This cheerful 1930s cottage was the first unit we worked on for our historic Fredericksburg boutique hotel project, The Menagerie. The high-impact space is a study of texture and proportion, combining large-scale patterns, imposing artwork and layered materials 

We particularly love the sunlit living room, where a starburst light fixture on the ceiling is in dialogue with the rattan coffee table below. We used the wallpaper, rug and sofa to inform the palette of the space, incorporating the colors into the furniture, accents and art. When furnishing this room, we ran into supply chain issues — we had to reselect the chairs four times and the lamps twice — but we were ultimately thrilled with the replacements. 

We styled the bedroom with vintage furniture, including a French commode and nightstands we found at an auction. We tied the space together with yellow custom pillows, a Marigold bedspread and delicate embroidered drapery from India. 

In the second bedroom, we created a moodier atmosphere with dimmer lighting and deeper reds. We furnished the room with a french commode, as well as a vintage rug to add visual weight. To pull in warmer red tones from the wallpaper, we set the bed with a red floral quilt and a pillow made of a rug. We flanked the bed with two side tables from an auction and a bench from a local dealer. 

Inspired by our leafy, snaking wallpaper, we nicknamed the kitchen the “Garden of Eden”. We kept the original cabinetry, and added an antique French dropleaf table to preserve the country farmhouse feel. 

In the bathroom, we contrasted olive green walls with a red-patterned shower curtain. We kept the original bead board, which — along with the traditional bathtub and sink — gives this room a timeless Americana look.