Houzz Tour: Designer Tests New Ideas in Her 1922 Cottage
In renovating a second home, she preserves original details, experiments with color and adds modern touches
Designer Ginger Curtis grew up visiting historic Weatherford, Texas, as a young girl, when her family would go camping and hiking in nearby Lake Mineral Wells State Park. In her wildest dreams she never imagined she’d own a home there. However, when a friend let her know that another friend was going to be selling a 1922 cottage a few blocks from delightful downtown Weatherford, the spark of an idea was lit. The next thing she knew, she owned it and was planning a full remodel of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
Before: The front door on the right side of this photo opened to the living room, which was open to the dining room. The house had a lot of different paint colors on the walls and the decor needed updating. “It was really important to us to preserve as much of the history as possible,” Curtis says. “So, for example, rather than replacing the floors we had them refinished.”
After: Now, once inside the front door, guests encounter the living room’s dramatic dark and moody walls. Just beyond, the dining room lightens things up. “This was really fun for us; we wanted the best of both worlds — a deep, dark, moody living room and a light and bright dining room,” Curtis says. “It was risky — we weren’t sure how they would work together or where the breaking points for the paint would be.” The contrast between the two spaces is dramatic but there’s also an effortless flow between the two.
The colors the designer wanted to play with on the living room furniture inspired the dark paint. “I wanted to experiment with color and use greens and rust. Those sofas would have looked completely different with a white backdrop,” she says. Wood and white accents in the living room create connections to the lighter palette in the dining room.
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The colors the designer wanted to play with on the living room furniture inspired the dark paint. “I wanted to experiment with color and use greens and rust. Those sofas would have looked completely different with a white backdrop,” she says. Wood and white accents in the living room create connections to the lighter palette in the dining room.
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The tones in the painting pick up on the rust color of the sofa. Curtis carried the green to the light fixtures, including the sconces over the entry console and in the perforated metal shades on the floor lamp seen in the previous photo.
“We had almost all the light fixtures made by Blueprint Lighting NYC. They hand-make the most beautiful lighting,” Curtis says. Continuing these fixtures from room to room creates a cohesive feel throughout the cottage. They also add modern touches to the traditional space.
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“We had almost all the light fixtures made by Blueprint Lighting NYC. They hand-make the most beautiful lighting,” Curtis says. Continuing these fixtures from room to room creates a cohesive feel throughout the cottage. They also add modern touches to the traditional space.
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A large-scale painting above a custom wood bookshelf helps ease the transition between the dark and light spaces.
Browse armchairs and accent chairs in the Houzz Shop
Browse armchairs and accent chairs in the Houzz Shop
“Before, the dining table and chandelier were in the middle of the room, and it blocked the traffic flow into the kitchen,” Curtis says. To remedy this, she moved the table closer to the window and centered the chandelier over it. A long custom wooden bench she designed accommodated this move. Using chairs on that side would have required allowing more room for people to push them out.
After: This is the view of the kitchen from the dining room. “The kitchen is charming and cozy. In other words, small,” Curtis says with a laugh. “I was hoping to find a vintage piece that could serve as an island but couldn’t find anything in the right scale.” Instead, she designed this piece to look like an antique and had it made.
Curtis designed the custom range hood to play off the island. She chose a backsplash that would nod to tradition but also look up-to-date. The black-and-white palette is classic, while the diamond pattern makes it fresh.
The opening on the left leads to a mudroom and a back door.
The millwork in the kitchen is original, with the exception of the crown molding. “The crown molding in this house was really little and we wanted to amp it up,” Curtis says.
The designer, who often sticks to more neutral palettes, used the cottage as an opportunity to experiment with color. The millwork and cabinetry are painted a deep purple. “I was longing to do something different and not safe, and a purple kitchen seemed pretty out there,” she says.
Cabinet and trim paint: Plum Brown, Sherwin-Williams
The millwork in the kitchen is original, with the exception of the crown molding. “The crown molding in this house was really little and we wanted to amp it up,” Curtis says.
The designer, who often sticks to more neutral palettes, used the cottage as an opportunity to experiment with color. The millwork and cabinetry are painted a deep purple. “I was longing to do something different and not safe, and a purple kitchen seemed pretty out there,” she says.
Cabinet and trim paint: Plum Brown, Sherwin-Williams
Another way Curtis amped up the kitchen was with a green botanical wallpaper. “I wanted a cool grandma-inspired wallpaper in here,” she says. The Arts and Crafts style of the botanical print is a good fit for the 1922 home.
With the upper cabinets gone, Curtis had room to install a long white oak shelf with a brass rail. This keeps everyday items easy to find for guests who aren’t familiar with the kitchen.
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With the upper cabinets gone, Curtis had room to install a long white oak shelf with a brass rail. This keeps everyday items easy to find for guests who aren’t familiar with the kitchen.
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Navy millwork, an Oriental rug and vintage artwork make the mudroom an attractive spot. A bench provides a place to remove shoes.
“The primary bedroom was incredibly spacious, which is unusual for a cottage like this one,” Curtis says. She took advantage of the size with a large chandelier and a comfortable seating area.
The designer kept characters from her childhood in mind when planning each of the bedrooms. She named this bedroom “Mrs. Longstocking,” after her favorite childhood character, Pippi Longstocking. “My favorite Pippi quote is ‘Don’t let them get you down. Be cheeky. And wild. And wonderful,’ ” she says. “She was a trailblazer who defied the status quo and deserved to have a room named after her.”
All the window treatments in the house were custom made from high-quality Belgian linen and are another element that creates cohesion from room to room. “We used a lot of texture in here, but there’s a simplicity to it,” Curtis says.
