The Lilypad Cottage

a place for all things creative

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Coastal Dining Room – Black Chairs

I worked a little makeover magic in my coastal dining room this past week with some help from Serena & Lily. I’ve been eyeing these gorgeous Carson dining chairs since they added them to their site. I just love the woven detailing, perfect for a coastal or lake house setting. I chose the black chair option, which prompted a makeover of the rest of my dining chairs.

white lake house dining room with wood table and black and woven dining chairs

Coastal Dining Room Chairs

When I ordered my original dining chairs several years ago they were supposed to be a gray color. In reality they were a little closer to off white, hardly gray at all.

BEFORE

white lake house dining room with gray windsor chairs and hydrangeas centerpiece

I was hoping for more of a contrast with our white walls, but after the whole building process I was just happy to have chairs to sit in. I figured I could always paint them down the road. Well, I did just that a few weeks ago!

AFTER

white lake house dining room with wood table and black and woven chairs adjacent to white kitchen

I should maybe back up and say my 10 year old son decided to try his best superman impression off my old slipcovered parsons chairs…which resulted in skinned knees…and broken chair springs. He actually attempted this super hero feat last winter, and I’ve been warning people not to sit on them ever since. I was always good at warning others, but I can’t tell you how many times I forgot and almost fell through to the floor.

wood table black woven serena and lily carson chairs green stems in white vase

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Obviously it was time to find a better solution. I’m always excited to partner with Serena & Lily. Not only to share their gorgeous Carson Chairs, but to tell you about their new shopping option. We all know lead times and shipping have been a little crazy this last year. Well now you can filter your shopping experience by availability. They have options for items that will arrive within 1-2 weeks, as well as eligibility for 2 day shipping.

wood table black light fixture black dining chairs large double slider door with lakeview

This is great for the upcoming holiday season, especially if you tend to be a last minute shopper like me. Serena & Lily is always one of my go to spots to find a special pillow, or decor item that is a showstopper in our home. Our new chairs are no exception. The details are even better in person!

white color blocked vases with faux greenery and woven dining chairs

lake house dining room with large sliding doors and lake view

Once I decided on the Carson end chairs, it was time to give a little makeover to the rest of my dining chairs. I hit them with several light coats of satin black spray paint. Along with a clear top coat, just to be extra cautious.

lake house dining room with white walls wood table and black woven chairs

We have black accents throughout our home with lighting, picture frames, and hardware. I love how the black dining chairs add to the flow of our home now.

lake house dining room with white walls wood table and black woven chairs

I can’t believe how much this changed the feeling of our dining room. It was such a great way to update the whole space without having to replace all 8 chairs. I just love the contrast!

wood table with black chairs and white vases

I also added these beautiful Poetto Vases as a centerpiece to the table. I love that the white color blocking on the bottom hides my faux stems. They work so well for real flowers too, but unfortunately hydrangea season is done here in Michigan. These vases add a great coastal touch to any space.

wood table with black chairs and white vases

Serena & Lily actually carries chairs almost identical to my new black ones, and they are already painted black for you! I’ll link them below, along with all my other Serena & Lily faves.

wood table with black chairs and white vases

wood table with black chairs and white vases and adjacent living room

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Neutral Fall Throw Pillows

Fall throw pillows are a great way to add a bit of seasonal coziness to your space. I like to think about adding cozy textures and warmer colors this time of year. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to add red and orange to make your space autumnal. I have a lot of blue and white in my house so red, white, and blue can feel very 4th of July vs. Happy October.

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

white living room with large windows and white couch with fall throw pillows and fall grasses in a vase

Sofa / Chairs / Rug

Neutral Fall Throw Pillows

So, instead I added in earthy tones with some browns and neutrals.

white couch with blue and neutral toned pillow

Neutral Pillow / Navy Pillow

As well as this pretty velvet pillow, that has warmer colors but still a hint of blue to bring it all together.

red and neutral toned velvet throw pillow on white couch in living room with large windows

Neutral Pillow / Velvet Pillow

A plaid or check pattern is always nice for fall as well.

brown pillow with check patterned pillow on white couch in lake house living room

Brown Pillow / Checked Pillow / Cream Pillow / Throw Blanket

I bought this oversized knit throw last fall and it’s still a favorite. The texture and warmth it adds to our white sofa is perfect.

