Are you in for a Sunday house tour?
This East Hampton 1920's stucco cottage has been fully renovated by writer Frances Schultz, with a keen eye for what needs to be changed, what does
not need changing;
Fully preserving the integrity of the cottage and surrounding grounds.
Let's explore Bee Cottage...
I am sure you have seen a few images from this home out there in blog land, I know I have (I even used one in a previous post), never realizing where the image actually came from.
Charming curb appeal; A new front door was fitted with Bulls Eye Glass, salvaged from the original front door... The dusty blue color on the shutters is Benjamin Moore's Mountain Laurel.
The only room in the house that was entirely gutted was the galley kitchen! Since this is such a narrow space, Frances was careful not to overwhelm the space, using open shelving and fully taking advantage of the great natural light streaming through the row of windows. Painting the low ceiling a high gloss white, helps make the space visually larger!
What appears to be limed oak floors is actually ceramic tile, making this space highly functional! In the butlers pantry the ceiling has been painted blue... a color that in various shades appear throughout the cottage.
What was a dark, oddly shaped bedroom before, has been cleverly made into a Master Suite, complete with a dreamy canopy. Not only does this make a statement, it also hides the sloping ceiling!
One of the funny little nooks in the home is this mirrored arc; Beautifully made into a makeup counter. For a close-up of this space click
here.
Opposite the master bedroom an office space. A few tricks to make the space feel bigger; Again, notice the glossy walls, bouncing light around in what otherwise could have been a dark, cramped corner. The arrangement of artwork, drawing the eye up, fooling you to think the ceiling is taller than it actually is... + keeping to a consistent color pallet!
The first time I "made my way down" this narrow hallway, I kept my eye on the prize at the end, wanting to see more of this brilliant blue color... BUT, I actually learned something from this space!
The built in chests of drawers on the right were originally pained white, so to disappear into the wall, something I probably would have done. But you see... painting them a dark, glossy brown actually works, now the drawers work as a piece of furniture, they ground the space, and keep your eye moving down the hallway...
Check out this guest room!! An attempt to use accents of cranberry-red in this room without it screaming "Red, White and Blue" has been successfully reached in my opinion. The natural element of the rush beds (these are actually new, from Crate & Barrel) and the little woven cube, keeps the feeling of the room beach-y and relaxed.
Two things to pay attention to here; The Bee - we are after all in the Bee Cottage - and the lamp base. Frances Schultz has done a great job in "branding" her little cottage, and finishing touches such as the appliqued Bee on the bedding ads to the charm. The otherwise crisp white sheets keep the room from feeling too dark. The Staffordshire dogs have been wired as lamps (they were inherited from Frances' mother), and fitted with cranberry colored shades, completing the look, and carrying the accent color beautifully!
OK, so what to do when there is nothing wrong with the bathroom, but it's in need of a makeover... Paint!! Paint the ceiling and why not have a little fun while you are at it? Carry the fantastic blue from the guest room into the guest bath, work with the odd angles of the small room... Small detail that did not pass me by; the towels have been trimmed in red, giving a cohesive look to the guest suite. It's all in the attention to detail, my friends :)
Owner of Bee Cottage; Journalist Frances Schultz.
Beautiful Garden gate leading you to the pool area of Bee Cottage. Notice the cutout... and the ironwork.
In a garden that had seen better days, a landscape designer by the name of Jane Lappin was brought in to make it what it is today, complete with a long narrow pool. "I don't know how I came up with those crazy fountains in the pool, but they added just the je ne sais quoi I wanted. And I burst out laughing every time I turn them on" says Frances.
This last image is from Frances'
blog, the clematis is filling in the arch just beautifully, don't you think??
Hope you enjoyed this home as much as I did reading about it. For the full article on the renovation of Bee Cottage, go to Frances'
website, it's complete with links etc. There are before images and more interior shots as well.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Natasha
Image #13, all other images via House Beautiful
