Café Design
Decorating Consultations

Renovating a Cape Cod Style Cottage | Family Room Reveal

We all dream of beautiful homes that are comfortable, welcoming and deeply personal yet, ironically, creating a home that is easy to live in can be at times a daunting process, even for those of us who happen to do this for a living.  If you’ve been following Cafe Design for some time, then you may know that our family room has been the main object of my efforts since we bought our cottage three summers ago. We began implementing changes slowly over time and it’s taken me the better part of the last three years to bring the family room to a place where it makes life in our house considerably more pleasant and comfortable.  It has also required every ounce of patience on my end, but we’ve recently completed the final steps of this renovation and I’m excited to share the finished room with you!

View Post

Our Home | New Bamboo Shades for Our Library 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission on all qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

On the market for some beautiful bamboo shades? If you are, there’s a chance today’s post might interest you. Earlier this year, when I shared glimpses of our (then) newly painted family room, several of you reached out asking about the woven roller shades we used, and I felt bad for not being able to share them. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I wasn’t sure I loved them and therefore couldn’t recommend them wholeheartedly. They were pretty, they were affordable, and shipping was quick – all sensitive points as we were coming out of a pandemic – but they weren’t perfect. Some of the slats arrived chipped / broken and, although  these imperfections didn’t bother me so much, I didn’t want to recommend them unless I truly loved them and knew you would too. 

View Post

Our Home | A Cottage Fireplace Makeover

When we moved into our Cape Cod style cottage two summers ago, we had a long list of goals & projects we wanted to tackle and very little patience. The house had been well-cared for and preserved over its five decade existence but very few things were updated. At the top of our list (along with painting all the rooms and removing the popcorn ceilings) was a fireplace surround makeover.  

View Post

10 Ways to Add English Cottage Charm to Your Home

With a cult following of its own, the English Cottage Style has long transcended its geographic boundaries, becoming a favorite style of decorating for legions of design lovers worldwide. Yours truly included. Smaller in size and cozier that any other style of house, cottages can live large in the way we decorate them. Smart planning and making the best out of limited space are key. If you count yourself among the many fans of the English Cottage Style and would love to create a similar look in your home, below are ten design elements that I believe can help you do just that. 

View Post