Houzz Tour: 1950s Maine Nostalgia Guides Tiny Cottage’s Design
A designer taps into her memories to give her clients the vintage coastal-cottage look they yearn for
Becky Harris
8 July 2018
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
Photos by James R. Salomon
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the vacation home of a Massachusetts couple, who rent it out when they aren’t able to get up to Maine.
Location: Kennebunkport, Maine
Size: Just under 300 square feet (28 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Designer: Tyler Karu
As classic cottages frozen in time are being torn down to make way for large beach houses along the coast of Maine, interior designer Tyler Karu remembers old Maine style, where cottages were charmingly bedecked with 1950s knotty wood, funky midcentury modern furnishings, and kitschy Maine-centric and maritime accessories. And that’s exactly the retro vibe her clients, a couple from the Boston area (about a 90-minute drive away), were looking for. Their vacation cottage is one of 16 tiny homes that line a path to a tidal inlet along the Kennebunk River called Cabot Cove.
For a home tour about a decade ago, designers decorated the cottages, many in the popular coastal palettes you’d expect. But when you walk into this one, named High Tide, you’d think you were taking a step back in time to a Maine vacation in the 1950s. Karu tapped into old Maine nostalgia by using charming wallpapers, designing a retro-style kitchen and adding well-edited vintage Maine ephemera.
Preserving a Classic Look
The Cottages at Cabot Cove was originally a 1950s motel made up of detached cottages; today each one is privately owned. All the exteriors match — they’ve been remodeled to capture the charming coastal look with tiny cupolas, window boxes, blue shingles, shell walkways, onion lights and painted screen doors. This exterior was not touched during the renovation.
Inside, the kitchen and bathroom were completely remodeled. The entire cottage got new flooring, new tongue-and-groove wall paneling and restored original beadboard on the ceilings. The rest of the work was cosmetic.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the vacation home of a Massachusetts couple, who rent it out when they aren’t able to get up to Maine.
Location: Kennebunkport, Maine
Size: Just under 300 square feet (28 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Designer: Tyler Karu
As classic cottages frozen in time are being torn down to make way for large beach houses along the coast of Maine, interior designer Tyler Karu remembers old Maine style, where cottages were charmingly bedecked with 1950s knotty wood, funky midcentury modern furnishings, and kitschy Maine-centric and maritime accessories. And that’s exactly the retro vibe her clients, a couple from the Boston area (about a 90-minute drive away), were looking for. Their vacation cottage is one of 16 tiny homes that line a path to a tidal inlet along the Kennebunk River called Cabot Cove.
For a home tour about a decade ago, designers decorated the cottages, many in the popular coastal palettes you’d expect. But when you walk into this one, named High Tide, you’d think you were taking a step back in time to a Maine vacation in the 1950s. Karu tapped into old Maine nostalgia by using charming wallpapers, designing a retro-style kitchen and adding well-edited vintage Maine ephemera.
Preserving a Classic Look
The Cottages at Cabot Cove was originally a 1950s motel made up of detached cottages; today each one is privately owned. All the exteriors match — they’ve been remodeled to capture the charming coastal look with tiny cupolas, window boxes, blue shingles, shell walkways, onion lights and painted screen doors. This exterior was not touched during the renovation.
Inside, the kitchen and bathroom were completely remodeled. The entire cottage got new flooring, new tongue-and-groove wall paneling and restored original beadboard on the ceilings. The rest of the work was cosmetic.
A Fresh Approach to Color
Instead of going with the expected “blue and white and starfish” palette, Karu and her clients took a different tack, using greens and yellows. She added a botanical print via the pillows, and the round braided jute rug is reminiscent of the braided rag rugs often found in old New England cottages. The furniture is properly sized for the small scale of the cottage.
Before, some of the walls were covered in tongue-and-groove paneling, while others were not; Karu had them all covered in the paneling to make them consistent. The windows and beadboard-covered vaulted ceiling were existing.
Instead of going with the expected “blue and white and starfish” palette, Karu and her clients took a different tack, using greens and yellows. She added a botanical print via the pillows, and the round braided jute rug is reminiscent of the braided rag rugs often found in old New England cottages. The furniture is properly sized for the small scale of the cottage.