 

white living room with stoneware vases with fall grasses in them and neutral fall throw pillows

Large vase / Medium vase/ Small vase / Lamp

I mixed  higher end pillows in with some less expensive options for an eclectic look.

Where to shop for throw pillows?

stoneware vases with beach grass and fall throw pillows

blue accent chair with neutral toned throw pillow

Chair / Rug / Pillow – sold out

I’m just waiting on the fall foliage to change out that window, and we are ready for fall here.

white sofa with brown throw pillow and cream and gray checked pillow

stoneware vase with dried beach grass and fall pillows on white sofa

Oh, and these grasses are from our yard LAST year! I dried them last fall and kept them in a vase all year in our storage room. They still look perfect! Same with this pampas grass I picked from the side of the road last October.

white and wood beam breakfast nook with white round table and wooden chairs

Table / Chairs / Step stool / Pillow

I rounded up a selection of my favorite fall pillows. I included different price points to add a bit of coziness to your space this fall.

SOURCES :

Wall color – Extra White by Sherwin Williams

Floors – Build Direct Engineered White Oak by Vanier

Sectional

Accent Chairs

Coffee table – no longer available

Rug

Lamp

Looking for more fall home decor ideas?

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FALL THROW PILLOWS

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Guest Cottage Living Room Design Plans

I just received an email that all my furniture for the guest cottage living room has shipped! If you have ordered anything in the last year, you know just how exciting that is. I always like to make a design board before I order anything. It’s a great way to make sure everything is going to play well together in a space.

I use PicMonkey.com to make my design plans. It’s very user friendly and there are great tutorials to get you started. I use the paid version, but I believe there is a free version you can try out too.

Guest Cottage Living Room Design Plans

living room design board leather couch jute rug white walls and coastal art

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

I wanted a cozy feeling (not hard to achieve in a 600 sq ft house) with lots of texture. Since this house is such a small space everything needs to flow together. I’m hoping to achieve that by keeping the larger pieces neutral, but adding in subtle pops of color here and there. I’ve also been repeating black and brass accents throughout each room to add to the cohesive feeling.

I opted for a leather couch from Article which I felt was practical in case we do rent this out. I also like the bit of warmth it will add to the space.

I wanted to still keep a cottage feel with a nice big jute rug to lighten up the dark wood floors.

I’m really excited about this coastal wall art from Deb Presutto Fine Art. She has so many gorgeous prints, I may order another for one of the bedrooms. The dark moody water will look great on the white walls.

two coastal prints featuring dark water and stormy sky

I went with lighter frames to make the darker prints pop.

I wanted to add some pattern in along with flexible seating, so I ordered these gorgeous poufs. They can act as extra seating or a place to kick your feet up. Multifunctional pieces are always great in a small space.

You know I had to order a few throw pillows to bring out the grays and blues in the painting.

Indigo Throw Pillow

Cream Throw Pillow

And of course a cozy throw for Charlie to curl up on.

This large wall shelf will actually be going over by my desk area. I like the touch of black it adds to this side of the kitchen/living room space.

The brass floor lamp finishes it all off in here.

I’m so excited to bring my guest cottage living room design plans to life!

OTHER DESIGN PLANS YOU MAY ENJOY:

 

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Lake Cottage Landscaping Plans

Ahh I have been waiting for this day all summer long! I finally got to play in the dirt over at the guest cottage, which is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve been landscaping my bootie off over here the last few days. Well, more accurately landscaping my arms off…but 70 some odd plants and 22 bags of mulch later things are looking good! I had a lot of help from the people at Walters Gardens. They made me a great landscaping plan, and provided me with all the awesome Proven Winner plants. Most of our yard at our house is in the sun so I’m not as familiar with the best plants for shady areas. They were so great in helping me figure out everything I needed!

white cottage with fall mums

I’ve had a few questions on Instagram about planting in September like this. Fall is actually a great time to plant in Michigan. The colder temps and soil are easier for the plants to adapt to, and everything should come back up beautifully in the spring. I can’t wait! We just need to survive the winter first.

white cottage with shady landscaping

Let’s do a little before and after action before I share all the plant names.

