Today I am honored to be participating in the 2015 Summer Tour of Homes Storybook Cottage hosted by the marvelous Marty of A Stroll Thru Life.
If you are coming here for the first time from SG Style welcome! My name is Laura and I am a part-time interior designer, full-time wife, mom and current university Art History major. Our family made another house move and we are slowly settling into our home, Storybook Cottage. It is a 30-year-old fixer-upper currently being transformed room by room.
2015 Summer Tour of Homes Storybook Cottage
Let’s start in the kitchen because it truly is the heart of our home. It’s hard to believe this room was once a “dark dungeon” with its dark ceiling, cabinetry, and countertops. You can view a “Before” image HERE.
A summery fruit pie is easy with a marble slab and rolling pin found at an estate sale recently for $8.
Formal Dining Area
There are three doors that lead out from the kitchen. One goes directly into the formal dining area. I recently revealed this space a few weeks ago but there has been one slight change since then. Longtime eagle-eyed readers will spy the chandelier. I’ve done step one of painting the base color and will be “Lauraizing” it with accents of gold in the next few weeks.
To add a bit of summer to the room I brought in sweet smelling peonies and seashells. The combination reminds me of my trip to the Brittany coast in France.
I wish you could smell these lovely blossoms! They have such a short growing season but are oh so worth it.
All of the shells have been slowly collected over time or given to us by friends and family members.
The Living Room
Right next to the dining area is the formal living room. A few touches of peony pink have been added in here as well.
The only other change I made to the space was switching out the “Friendly Village” serving ware with my grandmother’s collection of Bavarian china. The light whites and pinks are perfect for the season.
The Laundry Room
Brightening it all up is the birdcage lantern we created.
The Family Room
The Guest Room
Laura
Golly golly gosh! It's looking fabulous! Congratulations on all the success that your hard work has won for you – you deserve so many accolades for your design and implementation!
Your home is so beautiful! And after watching the amazing transformation while you have been working on it, plus all the other things that have been going on in your life, what a lovely way to see how it is all coming together. You and your family deserve the right to be very proud and happy with all you have accomplished. Well done! {{{hugs}}}
Hi Laura! Oh, your home is so lovely and it's hard to believe you've only been in there since last fall. Love the turquoise china cabinet in your living room! Your kitchen is beautiful too! Love it all.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Love it all. You have done wonders in such a short time.
Laura, I just can't get over how you've transformed that house so beautifully and so quickly. I know it doesn't seem quick to you but to us it has been a blink of an eye. I love the light bright colors you've used and of course, your wonderful decorating touches. Love it all!
Wow Laura, it is so beautiful and just amazing how you and your husband fixed up your house! I have enjoyed watching the whole process since the beginning. I do hope you like living in Texas! Thanks for the tour of your beautiful house.
Julie xo
What a beautiful and inviting home!
Laura, I'm amazed by the before and after of your kitchen – wow, such a transformation! Thanks for a lovely summer home tour!
Oh my goodness, it just keeps getting better and better. I absolutely adore your new kitchen counters and backsplash. You have definitely transformed that kitchen into the most amazing room. Well actually it is all an amazing transformation. Love it all.
What a gorgeous home you have! So many perfectly styled vignettes. I love the details in the kitchen. xoxo
OMG Laura,
I love, love everything you have done! Its pretty, romantic, nautical, bright and cheery…love!
Your kitchen is so fresh! I love the brick work too. Pretty! xo
i love that stove area, it's such a great mix of modern and classic, with that nook.
b
Beautiful, Laura. Your kitchen looks wonderful – I'm loving that brick wall!
Ahhhhh just as lovely as I expected it to be!!!! Everything looks perfect and I loved your watercolor pillows!
Can you grow peonies in your yard?? I have had NO success down here :^(
You folks are moving along fast with your beautiful home. I have been in mine for 18 years, and never seem to be finished!
Blessings to you,
J
Thank you so much for opening your home for a tour. I have been sneaking a peek every day and love how you are transforming the “Story book cottage”.
Nonie
It's all pretty, Laura and you and I are both adding touches of coastal. It's the perfect look for summer.
Love how the kitchen turned out! Nice work. All the rooms you showed are fabulous. I do hope the flash floods are all done for Texas!
Hi Laura 🙂
I'm amazed at all you have done to make your home so beautiful. It's so hard to choose, but I especially love your kitchen with that brick cove. It's wonderful and I'm glad you kept it. It makes it unusually lovely and refreshed with all the white.
Oh and Beach Party? I'm in 😉
xo,
rue
Your house looks amazing! It is fun to see it all now that we've seen the rooms being done bit by bit. You have done a lovely job (labor of love) on it. So glad to see the progress.
So pretty, Laura! You have done a wonderful job transforming your home. Love the brick around the stove.
xx,
Sherry
Everything looks wonderful, Laura!! 🙂 As someone else mentioned, similarly we've been in our home, built new 15 years ago, and yet there are a billion projects that need to be completed, but somehow we never get to them.
I really enjoyed seeing your lovely home and all you've accomplished.
Love, Linda
Loved the tour Laura…everything looks so pretty!!
Laura, I've been anxiously awaiting your turn on the home tour. 😀 I absolutely adore what you've done with Storybook Cottage so far! Love, love, love!! The kitchen turned out great; I remember you mentioned having chosen the Corien countertops. My mom has those too and really loves hers. All the white turned out so fresh and pretty. I, too, love your family room; I remember how it looked back in the fall and winter. My second favorite room is the guest bedroom — so pretty!
I'm glad you shared all the pictures with us and always look forward to seeing more. 🙂 Have a great rest of the week!
Hugs,
Denise at Forest Manor
So many beautiful details throughout Laura! Your bright new kitchen is fabulous and I LOVE that brick wall! Your potting bench is charming, enjoy working in your garden!
Great tour! The new kitchen is absolutely beautiful!!! I know that you are enjoying it! You have done so many projects on this house and it is really coming together! It doesn't even look like the same house!
Laura, your home is looking so beautiful. Somehow, I missed your kitchen reveal. it doesn't even look like the same room. Love all that amazing white. Your brick looks fabulous whitewashed!
What lovely rooms and vignettes you have put together. Your renovation is going beautifully.
Carolyn
Lovely, I wouldn't change a single thing!
It all looks so light and airy Laura. You have done a tremendous job is a short time. Can't wait to see the rest. One quick question, did you grow the peonies or buy them? They are a favorite of mine, and I didn't think we could grow them here. If we can I am going to be one happy camper.
Thanks for the tour, Laura. Your new Texas home is lovely. You've done a terrific job lightening it up. Everything is just beautiful!
Loved the tour, Laura. Your home looks gorgeous! xxx Maria
Your home is so lovely – so bright and welcoming! I need you to come to my house and work your magic!
Laura, your home is lovely. You have done so much in a short time. I love every detail and appreciate all the hard work that went into making an amazing transformation.
We have had a crazy few days so I am just now getting to finish all the summer home tours. Your house is beautiful – from the kitchen to all the bedrooms. I loved the jars in the kitchen and the red buffalo check pillows (of course!) I need you to come and do my laundry closet. It is a very unloved space! I just read about your problems with the kitchen work and your college issues. Girl! I would be so upset at both places. Good luck as you work through these. My thoughts are with you. With 3 children, we have had to fight colleges on crazy rulings ourselves.
Your Cottage has come such a long way! It's lovely, the kitchen is so changed. Many of your summer vignettes actually made me think of my Brittany coast!