Cottage Inspiration

Cottage Colors

Haskell updated the home's lime-green exterior, painting it herself (in Cliffside Gray from Benjamin Moore) with rented equipment. The trim is Swiss Coffee by Behr, “the easiest white in America,” she says.

Pastel Paints and Cherished Heirlooms

Haskell found inspiration for her walls in a bag of gourmet marshmallows: “They were the softest, most sophisticated colors I’d ever seen . . . I based all the paints on those marshmallows.”

The plate rack over the sofa once showcased antique plates in Haskell’s parents’ home. Now it holds cherished photos.

Less Money, More Style

Worry less about having the most elaborate or expensive pieces. White kitchen cabinets would have maxed out her budget, but these gray ones were “cheap―and so chic,” she says.

Simple Solutions

Haskell installed the tile in the small cottage bath. “It’s really simple because it comes in sheets. The dark gray grout makes it look older, and it’s easy to clean.”

The medicine cabinet is a crafts store mirror, lacquered black and hung over a niche in the wall. Its thin profile allows for two sconces.

Easy Antique Look

For a collection on the cheap, Haskell had mirrors cut to fit a mix of inexpensive frames. The large mirror fills a 25-cent flea market find. She made the mirror look old by stripping some of the silvering off the back and spray-painting it black.

Blissful Bedroom

The bedroom is a soft pink called Secret (from C2 Paint). The rose-filled mint julep cup on the side table is oh-so Southern.

“I wanted the room to be a place I could come in after a long day and soak up all the light,” says Haskell.