Before, some of the walls were covered in tongue-and-groove paneling, while others were not; Karu had them all covered in the paneling to make them consistent. The windows and beadboard-covered vaulted ceiling were existing.
The ledges above the windows make good spots for displaying accessories. Karu searched far and wide for vintage Maine collectibles like plates, maps and fish decor to get the right nostalgic sensibility without overwhelming the room with tchotchkes. The sconces also provide a retro feel and free up much-needed floor space.
The green sofa is a pullout for extra guests, and the webbed chair nods to midcentury modern style.
The original floors were dark wood with some toe-stubbing stones mixed in. Karu replaced them with lighter, simpler oak flooring in 4-inch planks.
Chair: France & Son; sconces: Cedar & Moss; throw pillow fabric: Kate Loudoun Shand; rug: Wayfair; sofa: Boston Interiors; find a small-scale sleeper sofa
The green sofa is a pullout for extra guests, and the webbed chair nods to midcentury modern style.
The original floors were dark wood with some toe-stubbing stones mixed in. Karu replaced them with lighter, simpler oak flooring in 4-inch planks.
Chair: France & Son; sconces: Cedar & Moss; throw pillow fabric: Kate Loudoun Shand; rug: Wayfair; sofa: Boston Interiors; find a small-scale sleeper sofa
Vintage Style in the Kitchen
The kitchen takes up one wall of the living room. Karu used quarter-sawn oak tongue-and-groove paneling for the cabinetry to recall the 1950s Maine vacation cottage look.
This is a weekend place usually serving only two people in an area chock-full of lobster stands, so there was no need to outfit it for cooking large dinners. Yet it has more than just a kitchenette — a dishwasher and a microwave are integrated into the lower cabinets, and there’s a two-burner cooktop. By installing a dishwasher, Karu was able to install just a small bar sink, which saved some much-needed counter space. But she knew that there would be a need to store fresh seafood and beer, so she opted for a larger refrigerator over an apartment-size one. Its retro style and pale yellow color fit right into the room.
Refrigerator: Big Chill; hardware: Rejuvenation; faucet: Delta
The kitchen takes up one wall of the living room. Karu used quarter-sawn oak tongue-and-groove paneling for the cabinetry to recall the 1950s Maine vacation cottage look.
This is a weekend place usually serving only two people in an area chock-full of lobster stands, so there was no need to outfit it for cooking large dinners. Yet it has more than just a kitchenette — a dishwasher and a microwave are integrated into the lower cabinets, and there’s a two-burner cooktop. By installing a dishwasher, Karu was able to install just a small bar sink, which saved some much-needed counter space. But she knew that there would be a need to store fresh seafood and beer, so she opted for a larger refrigerator over an apartment-size one. Its retro style and pale yellow color fit right into the room.
Refrigerator: Big Chill; hardware: Rejuvenation; faucet: Delta
Her clients found the vintage seagull wallpaper, and Karu was thrilled. “It has that nostalgic old New England cottage feel, yet it’s more subtle than a lot of nautical designs,” she says. And the hardware even plays off the wallpaper, as it resembles abstract seagulls in flight. The unfussy mist-colored quartz counter isn’t distracting.
Open Shelves Add a Special Touch
The original reason for open shelving up top was to save on the budget. But it worked out well — the boxes keep the look in the small room open and provide a decorating moment along with dish storage.
“There was an opportunity to style them, and they pretty much always look like this. It turned out to be a cool moment,” Karu says.
The original reason for open shelving up top was to save on the budget. But it worked out well — the boxes keep the look in the small room open and provide a decorating moment along with dish storage.
“There was an opportunity to style them, and they pretty much always look like this. It turned out to be a cool moment,” Karu says.
A Very Cozy Bedroom
The only bedroom in the cottage is just big enough to fit a queen-size bed and a small nightstand. Wall-mounted reading sconces save space.
Another space saver is the new sliding barn door on the left between the bedroom and the bathroom. There wasn’t enough in the budget for a pocket door, and the swing of a standard door was a space hog, so the simple sliding door was a good solution.
The only bedroom in the cottage is just big enough to fit a queen-size bed and a small nightstand. Wall-mounted reading sconces save space.
