I wanted to share some pictures from a design project from a few years back, of a seaside New England rental.

The idea was inspired by the Provence region in the south of France: Create a vibe that is slightly different from the “typical” beach decor, but still relaxing, still welcoming and inviting.

I used a light color (with very pale stripes) for the couch, as a nod to easy, breezy coastal style, and an indoor-outdoor rug with a beautiful pattern for the main living area, making for easy clean-up. When I think of Provence, one of my first thoughts is of lavender, so I hung a lavender triptych on the wall as a main focal point. The walls throughout the first floor were painted a very pale purple that almost read as a neutral.

I also think “rustic” when thinking of Provence, so chose an unfinished wood table, with some dark metal chairs for contrast. I actually carried some of those darker accents throughout the first floor to help ground the lighter colors: you can see this in the dark accent tables, some of the metal sculptures on the wall, and the mercury glass lamp behind the sectional sofa.

Wallpaper was really calling to me for all of the bedrooms, and it was a blast picking out different patterns and looks for each room. Again, the aim was to create a welcoming atmosphere and to not have the bedrooms feel like an afterthought, but each equally carefully considered. I think my favorite bedroom might be the one room with the twin bed – what I affectionately call the “bird room” because the first thing I picked up for the room, before picking anything else, was the metal birdcage hanging from the ceiling. I found it to be very sweet and whimsical and chose other elements to match that, including the white metal daybed with the Laura Ashley cover, and a lovely wallpaper with subtle bird imagery woven in.

Hope you enjoy!

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