BEFORE

white house siding remodel

AFTER

best plants for shady areas

sun garden with catmint russian sage and juniper

Ahh I never get over these photos, so fun to look back!

Lake Cottage Landscaping Plans

So here is the landscaping plan that Walter’s Gardens made for me, which lists all the plants. I figure that’s the easiest way for you to see the different varieties I used. We switched a few things around based on availability, but overall this is pretty close to what I planted.

Lake Cottage Landscaping Plans

 

hostas and best plants for shady areas

hostas and best plants for shady areas

 

hostas and best plants for shady areas

I wanted a lot of purples and pinks mixed in amongst the green. I’m so happy with the choices we made.

Lake House Landscaping Plan

hostas and best plants for shady areas

We also put in this new gravel drive and sun garden. It really changes the look of the place from the road. Everything in here the Catmint, Junipers, and Russian Sage should get nice and tall and cover up our ugly utility pole in the next few years.

Lake Cottage Sun Garden Plans

Lake Cottage Sun Garden Plans

Lake Cottage Sun Garden Plans

Lake Cottage Sun Garden Plans

I couldn’t resist adding some purple mums for fall out on the patio.

lake house with gray french doors and mums

Charlie apparently couldn’t resist them either. He has been loving “his” new office spot.

I still have plans to add window boxes, house numbers, and exterior lighting but landscaping made such a huge difference! I can’t wait to see these Proven Winner plants mature over the next few years.

It feels like a brand new place!

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Bourbon Maple Manhattan Recipe

A Maple Bourbon Manhattan is the perfect cozy cocktail for fall. A Maple Manhattan is a twist on the classic Manhattan cocktail that uses Maple Syrup instead of sweet vermouth.

I’m working on another guest cottage update for you all. It’s not quite ready, so let’s all cheers and enjoy a cocktail in the meantime! The weather has turned a bit cooler here in Michigan. The Mr. whipped up this delicious Maple Manhattan last night after we put the kids to bed.

white kitchen with maple manhattan cocktail ingredients and recipe

It’s my new favorite drink!

What’s in a Maple Bourbon Manhattan?

Delicious maple syrup, bourbon, dry vermouth, and a dash of cinnamon. It’s perfect for chillier autumn nights.

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Maple Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail

We didn’t use just any maple syrup though. We used the Rye Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Finding Home Farms. It is SOOOO good! If you have been following me for a million years, you may remember my blogging friend Laura from Finding Home. She was one of my first blogging friends, and I can really say I would not be where I am today without her. Her and her husband now run an amazing organic maple farm in the Hudson Valley. When I tell you they make the best maple syrup, I’m not exaggerating. It’s delicious! I love their original recipe, but they also have Coffee Infused Maple Syrup, and this Rye Barrel Aged as well. Laura sent me a fun little package full of goodies. As soon as The Mr. saw the Rye Barrel Aged Maple Syrup he had cocktail recipes on the brain.

Maple Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail

I’m glad he did because its delicious. The maple syrup is the perfect fall twist on a traditional manhattan. Bourbon, Dry Vermouth, maple syrup, bitters and a dash of cinnamon give this cocktail so much flavor.  Make sure you use Dry Vermouth as opposed to Sweet Vermouth as the maple syrup provides all the sweetness you will need.

Maple Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail Recipe

Maple Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail

Save Print
Maple Bourbon Manhattan
Recipe type: Cocktail
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 3 ounces (2 shots) bourbon
  • 1.5 ounces (1 shot) maple syrup
  • .75 ounces (1/2 shot) dry vermouth
  • 2 dashes of black walnut bitters
  • dash of cinnamon
  • cherry for garnish
Instructions
  1. Pour 2 shots of bourbon into a glass.
  2. Add 1 shot of maple syrup.
  3. Add ½ shot of dry vermouth.
  4. Add 2 shakes of black walnut bitters.
  5. Stir well.
  6. Garnish with a cherry and a shake of cinnamon on top.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1

Finding Home Farms not only has amazing maple syrup, but they have beautiful candles and many great products perfect for gifting this holiday season. My personal favorite is their “Lake Candle” it smells heavenly. I also have the Flannel Candle and it smells amazing. You can use my coupon code KELLY20 for 20% off your order.

