Emerald Coast Licensed Interior Designer, Cara McBroom

Cozy Beach Cottage in San Destin | Interior Design by Cara McBroom

This quaint little rental house in San Destin was in need of a major facelift!  We wanted the design to be more toned-down.  I love bright colors, but for this project, we thought the house needed to be quiet, relaxing and charming!  I brought in some coastal flair, and some cottage casual, as well as some light French influence.

BEFORE:

I gave the walls some “love” and attention, by applying beadboard up to 42″. Grassweave Roman shades in the windows added texture, and the long burlap drape panels created some much-needed height and drama!

I felt that a sectional suited this space much more than a sofa and chair, which was crowding the staircase in the “before” photo. The large chest I used as a cocktail table actually has hidden drawers in each end! Nothing says relaxed like a great slipcovered sectional! With the option to pull the cover off and wash it, it allows my clients to just relax and enjoy their space!

BEFORE:
The triangle valances were distracting, and the armoire was feeling bulky for that corner. The denim, yellow and green color scheme was in need of a change.

AFTER:
After I took this photo, we mounted a television on the wall above the console. This opened the space up and allowed for a larger t.v.

BEFORE:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Although the kitchen was not a separate room, it sure felt closed off from the rest of the space.  I sought to explode this barrier and open this space up, so that the entire room felt larger! We didn’t want to replace all the cabinets, so what I did, is I replaced the upper cabinets only, and painted everything a new, fresh white.  I placed glass cabinets above the bar to allow more light to spill into the kitchen.  I placed some faux doors on the other side of the range hood vent so that we didn’t see a strange patch of drywall, like before.   I replaced all the appliances with stainless, and installed a gorgeous slab of White Ice granite. I tiled the backsplash with ice blue glass tiles, which matched the wall color, and helped to hem the two rooms together.

In the dining area, I chose a small farm table, with some ladder back chairs, and a fabulous rope chandelier!

This coat rack/shelf was the only item I kept from the previous design! I repainted it white, and leaned some art on it.

Powder Bathroom:

BEFORE:
A very generic bathroom.

AFTER:
Now a quaint cottage bath!

This small bathroom received a minor facelift, with major effect!  Because the walls are blue in the main Living area, I decided to let blue be a small supportive role in this story.  Instead, I painted the walls a rich camel color that blended with the shower drape fabric.  There are hints of blue in the drape fabric that I reinforced with this painted vanity sink.  One way to instantly make your bathroom look more custom is to hang a shower curtain that is taller than the standard 72″.  This one is about 84″ long.  Applying beadboard is another inexpensive way to add a lot of character to a small space.  We replaced the toilet with a more efficient one, added some cute art, and voila! A whole new space!

Master Bedroom:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The Master Bedroom received new carpet, new grassweave window treatments, a fresh coat of paint and new furnishing!  I centered the bed between two of the transom windows so that the placement made more sense.  I flanked the bed with matching white twig sconces, and added some plush, inviting bedding.

BEFORE:

AFTER:
I maximized the recessed nook to the left by placing a floor mirror, a comfortable chair and some pretty artwork.

Master Bathroom:

MASTER BATH BEFORE:

The Master Bathroom needed rescued from the 80’s “Florida” look!  I raised the vanity sink on the left to be 36″, like the one on the right.  I installed one solid slab of granite, replaced the pink tile floors with some wood tiles, and polished the look with a nautical riveted mirror, some jute pendants and large art around the tub. New cabinet hardware from Restoration Hardware also did wonders for the new look.  I almost forgot to mention what a difference paint makes!  Bye-bye, pink walls!

AFTER:

3rd Floor Loft:

LOFT BEFORE:

AFTER

The loft turned out so pretty! The first thing on my list was to paint all the pink-undertoned wood paneling! This paneling covered the walls all throughout the hallways, and all the way up the 3-flight stairwell. The ceiling of the 3rd floor loft even had the same paneling. The wood is pretty, but in order to open things up and feel more coastal, I needed to paint all the boards white. The wood ceiling received Palladian Blue paint, to mimic the sky and draw the eye up. I kept their wooden daybed, and simply painted it an ice blue color! I added a burlap skirt, some new bedding and some navy end tables!

Guest Bedroom:

BEDROOM BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Wow, where do I start? New everything, that’s where! There are still two twin beds, but I implemented a much more toned-down design. The floor-to-ceiling burlap panels help to dramatize the small windows. The bedding is actually ready-made duvet &  coverlet from Bed, Bath & Beyond.  The bedskirt is from Ballard Designs, and the toss pillow is from the Lovelace Interiors Showroom! The reclaimed wood chests at the foot of the bed are a great place for toys, shoes, bedding, etc.  They also make a great place to sit and put shoes on.

BATHROOM BEFORE:

BATHROOM AFTER:

The second floor guest bathroom was a simple redo: new countertop, cabinet hardware, toilet, mirror and sconces! This made a great difference!

I thoroughly enjoyed working on updating this rental!  Call me if you have a rental you would like updated!  Facelifts like this will raise the value of your rental, and pay for itself!