Cottage living would be a dream for interior designer Katy Stevenson Bretton. After becoming an adult in Scotland, Katy gone to live in East London in her own twenties. It had been where she met husband, James, as well as their two sons were born. Katy found herself longing for extra space along with a link with nature. ‘I was craving outdoors, big skies and also the feeling of freedom I’d enjoyed growing up,’ she explains.
Time together, walks and journeys towards the beach became more and more important, therefore the couple made the decision the time had come to create a move. ‘We offered our huge home in Hackney and downsized to some three-bed room apartment in the region, which gave us the funds to consider a weekend cottage,’ states Katy.
‘We focussed on Norfolk, because we’d stayed there like a couple before getting children and try to felt a unique link with the region, and since the colours from the landscape – the soft blues, natural scrub and miles of golden beaches – help remind me of Scotland.’
THE COTTAGE
Using the London move complete, they go about locating a hideaway cottage with sufficient space to produce a retreat for his or her group of four, booking six qualities to see in a single weekend.
‘This cottage was the initial place we had so we loved it immediately because of its closeness towards the coast, off-the-beaten-track setting on the pretty lane and tranquil feeling,’ Katy explains.
Built from local flint, the first Victorian cottage have been extended to include the village bakehouse to the rear, offering some extra first floor space than similar two-up, two-lower qualities.
OPEN PLAN KITCHEN
‘We loved outdoors-plan family room and cooking area,’ Katy states. ‘We had remained in a lot of rentals where James or I’d finish up preparing supper shut away in the kitchen area, while everybody else was playing a game within the family room, so we certainly didn’t want that placed in our very own cottage.’
Considering cottage kitchen ideas, custom-made cupboards and shelves in the kitchen area were built with a local contractor, who also installed tongue and groove wall panelling. ‘It can help to know the expertise of your contractor,’ advises Katy. ‘We were lucky to locate somebody having a background in joinery, who loves dealing with wood and tackled a lot of tasks effortlessly, including finishing the oak floorboards so superbly.’
Katy and James splashed on an Everhot oven for that kitchen to produce gentle warmth within the room, that is welcome year-round as well as high summer time to assist dry beach towels. Cabinets were colored in Hardwick White-colored by Farrow & Ball.
OPEN PLAN Living Space
If this found cottage family room ideas, Katy states ‘My goal was always to produce a harmonious balance of new and old. From the sustainability perspective, it’s hugely vital that you me to reuse materials and furnishings, i love the feel, character and connections towards the past the old things bring.’
Inspired through the flecks of color in seaweed, the antique armchair continues to be re-upholstered in golden-colored velvet. The vintage wall light originated from Any Lights. A salvaged butcher’s block continues to be installed on legs to create a sturdy table.
The worn linoleum and chipped flooring were replaced throughout with reclaimed oak floorboards, once utilized as ceiling joists within an old manor house. ‘Wood is really much better under feet and instantly creates an infinitely more comfortable feel,’ states Katy, who used more reclaimed materials, layers of interesting texture and colors inspired naturally as cottage decorating ideas.
‘I collected razor and mussel shells and seaweed in the beach and used the gorgeous dark greys, soft whites, muddy browns and flecks of ochre as my palette,’ she states. ‘The more dark tones help create an enveloping feel and add depth to every space.’
BATHROOM
Traditional Norfolk hand crafted terracotta pamments from Norfolk Reclaim were utilised to tile the ground, while tongue and groove panelling colored in Off Black by Farrow & Ball also adds character.
‘I love using materials that feel beautiful to the touch and continuously age and alter with time,’ states Katy.
Other cottage bathroom ideas incorporated an oak shelf and upstand to supply display and space for storage, in addition to provide warm contrast against soft white-colored colored walls and black tongue and groove panelling. Here walls colored in Shadow White-colored, Farrow & Ball and tongue and groove panelling colored in Off Black, also by Farrow & Ball.
BEDROOMS
To accomplish the work, the bedrooms are decorated in natural materials, including wood, linen and made of woll, as well as in a muted color plan to echo the tones found outdoors.
‘I wanted to produce a space entirely in sync using its surroundings, because the illuminate here’s so beautiful and it was vital to not contend with it,’ states Katy.
‘Waking up here’s so peaceful.’ Which, in the end, is paramount to the prosperity of the venture. ‘It’s been the very best factor,’ she states. ‘In London, the continual buzz and noise resulted in I had been desiring space, however Personally i think recharged after working amount of time in Norfolk and may appreciate both places a lot more.’