Houzz Tour: Chic Coastal Style and Beds for 12 in 870 Square Feet
A waterfront vacation cottage in Rhode Island delivers comfort and beachy vibes
Becky Harris
3 July 2019
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
The main appeal of this house in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, was its waterfront location and dock. The house itself was not so appealing, but these homeowners had seen what Blakely Interior Design could do on a past project of theirs. They were confident that the designers would transform the drab house with dark paneling and dropped ceilings into a dreamy vacation cottage.
“After” photos by Andrea Pietrangeli; “before” photos by Janelle Blakely
Vacation House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with grown children when on vacation
Location: South Kingstown, Rhode Island
Size: 870 square feet (81 square meters); two bedrooms plus sleeping loft, one bathroom
Designer: Janelle Blakely of Blakely Interior Design
Because interior designer Janelle Blakely had worked with the homeowners before, she knew just the type of coastal cottage style they desired — elevated beyond typical seashell themes. “The goal was to use textures and a traditional coastal color palette infused with punches of vibrant color to add energy and make it personal,” she says.
The renovation included removing the dropped ceilings to expose the rafters, replacing the flooring with pre-finished white oak and painting everything white. The team also moved the kitchen’s exterior door to make room for a stackable washer and dryer to the right of it. They had to lose a window to fit in the fridge, but Blakely made up for the loss of natural light by specifying a glass door.
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Vacation House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with grown children when on vacation
Location: South Kingstown, Rhode Island
Size: 870 square feet (81 square meters); two bedrooms plus sleeping loft, one bathroom
Designer: Janelle Blakely of Blakely Interior Design
Because interior designer Janelle Blakely had worked with the homeowners before, she knew just the type of coastal cottage style they desired — elevated beyond typical seashell themes. “The goal was to use textures and a traditional coastal color palette infused with punches of vibrant color to add energy and make it personal,” she says.
The renovation included removing the dropped ceilings to expose the rafters, replacing the flooring with pre-finished white oak and painting everything white. The team also moved the kitchen’s exterior door to make room for a stackable washer and dryer to the right of it. They had to lose a window to fit in the fridge, but Blakely made up for the loss of natural light by specifying a glass door.
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Before: Dark paneling, dropped ceilings and floors covered in linoleum and wall-to-wall carpeting tended to turn off potential buyers. In fact, the current homeowners, who owned a vacation cottage about five minutes away, first showed this house to friends, hoping that those friends would buy it and become their neighbors.
“But their friends took one look and said, ‘No way!’” Blakely says. Tired of trying to cut through the red tape required to install a dock at their existing home, the couple ultimately decided to buy this one for themselves.
“But their friends took one look and said, ‘No way!’” Blakely says. Tired of trying to cut through the red tape required to install a dock at their existing home, the couple ultimately decided to buy this one for themselves.
Refreshed Kitchen
The kitchen is a true galley. Subtle gray undertones in the quartz countertops add a hint of contrast to the white, and a woven pendant light, baskets and artwork add coastal touches.
5 Great-Looking Galley Kitchens That Really Cook
The kitchen is a true galley. Subtle gray undertones in the quartz countertops add a hint of contrast to the white, and a woven pendant light, baskets and artwork add coastal touches.
5 Great-Looking Galley Kitchens That Really Cook
Blakely fit in as many cabinets as possible. Food, dishes and glassware are stored in the upper cabinetry. The designers completely outfitted the kitchen with pots, pans, dishes, silverware, scrubber brushes, and they even stocked the fridge and freezer for their clients’ first visit.
Because the house lacks closets and the bathroom is so tiny, the kitchen was the only place to squeeze in a washer and dryer. Using a stackable unit allowed the designer to tuck it into a corner and conceal it from the living room.
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Because the house lacks closets and the bathroom is so tiny, the kitchen was the only place to squeeze in a washer and dryer. Using a stackable unit allowed the designer to tuck it into a corner and conceal it from the living room.
Shop for stackable washing machines on Houzz
Maximizing Sleeping and Storage Space
“When their friends saw the cottage after we were done, they were kicking themselves for not scooping it up,” Blakely says. But that’s OK — the homeowners love to host their friends and family, including their grown children.
“They wanted to maximize how many people could stay here — we were able to get in enough sleeping space for 12,” she says. That count of includes the living room sofa, which is a pullout. “We made use of every inch for functionality,” Blakely says. For example, the woven coffee table contains the bedding for the sofa. She used these kinds of strategies throughout the house.
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“When their friends saw the cottage after we were done, they were kicking themselves for not scooping it up,” Blakely says. But that’s OK — the homeowners love to host their friends and family, including their grown children.
“They wanted to maximize how many people could stay here — we were able to get in enough sleeping space for 12,” she says. That count of includes the living room sofa, which is a pullout. “We made use of every inch for functionality,” Blakely says. For example, the woven coffee table contains the bedding for the sofa. She used these kinds of strategies throughout the house.
Find a local interior designer
Before: The porch looks out on the water, but its dated and dark look was not inviting. “The porch was not livable,” Blakely says.
After: Blakely transformed one side of the porch into the home’s dining area. A built-in banquette allowed her to squeeze in maximum seating, and it also provides storage for the vacuum cleaner, games and bedding for the porch’s pullout sofa. The fabrics in this sunny room are fade-resistant, and the woven PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, on the chairs can stand up to damp bathing suits.
The shiplap walls and a trio of woven wicker globe pendants add coastal textures. So do the natural woven Roman shades.
