozy and inviting home. I am going to do my best to recreate it for our home. 🙂 Like her, we moved from a 3200 sq. ft house to a 1400 sq ft house, and I could not be happier. Small houses do in fact, make for closer families!

  28. Mandy

    That kitchen island is to die for! I found one like it at our downtown Antique shop and want it so bad, but it’s $2700!!!

  29. Melanie

    Love that sweet little family picture at the end. They have shown such a beautiful style in making their house a home. Thanks for sharing this with us!!

  31. debbie r

    I bought an old platter with pink roses on it at a thrift store a couple weeks ago because it was saying take me home, I’m old and weary and i need someone to love me. I wondered what am i going to do with it now that i have it riding around in my trunk 😉 . Now i think i know. I don’t see any plate holders things on ur plates how did you hang them? I think maybe you posted about it once?