How To Get This Beach/Eclectic Cottage Look

Good morning!  There have been some questions regarding the details of the room Cassity and I designed. Then we’ll move on to the regularly scheduled DIY posts.
These are the final professional shots of the beach themed room:

With the exception of the handscraped Rockbridge Dusk hardwood floor and the beautiful Ikat panel area rug, the room, the furniture and accessories are photo props at Tribuzio Hilliard in High Point, NC.  So, nothing from this room was purchased via shopping from a store when we decorated.  Everything was selected from a warehouse.  It was the candy shop for DIYers!  Packed full of decorating goodies.
Here is a breakdown of the room details with links to similar furniture and accents as well as some DIY tips.
Hardwood & Area Rug

Handscraped Maple Hardwood (Style: Rockbridge/Color:  Dusk)and Ikat panel (Multi) by Shaw Floors HGTV Home collection. The rug is listed as contemporary and even has a traditional feel to the design.  We loved the pattern for our cottage room.  As Lisa LaPorta agreed, an area rug is a great starting point for inspiration in your home.

Ikat Panel (Multi)
Selected sample (large)
Wall Color

COPEN BLUE by Sherwin Williams for HGTV Home.

SW0068 Copen Blue
Interior/Exterior

Color Collections
Rustic Refined, The Streamlined Years
Color Family
Blues
RGB Value
R-192 | G-204 | B-198
Hexadecimal Value
#C0CCC6
Sherwin Williams Copen Blue paint
Chandelier

We loved the detail of this chandelier when we found it and felt it added a touch of whimsy to the other red coral accents in the room. This chandelier was originally white.  Painting it antique red was a fun way to add color to the room.

Sherwin Williams antique red paint

SW7587 Antique Red

  • DIY:  Our chandelier was originally white. Paint a thrift store find/old brass chandelier.  Color shown is ANTIQUE RED by Sherwin Williams for HGTV Home.
  • Shop:  (better off with the DIY option with something like this because affordable red chandeliers are hard to find) Home Depot has a glass version.
Sofa

We were limited by what was in the warehouse but chose a neutral color and clean lines.  We both agree that furniture is a big purchase and should be neutral enough for when redesigning or changing accents in the future. Keeping big pieces neutral ensures many years of use and your money’s worth!

  • DIY:  Add a neutral colored slip cover to your existing sofa or re-upholster in a neutral fabric. DIY drop cloth slip covers are a little challenging but affordable!
  • Shop:  Crate and Barrel, custom sofa covers http://www.comfort-works.com/
VeranoSofaCanvasF11
v style=”text-align: center;”>Wall Gallery

Place art on the floor to create the layout you’d like to show off on the wall.  Find tips on how to hang art for a photo gallery HERE. Look for art with a theme.  Add a plate, wooden letters or mirrors for interest.

  • DIY:  Frame prints from books, calendars or printed from a site such as Vintage Printables. Do something unexpected. Mix in a canvas with framed prints. We used double sided tape to display a starfish on the square plate. Non-matchy letters were all painted a pretty oil rubbed bronze and sanded for a distressed look.  Round mirrors simulate port hole windows keeping within the nautical theme. {Tips for Hanging a Wall Gallery}.  Placing a mirror (from Michael’s) or convex mirror into a painted pie pan or plate could give you a similar look to the port hole mirrors.
  • Shop:
    • Small Sepia Nautical Art:  Amazon
2 Nautical Sailing Art Prints Bow Hull Ship Posters Sail Decor Sepia

DIY version using convex mirrors and pie tins:

    • Letters: Craft Cuts, Michaels, Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, etc.
nted wood letters come in many heights and thicknesses.

Accent Table
  • DIY:  Stack crates and top with glass for a vintage look. Often a yard sale or flea market find or build your own crates using reclaimed wood or pallets. Stamp or stencil wording and sand/distress for a vintage finish.

I have this accent table in my barn patio area:
Crate with an old vintage window top…


or use an old barrel as a side table like we did in our sitting room:

 Lanterns
  • DIY:  Accessorize varying sizes of lanterns with small plants for terrariums or add candles with sea shells, star fish or palm leaves.  Wrap candles with jute to add texture.  (Paint lanterns if desired.)
  • Shop:  Target, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc.
Knox LanternMini Lantern Tealight Holder
Horse
Horse Figurines

Mantel
  • DIY:  Use large wrought iron salvaged pieces or a small piece of iron fencing to make a statement and a large clock for balance. Accessorize with old books tied with twine and pottery. Shop thrift stores or yard sales. Find a shape of ceramic pottery and spray paint a pretty turquoise if needed.
  • Shop:
Timepiece - Large Distressed Wall Clock with Pendulum
    • Vintage Books – Etsy
Morph Vase
    • Red coral – 15.97 at Amazon
Worldwide Imports Painted Coral Red 5-7"
    • Cloche. Everything looks special under glass. Try Pottery Barn or search for glass sconces and globes (turn upside down)/etc. at thrift stores.
Lamps 
Southwest Turquoise Décor - 20" Azure Glazed Ceramic Jar Desk / Table Lamp - JCO-X4014
Accessorize
  • DIY:  Use a small old drawer as a tray for books.  Add vintage hardware to the sides for handles. Fill a bowl with glass orbs or DIY your own orbs using twine or seashells to add texture. Spray paint accent bowl if you can’t find the right color in thrift stores. Spray paint small urns and fill with grass.  Small thrifted ceramic fish or other themed accent can be painted to coordinate. Give an accent the spotlight by displaying it under a glass cloche.
Telescope
10x Magnification Tabletop Telescope
Side Chairs
  • DIY:  Search Craig’s List or estate sales for wicker chairs. Great texture!  Spray paint brown to freshen up or a fun color if you love the unexpected.  Add neutral cushions.
  • Shop:  Pottery Barn
Seagrass Wingback Armchair
Typography Ottoman
  • DIY:  Built it yourself (info on this coming soon) or give an old ottoman a new look using fabric similar to this:
Throw Pillows
  • DIY:  Sew or No-Sew using typography printed fabric or grain sacks.
  • Shop:  Pottery Barn and Etsy
PB Found Vintage Grainsack, Blue
Speaking of typography, love these trays from Pottery Barn:
Decoupage Typography Trays
Ceramic Garden Stool
  • So many wooden step stools can be found at thrift stores and yard sales.  Paint and distress if needed!
  • Shop:  TJ Maxx and HomeGoods seem to have the best prices for ceramic garden stools (under $50)
Console Table
Sailboat Art 