Finding Home Farms Maple Syrup

If you are looking for a great hostess gift, a bottle of their Rye Aged Maple Syrup,  your favorite bourbon, a bag of lemons and my Lemon Maple Bourbon Cocktail recipe is a fun idea too.

More Bourbon Cocktail Ideas

Maple Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail

You can check out all of their products here. Cheers!

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Lake House Neutral Guest Bedroom

I’ve been putting off sharing this lake house neutral guest bedroom, because I don’t feel like it’s quite complete. I’m still on the hunt for a few more accessories, different wall art, and who knows what else! Ok, and I probably should have steamed the bedding too… ;) So, let’s just call this reveal 1.0. I like to collect things for a space over time, rather that hurrying to fill it up. Let’s be real, it’s looking SOOOO much better than when we started!

First let’s take a look back. To refresh your memory, these bedrooms are tiny (if you recall the entire house is 600 sq ft).

Before –

wood paneled cottage renovation

Lots of old dark paneling and dirty dropped ceilings.

Lake House Neutral Guest Bedroom

After – ahhh so bright, light, and cozy!

white walls dark wood floors gray and white bedding guest bedroom

There is not a lot of room to move in here, but I think we made it as functional as possible given the limited space.

white walls brass lights gray trim bedroom

I knew I wanted to paint all the walls white to brighten up the space as much as possible. I thought a contrasting trim would add a little more dimension and interest.

bedroom with white walls, gray and white window pane bedding gray drapes and bamboo shades

Replacing the ceiling was a huge change too! I promise I will be blogging about that at some point, but it isn’t quite done. As with lots of building materials, I’m running into supply issues at the moment. So stay tuned for all the nitty gritty details of our pretty new ceiling.

white walls gray closet doors, gray and white bedding in neutral bedroom

Of course swapping out the old falling apart windows brightened things up in here as well.

I wanted to keep the color scheme really neutral with lots of tone on tone grays.

I had this Serena and Lily bedding in my linen closet and it works perfectly over here. I added a cozy throw, and it’s now Charlie’s fave napping spot while I’m working in my office.

havanese dog gray blankets

This back wall made the most sense to position the bed on. I added the drapes on this wall to help make it a focal point, and work with the width of the headboard.

gray and white bedroom with gray drapes, bamboo shades and white walls

Inexpensive bamboo shades provide a little privacy as well.

lake house neutral guest room

vintage brass framed wall art

I found some fun vintage wall art at a local antique store. I love the character it added to the space.

These prints will probably end up in the living room as I’m thinking something a bit bigger would be better on this wall. Again version 1.0 here.

vintage wall art

Since this cottage is so small I tried to add touches of black and brass in every room to give it a cohesive feel. I have to say decorating a space that you can stand in the middle and see every single room has been a bit challenging. There has been some definite trial and error!

neutral bedroom, black end table, brass lamp, white and gray bedding

This gorgeous rug really grounds the space and pulls it all together. Plus it’s SO soft! It really tones down the dark wood flooring.

guest bedroom with gray and white bedding, white walls, gray trim, gray drapes and black and brass accents

As you can see things are moving right along at the guest cottage. We aren’t quite ready for guests to snooze here, (besides Charlie) but we are close!

You may also be interested in:

GUEST COTTAGE LIVING ROOM

GUEST COTTAGE DESIGN BOARDS

GUEST COTTAGE EXTERIOR UPDATE

GUEST COTTAGE BATHROOM DESIGN

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

All of the rugs I’m using in the guest cottage are from Boutique Rugs. I actually have a coupon code for you to use for 60% off your order. My code is KELLY60.

