Cottage in America with Eclectic Furniture and Turquoise Kitchen

White walls and furniture with a minimalist design—this formula is widely used not only in Scandinavian interiors. In the USA, such solutions are also popular, at least partly because Americans tend to change housing more frequently, and a home or apartment with a neutral interior is easier to sell than one with individualistic features. Not everyone is ready to stray from the conservative path.

Perhaps a couple from Seattle wouldn't have dared to buy this picturesque cottage with rows of narrow windows, small rooms, and a substantial fireplace.

The house was historical, Victorian, and naturally called for an appropriate interior. To give the new home a worthy finish, its owners invited designer Heidi Kehler.

Heidi does not like typical American settings, and the project was meant to include rich colors and complex textures. As for style, the designer proposed stopping at eclecticism, enhancing existing elements of Victorian architecture with items in the spirit of modern classicism, traditional English style, and mid-century modern accents.

After examining the house in its original state, Heidi found the interior outdated. Particularly disheartening was the kitchen with cherry wood cabinets, gray-brown tiles on the floor, and a bulky island in the center.

In the end, they replaced the island with a lighter structure on tall legs, laid red-brown brick on the floor, and executed the kitchen cabinet in a rich turquoise color.

"The clients always asked me: Won't it be too dark?" — Heidi recalls. — But in the end, they trusted my intuition, and when the kitchen was finished, they were completely satisfied.

The walls of the rooms were painted in sandstone-gray, and the floors were finished in dark tones, visually enhanced with heavy rugs—this "light top, dark bottom" approach is optimal for traditional settings.

Furniture was chosen substantial, with a lot of textile in checks, stripes, and fine chevron patterns. Marble and brushed gold were used abundantly: these materials contribute to the shine and create an impression of a luxurious interior.

To tie the completed interior together, the hallway was lined with touching wallpapers featuring bird and plant motifs typical of Victorian decor. It’s no surprise that Heidi, who genuinely dislikes neutral settings, says the hallway in this project is her favorite space.