The Entry, Den, & Dining Room
Welcome to The Colorado Cottage – Part 3 reveal! I can’t believe we’ve already arrived at the third and final blog post of the Colorado Cottage series (read the Part 1 Kitchen Reveal here and the Part 2 Living Room Reveal here). This time around, I’m dishing out the juicy design details on the Entry, Den, & Dining Room! Follow me and read on, design lovers. I think you’ll be into these transformations!
Behind the Overall Design…
Here’s a quick big-picture recap since this project is so unique to my typical aesthetic! I love that it pushed me in a slightly more traditional direction than some past projects. It’s so fun to dabble in different styles while keeping a clean-lined & organic Hill Interiors “stamp” on things. When I first began to dream up a concept for this home, I took inspiration from the homeowners’ travels and personal style, and blended it with a clean “cottage” feel, while incorporating obvious nods to the home’s beautiful natural Colorado setting. We really honed in on organic, storied materials such as handmade tiles, woven fabrics, natural stones, and an earthy color palette with plenty of warm wood tones. The finished space almost feels like a retreat you’d find in a European countryside plopped down into the foothills of the Rockies, hence the name, “The Colorado Cottage”.
Alright, now that you have that context, let’s dig into:
The Entry
Like so many homes, the entry here is the conduit to all of the other main-level spaces and an introduction to what you’re getting yourself into, aesthetically speaking, as you walk further into the rest of the home. Paint, warm lighting, and a cozy rug did the trick to set up the rest of the beautiful focal points beyond the front door to really shine. She’s small and mighty and she’s one great wing-woman.
Before…
And After!!
And with that, we have the perfect transition into:
The Den
This room was the snowball add-on to this project, and I’m SO glad we all decided to take it on. When I first met with these clients, we initially focused on the kitchen & breakfast nook, then they gradually decided to tackle the dining room & entry too and then the den felt left out, so naturally, we tossed that into the mix too. It was project creep at its finest, but oh man, was it worth it in the end!! I love that with a few minor tweaks and additions, it feels like a whole new space to showcase some of this family’s favorite heirlooms and mementos. It’s the room you can walk into and get a real sense of their story. These are the things that set really a home apart and mark it as “yours”. Storied spaces are always my favorite.
Before…
(This is wierdly the only photo, snagged from a video clip, that I could find of this room! Hopefully, you’ll be able to get the gist.)
After!
Isn’t it gorgeous?! Now last, but absolutely not least, we have…
The Dining Room
The dining room was tricker to get right than it may seem at first glance. We went through several iterations before arriving at this furniture and finish combination. This final mix felt cozy, but not cave-y, and gave enough space surrounding the table to not feel too crowded, but gave adequate storage at the same time with the added sideboard.
Before…
After!! (LOVE this one)
We re-centered the light to the room because it was awkwardly placed before, and that made a huge difference visually. We also debated creating arches between the columns on top of the pony wall next to the staircase, but in the end, both budget and the architectural style of the house had the last say. Paint is sometimes the most powerful change you can make (and the easiest on your wallet too). To give it a little something special, we added in the onyx sconces and lime plaster finish on the focal wall, which makes it ridiculously cozy and it ties in the lime plaster finish on the fireplace and range hood in the kitchen, as well.
Isn’t the railing area so open & airy now that we removed those extra walls?! Look at how light and bright it is now!!
Fin…
Well, friends, that’s a wrap on the Colorado Cottage series! I can’t believe the full project is officially out of the bag!! I hope you enjoyed it (Here is Part 1 – Kitchen Reveal and Part 2 – Living Room Reveal in case you missed them before). This project was not without its challenges, but sometimes that makes it all the more satisfying when the final results feel SO worth it all in the end. I wish these lovely homeowners all of the very best memories made and life lived within their gorgeous “new” space. This is why I do what I do! It’s just the best.
As always, thank you so much for reading along! Drop a comment below and let me know what your favorite part of this project has been!!
If you’d like to explore designing your own home or small business together, please reach out by contacting me here ! I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like to stay in the loop so that you don’t miss future project reveals or shop & design promotions, be sure to sign up for my newsletter by popping your email address into the bar at the bottom of this page. Thanks, friend! See you in your inbox.
Xoxo,
Alyssa
(Photos are by Karen Mitchel of The Elan Studio)