Bed

Light Fixture

Nightstand

Lamp

Bedding – they no longer sell but this is similar

Throw Blanket

Throw Pillow

Rug – you can use my coupon code KELLY60

Wall Color – Simply White by Benjamin Moore

Trim Color – Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore

Bamboo Shades

Drapes

Faux Plant

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Guest Cottage Bathroom Design Board

Wow, it’s been so long since I did a guest cottage update that I can’t even remember at what point I left off! We have made a lot of progress this summer, and now that my kids are back in school I have time to tell you all about it. Today I thought I would share the guest cottage bathroom design board that I’ve worked up. All of these items are either here or out for delivery. Hopefully we will be able to make this design board a reality in the next 2 weeks!

I already shared our fun tile transformation earlier this summer. Remember the before?

old bathroom with Formica walls

and after!

gray and white tile bathroom remodel progress

Well now I’m ready to add all the fun stuff. I have to say I’m a little jealous of the design in here, and it has me itching to update the primary bathroom in our house. Shhhh, don’t tell The Mr.

GUEST COTTAGE BATHROOM DESIGN BOARD

green floral wallpaper, and brass accents

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

  1. Shower Tile
  2. Floor Tile
  3. Wallpaper
  4. Rug
  5. Shower Curtain
  6. Light Fixture
  7. Mirror
  8. Faucet
  9. Pedestal Sink

This tiny space is the perfect spot for fun wallpaper. Since the rest of the cottage is white painted paneling, I really wanted a touch of pattern and color in here. I wasn’t looking for anything too busy, since the tile already has a bit of color variation in it. After an extensive search I finally happened upon this simple floral pattern in green. I think it’s going to work so well. I’m hoping to hang it next week, so cross your fingers for me.

green and white floral wallpaper

Wallpaper

Now that this is a small windowless room, I’m trying to keep things bright and neutral with touches of antique brass. This mirror and light were perfect for the small amount of wall space we have.

brass oval mirror

Mirror

brass bathroom light fixture

Light

I opted for a little more pattern play with this subtly striped shower curtain.

Shower Curtain

I’m not a huge bath mat fan and typically go for a pretty rug instead. I love the subtle sage and neutral pattern of this one.

sage and neutral rugRug

I’m really excited to see this come to life after working so hard on all the tile. It’s been killing me not to finish it! We have been waiting on kitchen counter tops all summer, so the plumbers can come back and do the finish work. The counters will be installed next week, I can hardly wait!

I ordered myself this desk and I’ve been using the space as my office all week (which if you remember was part of our plans.) The chair is just one of our dining chairs that I lugged over here, while I wait on the smaller one I ordered. Sure, I still need a million things, (including outlet covers) but we’ve come a long way.

guest cottage office desk with dog

Same view from this spring…looks a little different!

guest cottage remodel before photo

I have to say it has been SO nice to have a separate office space to head to everyday. I’m still getting organized and waiting on bookshelves and furniture to arrive, so look out for that design board too. My back is already thanking me for working at an actual desk instead of the couch with Charlie perched on my shoulder.

Charlie is ready for some lounging furniture over here as well. Although my little office assistant does enjoy watching the boats go by out the french door. It feels so good to be back to work after a fun summer with my kids. In the next few weeks I will wallpaper the bathroom, tile the kitchen backsplash, landscape, and decorate. Ahhh all the fun stuff is finally happening!

Posts you may also like:

Guest Cottage Design Boards

Lake House Guest Cottage Bedroom Designs

 

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Wayfair Save Big, Give Back Sale Faves

I’ve been pretty quiet the last few weeks on the blog. I’ve been busy soaking up summer with my family. We are down to the last few weeks before my kids head back to school, and then I’ll be back with all sorts of fun guest cottage updates! I wanted to pop in today, because I’ve partnered with Wayfair to share one of their best sales of the year. It’s the Save Big, Give Back Sale!

I have SO many favorite pieces from Wayfair in my home, most of which are included in the sale. There are tons of great items on sale at up to 80% off. The best part is 10% of the profits will be donated to help eliminate Homelessness. Wayfair has partnered with Built for Zero, so you can give back while saving. At Built for Zero they believe homelessness is a problem that can be solved, and they help communities prove that every day. I love the idea that shopping this sale can help others create a home just right for them!

I’m linking all of my favorite picks from the sale below, but I thought I would share a few of my favorite Wayfair items around the house.