“Often we line these kinds of shades, but in this case, we wanted to be able to keep the views of the water open while providing some privacy,” Blakely says.
Your Guide to Coastal Style
“Often we line these kinds of shades, but in this case, we wanted to be able to keep the views of the water open while providing some privacy,” Blakely says.
Your Guide to Coastal Style
The other side of the porch is a comfortable seating area complete with a hanging chair and a pullout sofa.
“We chose articulating wall lights here to add visual depth and to balance out the lights over the table,” Blakely says. A flat-weave rug adds softness underfoot.
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“We chose articulating wall lights here to add visual depth and to balance out the lights over the table,” Blakely says. A flat-weave rug adds softness underfoot.
Shop for hanging chairs
Efficient Bathroom
The bathroom is quite compact, which is common for a cottage this size. Blakely squeezed in a toilet, vanity and shower all in a row. Then she added a row of 12 hooks (reflected in the mirror) and a shelf tower with 12 numbered cubbies. This way, when the owners have a full house, everyone has a designated spot for their toiletries.
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The bathroom is quite compact, which is common for a cottage this size. Blakely squeezed in a toilet, vanity and shower all in a row. Then she added a row of 12 hooks (reflected in the mirror) and a shelf tower with 12 numbered cubbies. This way, when the owners have a full house, everyone has a designated spot for their toiletries.
Shop for wall hooks
Transformed Bedrooms
Before: One of the bedrooms had two built-in bunks, but with grown children, the couple wanted something more adult.
Before: One of the bedrooms had two built-in bunks, but with grown children, the couple wanted something more adult.
The first bedroom accommodates a queen-size bed and a dresser.
Although the house is not winterized, Blakely was able to remove the paneling and add insulation to help the homeowners stretch the season longer into fall and earlier into spring. She then had the walls covered with boards, adding furring strips between the seams for a board-and-batten look.
Although the house is not winterized, Blakely was able to remove the paneling and add insulation to help the homeowners stretch the season longer into fall and earlier into spring. She then had the walls covered with boards, adding furring strips between the seams for a board-and-batten look.
A woven headboard, porthole mirror and beaded pendant light add coastal textures to the room.
For this home, Blakely chose bold accent hues inspired by coral. She loosely based the color palette on the 60-30-10 rule: 60 percent of the primary color, 30 percent of a secondary color and 10 percent of an accent color with punch. “We didn’t stick to this exactly, but for the 10 percent, we used the orange and pink coral-inspired tones that give the house that vibrant energy that makes it a fun family home,” she says. The artwork enlivens the room and has coastal appeal without being too theme-y.
As is typical for a New England cottage, the home does not have closets, so it’s all about drawers and hooks. The robe hanging on the rack has a fun and personalized detail: The house is called The Mallard Cottage, so the designers had the robes embroidered with mallards.
Artwork: “Languid Days of Summer” by T.S. Harris
As is typical for a New England cottage, the home does not have closets, so it’s all about drawers and hooks. The robe hanging on the rack has a fun and personalized detail: The house is called The Mallard Cottage, so the designers had the robes embroidered with mallards.
Artwork: “Languid Days of Summer” by T.S. Harris
“A small house is full of trade-offs,” Blakely says. In the second bedroom, the homeowners decided that having a queen-size bed was worth having little space around it. A blue grasscloth accent wall behind the coral headboard helps conceal much-needed shelving to the left of the bed. The artwork adds another punch of color and whimsy.
Sleeping Loft
Upstairs, the sleeping loft measures about 150 square feet. Wallpaper with a coral motif makes the low-ceilinged space dynamic. “We knew this wallpaper would adds pops of color and energy but also work with the blues we wanted to use,” Blakely says.
This single bed has a trundle, and there is another queen bed up here too. And that brings us to the final sleeping count.
Living room pullout sofa: 2
Porch pullout sofa: 2
Bedroom No. 1 queen bed: 2
Bedroom No. 2 queen bed: 2
Sleeping loft with twin bed, trundle and queen bed: 4
Total: 12
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Upstairs, the sleeping loft measures about 150 square feet. Wallpaper with a coral motif makes the low-ceilinged space dynamic. “We knew this wallpaper would adds pops of color and energy but also work with the blues we wanted to use,” Blakely says.
This single bed has a trundle, and there is another queen bed up here too. And that brings us to the final sleeping count.
Living room pullout sofa: 2
Porch pullout sofa: 2
Bedroom No. 1 queen bed: 2
Bedroom No. 2 queen bed: 2
Sleeping loft with twin bed, trundle and queen bed: 4
Total: 12
Shop for wallpaper
Here’s a view of the dock that started it all, as seen through the porch door.
Main level floor plan. The main floor is 720 square feet. Here we can see how efficiently the designers utilized the space on the porch (bottom).
Sleeping loft floor plan. Here’s how they squeezed sleeping room for four into the loft.
More on Houzz
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Read about other vacation homes
Browse photos of beach-style decor
Search for a design pro
Shop for products
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Beautiful AND welcoming !,
What a terrific, and very pretty transformation. I’m not typical drawn to feminine spaces, but love this one.
Absolutely beautiful. I love RI and this type of decor. Bravo to the designers for an amazing transformation. Perhaps the one bath could be helped along by adding an outdoor shower. But I’m wondering why the cottage couldn’t be winterized by adding heat when all of the walls were open? I love the space so much that I’d want to be able to enjoy visiting in the winter too.