Another space saver is the new sliding barn door on the left between the bedroom and the bathroom. There wasn’t enough in the budget for a pocket door, and the swing of a standard door was a space hog, so the simple sliding door was a good solution.
The small space provided another good opportunity to bring in vintage-style wallpaper. Because the bedroom is partially open to the living room, Karu wanted something to create a style delineation between the two rooms and provide a pleasing view. Although this wallpaper comes from the U.K., it is full of details that look like Maine.
“It has anchors, sailboats, lighthouses, beach shacks and even little industrial motifs,” Karu says. The colors give that retro look of 1950s seafood restaurant menus and placemats, matching the well-edited kitschy accessories collection in the cottage.
Accessories over the bed include a vintage placemat the homeowners found and a vintage Maine license plate. “I knew from the start I wanted to find one of those license plates,” Karu says. “It sparks the nostalgia.”
Wallpaper: Dungeness, Mini Moderns; bed: West Elm; large pillow: Kate Loudoun Shand; sconces: Cedar & Moss
“It has anchors, sailboats, lighthouses, beach shacks and even little industrial motifs,” Karu says. The colors give that retro look of 1950s seafood restaurant menus and placemats, matching the well-edited kitschy accessories collection in the cottage.
Accessories over the bed include a vintage placemat the homeowners found and a vintage Maine license plate. “I knew from the start I wanted to find one of those license plates,” Karu says. “It sparks the nostalgia.”
Wallpaper: Dungeness, Mini Moderns; bed: West Elm; large pillow: Kate Loudoun Shand; sconces: Cedar & Moss
A lot of New England cottages have hooks on the wall instead of closets, so even a small closet like this is a luxury. Karu casually taped a vintage map of Maine on the back wall — a cottage touch. A luggage rack makes it easy to live out of a suitcase and still hang clothing.
Luggage rack: CB2; browse luggage racks
Luggage rack: CB2; browse luggage racks
An Efficient Use of Space in the Bath
“The bathroom’s tiny size is what it is. The key was to embrace it and work with the scale,” Karu says. More wood comes into play in the bathroom via a floating walnut vanity and a shelf for extra surface storage. (She tested the height of the shelf to make sure there was enough room to remove the toilet tank and do any required maintenance inside.) A wall-mounted faucet saves space. There are also some recessed niches next to the shower for more storage.
You can catch a glimpse into the shower in the pivoting mirror’s reflection. You can also get a good look at the natural woven blinds she used throughout the cottage to add some texture.
Window treatments: The Shade Store; check out wall-mounted faucets
“The bathroom’s tiny size is what it is. The key was to embrace it and work with the scale,” Karu says. More wood comes into play in the bathroom via a floating walnut vanity and a shelf for extra surface storage. (She tested the height of the shelf to make sure there was enough room to remove the toilet tank and do any required maintenance inside.) A wall-mounted faucet saves space. There are also some recessed niches next to the shower for more storage.
You can catch a glimpse into the shower in the pivoting mirror’s reflection. You can also get a good look at the natural woven blinds she used throughout the cottage to add some texture.
Window treatments: The Shade Store; check out wall-mounted faucets
This hexagonal tile continues the cheery yellow into the space. It’s seen here in the shower niche, while the shower floor and the bathroom floor are the same tile in green. The rest of the shower surround is composed of 4-inch white squares from Home Depot, which balanced the budget.
Takeaways
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Takeaways
- Furnishings should match the scale of the room. The sofa, coffee table and rug in this cottage are sized just right.
- A coastal setting doesn’t dictate blue and white and starfish (though that’s fine if it’s what floats your boat). Tap into your favorite memories of childhood vacations to inspire a style.
- Open kitchen shelving is an opportunity to add style to your space via the way you arrange your dishes, glassware, candlesticks and accessories.
- Space savers seen here include wall-mounted lighting and faucets, recessed niches, and a sliding barn door.
- The view from one room to another is an important consideration. Here the designer considered the impact the bedroom’s headboard wall would have when viewed from the living room.
- Using the same flooring, paneling and window treatments gives a small space much-needed consistency.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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@Becky Harris, she acquired the term during her years as a UCLA undergrad, long before she ever saw "New Girl" herself, she says. Art imitating life imitating art?
@Chris Byrne I love it!
I luv Maine, and I LUV this cottage!!!!