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

The upholstered bed in our bedroom is  hands down my favorite purchase ever from Wayfair. We have had it 3 years now I think? The quality is great, and it looks so much more expensive than it is.

white paneled walls with blue paint. White bedding with gray rug and throw pillows. Coastal bedroom decor

I also really love this lower profile option they have now too. At the guest cottage the beds had to be situated beneath the windows, so I was on the lookout for lower profile beds. This would have been a great option!

I actually used this platform bed in the smaller of the two rooms and I love it.

My daughter’s bed is part of the sale as well.  We had so much fun redoing her room last summer. This bed kicked off the whole project.

color blocked walls, white washed floors, pinks and greens

Her nightstands are another fave! They come in a ton of different colors now too.

color blocked walls, wood hooks, wooden bed, white nightstands

I absolutely love the look of these Adirondack chairs. We love our white ones around the fire pit, but these black ones are gorgeous and have a fun modern edge. They are actually available in 41 colors!

This iron bed looks vintage and comes in tons of fun colors. We used a similar one for my nieces bedroom. I guess with furnishing the guest cottage I have beds on the brain!

Come to think of it we bought our mattresses for the guest cottage from Wayfair too. They have several options included in the sale, but we like this pillow topped hybrid.

I love a good round mirror and this one we have hanging above our fireplace comes in several different color options. I’ve had it a few years now and I still love it.

Our basement rug is probably the most purchased item I’ve ever linked. I totally get why, it’s so pretty. So excited it’s back in stock, grab it while you can!

cozy lake house family room

Our leather chairs down here are on sale too.

white dining table leather chairs

Oh and I bought this gorgeous runner for my kitchen this spring. I shared it on Instagram, but I don’t think I’ve shared here. I love the subtle colors in it and the price point cannot be beat at under $70.

kitchen runner navy island white cabinets

Wow my quick post is turning into a long one, ha! So I’ll stop blabbing on and link to all my faves below. You can shop the entire Save Big, Give Back sale here too! Happy shopping!

 

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Lake House Guest Cottage Bedroom Designs

Greetings from the middle of Michigan summertime, the most glorious time of the year! Things are still a little stop and go over at the guest cottage. I’m planning an update post next week! Today I thought I would share the design boards I’m sloooowly pulling together for the bedrooms.

LAKE HOUSE GUEST COTTAGE BEDROOM DESIGNS

Lake house gray and white bedroom design

First up, the main bedroom which is a whopping 2 ft bigger than the guest bedroom. Let me backup and remind you this whole house is about 600 sq ft. The bedrooms are…ahem…cozy. We were able to squeeze a queen bed in here and not a whole lot else! I snagged this bed on prime day. It was surprisingly easy to assemble. I’m really happy with the way it looks especially for the price.

I shopped my house, and I’m using our Serena and Lily winter bedding. Unfortunately it’s no longer available, but I found a really similar set at Target so I’ll link that below.  A small bedside table and lamp will provide a place to set a book or charge a phone. That’s about it! Minus some window coverings, art, and accessories that I will add in down the road. I should probably finish painting first…you know me I’m ready for the fun stuff!

SOURCES: Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

All of the rugs I’m using in the guest cottage are from Boutique Rugs. I actually have a coupon code for you to use for 60% off your order. My code is KELLY60.

Bed

Lamp

Light Fixture

Throw Pillow

Bedding

Throw Blanket

Rug – you can use my coupon code KELLY60

Wall Color – Simply White by Benjamin Moore

Trim Color – Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore

Lake House Guest Cottage Bedroom Design board with black bed terra cotta blanket and pillows

Over in the slightly less roomy bedroom we had to go down to a full size bed. This metal and upholstered bed is at a great price point, and it took 5 minutes to put together. You just unfold it and use 4 screws to lock it in place – love it! I picked up this cute striped bedding at Target and love the subtle stripes. These are my favorite cozy blankets from Target. We have the gray one and it’s so soft, so I picked up the Clay colored one too.

Again just enough room for a small table, lamp, and a rug to lighten up the dark floors.