The designer kept characters from her childhood in mind when planning each of the bedrooms. She named this bedroom “Mrs. Longstocking,” after her favorite childhood character, Pippi Longstocking. “My favorite Pippi quote is ‘Don’t let them get you down. Be cheeky. And wild. And wonderful,’ ” she says. “She was a trailblazer who defied the status quo and deserved to have a room named after her.”
All the window treatments in the house were custom made from high-quality Belgian linen and are another element that creates cohesion from room to room. “We used a lot of texture in here, but there’s a simplicity to it,” Curtis says.
Antique pieces like this wooden dresser add warmth and patina throughout the home. The cottage provided an opportunity to use antiques and art from Curtis’ own collection. “I also had a lot of fun hitting all my favorite antique haunts with two of my kids every weekend to find things for the house,” she says. “Every room has at least one thing that’s vintage.”
The bedroom has an en suite bathroom. Curtis again went for contrast here, creating a dark jewel box off the light and airy bedroom.
She chose a deep blue wallpaper with a gold peacock pattern. “I wanted this room to be slightly regal but also casual,” she says. The floor tile is marble with a diamond pattern.
Curtis used a simple black cross tile for the shower surround. White grout provides stark contrast.
Curtis named the first guest room Colonel Mustard after two vintage portraits of men that hang in it. “They both just looked like Colonel Mustard to me,” she says. “It inspired me to do something mysterious and moody in here.” Dark walls bring in the moodiness while the ceiling provides a little mystery. After uncovering the original 12-inch boards that provide the structure of the ceiling, the designer decided to expose this part of the home’s history. “They are very special and so solid. They fit right in with the moody vibe,” she says.
Another part of the mystery is explained in the guest book for renters. “I ordered game pieces from the board game Clue and hid them around the room, and I challenge our guests to find all six,” she says.
Another part of the mystery is explained in the guest book for renters. “I ordered game pieces from the board game Clue and hid them around the room, and I challenge our guests to find all six,” she says.
An antique dresser adds warmth to the dark room. This room has two doors, one that opens to the third bedroom, seen here, and another to the hallway. The door between the two rooms is great for parents whose kids are staying in the third bedroom.
The third bedroom also has a private entrance off the mudroom. It has a whimsical bunny wallpaper. Curtis added two luggage racks to every room for short-term visitors.
Curtis named this bedroom after an imaginary childhood hero that she and her sister conjured up when they were little girls. “The third bedroom is named Ms. Hoselle, and she was our inspiration. She was sophisticated but cheeky and had a playful side,” Curtis says. “She came from very humble beginnings, growing up in a poor family with little to their names. She proved that hard work and imagination could carry her farther than she ever dreamed. This room represents imagination and whimsy.”
Curtis named this bedroom after an imaginary childhood hero that she and her sister conjured up when they were little girls. “The third bedroom is named Ms. Hoselle, and she was our inspiration. She was sophisticated but cheeky and had a playful side,” Curtis says. “She came from very humble beginnings, growing up in a poor family with little to their names. She proved that hard work and imagination could carry her farther than she ever dreamed. This room represents imagination and whimsy.”
One way Curtis had to use her imagination was figuring out a way to fit bookshelves and space for two to sleep in here. She decided a built-in canopy bed, literally bookended by bookshelves, was the way to go. A trundle bed is hidden underneath the bed.
After: Curtis removed the tub to make room for a large shower stall. A wallpaper mural gives the room a forest vibe. The designer played off the gray color palette with the marble floor tiles and gray tiles on the shower surround. Then she used purple grout between the shower surround’s tiles.
Other elegant details worth noting are the extra-long length of the shower curtain and the way it tucks up behind the casing. While the floor tile continues from the floor into the shower, Curtis used brass edging strips on the threshold and to separate the wallpaper from the shower surround tile.
Other elegant details worth noting are the extra-long length of the shower curtain and the way it tucks up behind the casing. While the floor tile continues from the floor into the shower, Curtis used brass edging strips on the threshold and to separate the wallpaper from the shower surround tile.
The bathroom leans more traditional with its pedestal sink and brass fixtures. “I hate when a sink has no room for a makeup bag or toiletries,” Curtis says. So she was sure to choose a sink with extra room on the sides and created a niche with open shelves next to it. She brought color into the room through the millwork, which she had painted a deep aubergine hue.
While Curtis and her family have been busy working on the house during their visits here, they have also been able to appreciate the relaxing vibe the locale inspires. “Life is just slower-paced here in Weatherford,” she says. “And the people here are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life.”
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While Curtis and her family have been busy working on the house during their visits here, they have also been able to appreciate the relaxing vibe the locale inspires. “Life is just slower-paced here in Weatherford,” she says. “And the people here are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life.”
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Ginger Curtis, founder of Urbanology Designs, and her family
Location: Weatherford, Texas
Size: 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
The cottage serves as a quiet retreat an hour away from the hustle and bustle of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area for Curtis, the founder of Urbanology Designs, and her family. She and her husband decided they would use the property for short-term rental income as well. Curtis also saw the opportunity for the property to serve as a design laboratory. She gave it her signature style but also pushed her usual design boundaries, taking experimental risks she wouldn’t take with paying clients. “Giving the cottage the Urbanology treatment allows potential clients to stay here and ‘try it before they buy it,’ ” Curtis says. Now she, her family and their renters can experience the mix of modern and vintage style while enjoying the slower pace of the charming town.
During the renovation, Curtis was careful to preserve the historical aspects of the home. On the exterior, the original siding was repaired and painted a dark blue-black. “This color reads much more blue in the sunlight and almost black on a cloudy day,” Curtis says. She also added shutters and a Jamestown cap over the front door, trimwork that emphasizes the entry.
Exterior paint: Dark Night, Sherwin-Williams
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