We hung two large vertical prints on the left side of the window to balance the art on the right.

Sailboat Sea Nautical Sepia Framed Print Picture
Coffee Table Book
  • Shop: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, Amazon
Cabinet of Natural Curiosities (The Colored Plates 1734-1765)
Albertus Seba: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities (25)
Large Round Mirror
(shown far left)
  • Shop: Great price on sale at JCPenney!
Drapery

Hang drapery as high as possible to add height to a room. Expand rods past the window and “frame” window with drapery to allow the maximum amount of light into the room.

  • DIY:  Sew your own simple curtains using drop cloths or white linen fabric.  Rod pocket or using curtain rings with clips to hang.  Using white/off white twin sheets is also an inexpensive option.
  • Shop:  Overstock
Coffee Table

Rustic.

Holbrook Coffee Table
Subway Art and Easel
Reserved listing for dstiles84
Hopefully this helps with the details.  What’s your favorite part of the room?
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Preview

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Our Living Room's Story and Reveal

First, do I have to apologize for tons of pictures? No? Good!

Oh – the fireplace built up surround isn’t completed or even started except that materials are propped up in the corner (I’ll leave those out of the after pictures) but if I wait until that is done to show you…summer could be over and I could decide to redecorate the entire room by the time we get around to it. So, I’ve decided to share what we’ve done since the rest is complete and I’ll save the fireplace surround and tutorial for another day.

Our living room has been through a few changes in the last three years!

Here it is when we bought our home. Before, at time of closing:
Lots of strange angled corners to work with.

We repurposed this mirror by taking it down and framing it (more details here). It hangs in our back entry way.

The white walls were painted wallpaper. Fun!
We also tore out the nasty carpet and refinished the wood floors.

Then, I always wanted a red room. So – I painted the room red. It wasn’t quite what I pictured but I really loved it for a little bit. Excuse the mess. Some of these I snapped right before I began painting.


We installed French doors between the living room and family room.
We mounted the tv above the fireplace…I’m not sure if you can tell, but there aren’t a lot of options (wall 1=staircase, wall 2 = entry to hall and built-in shelving, wall 3 = French doors, wall 4 window/fireplace/window). It’s really not too high for viewing. We’ve adjusted to it being there. Our wood burning fireplace isn’t used at this time (another future project). Since behind the fireplace is a brick chimney and the walls are plaster, I currently hide the wires with garland (upcoming project to build up the fireplace surround will take care of that problem). Brick? Someday we’ll replace it with marble and I got a dirty look when I suggested we paint it. Mr. DIY does not like painted brick.

It didn’t take long before I didn’t grew tired of dark red. The room wasn’t getting any light. It just didn’t “feel” like the right color. THEN I won a Jason Martin DIY+design consultation from Jason Martin at Desire To Inspire (See the advice HERE! Thanks Jason and Kim for the inspiration!). It’s been almost a year and finally…

Finally! Here it is today:

Color is Benjamin Moore Smoky Taupe. It changes color in different lighting. I first saw this color in Sarah’s livingroom and it was love at first site! If you like it too – check out her beautiful livingroom to see it again.



Lamps – TJ Maxx



My thrift store find – wine corks.

Vintage French linen pillows – Restoration Hardware


French pediment – Ballard (I plan on adding more trim to the French door to fill in the gap)
It’s weathered and says “Flanders Sweet Shop”

Drapery is from Target and Ebay. I needed 8 + another to cut up and sew to lengthen them since I mounted my curtain rods near the ceiling. The curtains are ‘gray pebble’ by Thomas O’Brien. They aren’t a true gray, more of a griege color with a subtle pebble design. I got most of mine on clearance at Target so I don’t think they carry them anymore which is why I bought some panels on Ebay. I love the way they frame the French doors.

I scored a bunch of vintage boxes and crates at an estate sale (3 are the same found at Pottery Barn for $24. I paid $8 ea!). This little box holds the remote controls.


The Red Letter Words art I won a while back. It’s one of my favorite things and the quality is amazing.


Wall art from vintageprintables.com (Here is the post if you’d like more information).

My style? You’ll see that I have a bit of interior design ADD. French, vintage, traditional, farmhouse and so on but the thing I love about designing my own space is that I can decorate with things I love and I don’t have to follow any rules. And we’re obviously not minimalists. It’s for us, not for a decorating magazine, right? We love how much taller and bigger the room looks and our mix of decorating styles works for us. I’d love new furniture but it’s not in the budget and this set from the 90s is in excellent shape. It works for now.

Featured at Ballard Designs:

“Pruvost Plaque” by Roeshel

“Pruvost Plaque” by Roeshel

Roeshel has our Pruvost Plaque framing her French doors. An unexpected hanging place makes the Pruvost Plaque come alive, so naturally, we love her ingenuity!

Id love to know what you think!

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