Bed

Light Fixture

Nightstand

Lamp

Bedding

Throw Blanket

Throw Pillow

Rug – you can use my coupon code KELLY60

Wall Color – Simply White by Benjamin Moore

Trim Color – Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore

That’s where I’m at so far. I’m still dreaming up the living room and kitchen area. Oh the kitchen! The cabinets are in and they are coming to measure countertops later this week. Like I said update coming soon!

Other Guest Cottage posts you may also like to check out:

Guest Cottage Design Board

Guest Cottage Exterior Update

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Guest Cottage Exterior Update

I’m alone in my house (minus my sidekick Charlie of course) for the first time in what feels like years! My youngest is off at camp, the Mr. is back in his office, and my daughter is with a friend. Feels like the perfect time to check in with you all after a busy holiday weekend filled with friends and family. Also, I may be trying to keep myself from stalking the camp facebook page for photos of my baby (ok fine, so he is 10 years old, but still my baby). If his first trip to sleep away camp is any indication of how college drop off will go, I’m just going to go ahead and sign up as his roommate now. I’m sure he will be good with that?!? ;)

Anyhow, let’s bring you all up to speed with the guest cottage progress!

GUEST COTTAGE EXTERIOR UPDATE

BEFORE

Lake House Guest Cottage Renovation

NOW

white house with gray french doors and windows

It’s been one step forward, two steps back over there. We lost our contractor, the roof was leaking (onto the brand new ceilings I might add), and nonstop rain caused some humidity issues we need to address. I won’t bore you with the details of our little money pit over there today though.

white lake house guest cottage with gray french doors

Let’s focus on the positives! We were able to find a siding guy to take on a quick side job and finish up where our contractor left off.  The outside is looking ca-ute! Well, minus the fact that the landscaping and yard is still a mess after the huge storms passed through.

white lake house guest cottage with gray french doors

Ignore that and focus on my adorable french doors and fresh white siding! Ahhh it makes me so happy to sit on our deck and look out at this little cutie house now. I still want to add window boxes, lights, and possibly shutters on a few of the windows. The landscaping will be getting an upgrade soon too!

BEFORE
Guest Cottage Remodel

NOW

white lake house guest cottage with gray french doors

I painted the doors Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore. I wanted the french doors to be the same color on both sides when they are open. Rockport Gray was a pretty close match to the cabinets that will be installed (someday hopefully) in the kitchen. I love the warm gray tone.

BEFORE
white house siding remodel

NOW

white lake house guest cottage with gray french doors

We painted the interior trim the same color as the exterior doors and the walls Simply White by Benjamin Moore. It’s looking so much brighter in there now!  Ignore the ceiling at the moment. I promise I will give you the scoop on that soon. Like I mentioned before – new ceiling + huge thunderstorm + leaky roof = @#$%! We will get it worked out and then I will report back.

white paneled walls with rockport gray trim

In other news, my flowers absolutely loved all the rain and are looking gorgeous!

lake house front porch with hydrangeas

lake house front porch with hydrangeas

Another new development – we strung solar lights above the fire pit area and it may be my fave thing ever.

lakeside fire pit and solar lights

We have been loving fires out here on the weekends. This addition to our yard has made all the headaches with the house worth it. The Mr. has been enjoying showing off his Boy Scout fire-building skills too.

white and gray lake cottage and fire pit

Another perk – we have perfectly spaced hammock trees now and my kids have been taking full advantage. This new hammock is so cute and comfy.

gray and white tasseled hammock

I snapped this in between rainstorms last week and had to share it with you. Somehow this has turned into a photo dump post, but I’ve missed chatting with you all!

night time lake house

I think that’s it for my quick check in. I’m going to try to work on my design boards for the bedrooms as well so I can share those soon too. Hope you all are enjoying your summer!

GUEST COTTAGE DESIGN BOARDS

GUEST COTTAGE RENOVATION PLANS

GUEST COTTAGE PORCH MAKEOVER

SOURCES – Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Just click on the BOLD links.

Gray paint – Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore

Siding – White by Mastic

Windows – NorthStar

Doors – Home Depot

Hammock

Solar lights

Bedroom Light

Adirondack Chairs

 

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