Inspiration
Colors
A friend once told me that when she was renovating her home, she bought her stove before she even bought her house. I’ve never felt more seen. Priorities, right?
In my case, I also knew exactly what stove I wanted—regardless of which home we chose—but the color came later. The inspiration struck when I saw the rich hunter green walls in the main house den, which we’re now converting into a large breakfast/entertainment room. The second I saw those walls, I knew the house was telling me, this is her signature color.
So, I had my stove – and soon after, I had the color for it: RAL 6005, otherwise known as Moss Green from Big Chill.
Back to the cottage. Of course, our budget doesn’t allow me to have two of these beauties, so this gorgeous girl will go in the main house. The cottage’s galley kitchen will feature smaller appliances.
However, to connect the two kitchens, I decided to paint the cottage cabinetry in her now “signature green.” Sherwin-Williams was able to match the color perfectly from my Big Chill sample—an identical shade to the main kitchen stove and the walls of the future breakfast room. It was meant to be. 🙂
The other colors we’re using are SW Loggia for the ceiling and doors and SW Slumber Sloth for the walls.
Floors & Countertops
Even before the green stove or green cabinets, the second we landed on this Tudor beauty, I knew there would be gray-and-white diamond marble floors. I mean, if you have a Tudor, you have to have Tudor floors, right? It would practically violate the Geneva Convention otherwise.
With that in mind, I stumbled across the perfect marble mix in the homes of Chris, Ryan, and Grant of Tyler + Tate on TikTok. I immediately messaged them to source the floors, and they kindly shared that they ordered from Riad Tile. As suspected, the real thing wasn’t inexpensive, so I hit pause to see what my budget would allow. I looked at other options and even lived with a few faux marble samples for a few days—before moving on to countertops.
The challenge was finding marble countertops that complemented the right floor combination without competing. Like so many others, I swooned over Taj Mahal Quartzite, but ultimately it wasn’t the right fit.
Leslie at Texas Marble pointed me toward some gorgeous slabs of Arabescus White marble at MS International in Dallas. So my trusty sidekick—my mom, Linda—and I headed to Dallas to see them in person.
The slabs were perfection: just the right amount of veining and the perfect mix of tones. The problem? They made my faux marble samples look, well, faux. Nothing beats the real thing, baby.
So the countertop marble was an easy yes. Back to Longview I went to revisit the floors. After meeting with the team at Phillips Flooring, I ordered the Calacatta Gold and Bardiglio Grey tile samples from Riad. When the samples came in, they paired perfectly with the countertop marble—it was a no-brainer.
We ultimately decided to use this combo in both the main house and the cottage kitchens. And let me tell you… ugh! They’re showstoppers. I can’t wait to share photos once they’re installed.
When I say I’m obsessed with marble, I mean it. I would wear it if I could. It’s delicious. It reminds me of my time in Greece, where even sidewalks and staircases are marble, and every step feels steeped in history. Having it in my own home is an absolute dream.
Cabinets & Trim
As I mentioned in my last post, Billy and his crew did an amazing job on the kitchen ceiling. We reused the original wood paneling and had it reinstalled overhead. We had enough to do the entire cottage, but I wanted the kitchen to feel as special as the main house with its paneled ceiling design. Plus, Cody was eyeing the leftovers for his shop ceiling—so he might have been a bit stingy.
It wasn’t without challenges, though. This is 100-year-old wood, and there’s nothing perfect about it—but that’s exactly what I love.
Enter the fabulous Don Dodson (Designs by Dodson, LLC), who recreated the cabinetry design from the main house kitchen and somehow made this little galley kitchen look even bigger. He even worked in a pull-out trash can, soft-close drawers, and a beautiful range hood.
It’s going to be a very fancy place to cook for an Airbnb—if you ask me.
Reminder: This is where we started →
Original cabinet design from the main house →
Don’s renderings of cottage cabinets →
This is where we are now →
And this is where we’re headed →
Appliances
Since the cottage is small and meant for short-term stays, we wanted to keep things functional but compact. Our goal was to include all the conveniences of home without taking up unnecessary space. Here’s where we landed:
Refrigerator: Galanz 24″ 12 cu. ft. Retro Top Freezer Refrigerator in Black
Stove: GE 30″ 5-Burner Slide-In Electric Range in Stainless Steel with Crisp Mode
Dishwasher: GE Dry Boost 24″ Top-Control Built-In Dishwasher with Third Rack
Microwave: We’re going with a small countertop model. I found one that matches the refrigerator, though I’m a little worried it’s too small. This will be one of the final additions once we see the full space together.
Washer/Dryer: LG WashTower Stacked Laundry Center (4.5-cu ft Front-Load Washer + 7.4-cu ft Electric Dryer) Our laundry closet is just off the kitchen, so we chose an all-in-one unit to free up as much space as possible.
Sink & Fixtures
Sink: KRAUS Kore Workstation 30-inch Undermount Stainless Steel Sink with Accessories. This was a must after using one in my daughter’s Savannah apartment. I love how deep it is—and all the accessories! Even though we’ll have a dishwasher, I’m a hand-wash girl at heart. The sink includes a strainer, cutting board, and drying rack.
Faucet: KINGSTON BRASS Bridge Kitchen Faucet with Side Sprayer in Polished Nickel
She’s classic. She’s beautiful. Enough said.
Styling
It’s a galley kitchen, so there’s not a ton to style – but that just means every detail counts. I’ll mix in some vintage silver, as much artwork as I can squeeze in, and (of course) I’ll struggle over which rugs to use. I may even poll everyone on socials because honestly, it’s going to kill me to cover up those floors… even a little.
The ever-magical Billy from Team Collom is building me a custom plate rack between the back of the fireplace and the laundry area, using original brackets from the main house. I did buy an antique rack for this spot, but it ended up being too large – but the custom version will be even better.
Below it will sit a beautiful 1920s tea cart I found recently, which will hold the microwave and free up counter space on the other side. I’ll finish out the kitchen with brass hardware, antique china, and collected silver and brass pieces.
We’ll be using a family heirloom – brass chandelier in the middle of the room in addition to can lights to make sure there is plenty of light in this little kitchen.
Since we’ll be living in the cottage for a few months while finishing the main house, we’ll have plenty of time to make sure it’s perfectly functional and styled to a T.
Here’s a sneak peek at all the finishes…
Next Up: Sleeping in the Cottage
(Just wait until you see this wallpaper!)