This Charming Home Defines Autumn Cottage Style

open concept dining room and kitchen
Photography by Mac Jamieson, Styling by Yukie McLean

About three years ago on Halloween, the Meyerpeters family went trick-or-treating in a nearby community. “I felt like I was in a Charlie Brown TV special with the fall leaves blowing, streets lined with kids, and families literally bobbing for apples,” Katie says. It was right then and there she knew that this was the community where she wanted to raise their two children. She and Scott bought a small cottage that had been structurally redesigned by the previous owners. They had closed in the original porch to create a dining area with lots of windows, and opened the attic to make a playroom. As good as it was, it didn’t prevent Katie and Scott from adding their own touches. Within two years of living in the new home, they completed a list of projects that would impress even the producers of popular DIY home improvement shows.

living room
Photography by Mac Jamieson, Styling by Yukie McLean
kitchen with bar top
Photography by Mac Jamieson, Styling by Yukie McLean

Almost immediately they painted the entire interior of the home light gray and the moldings a darker gray, hoping to add character and make the house a little different. In the kitchen, they tore out the backsplash and put in subway tile, they removed the granite countertops and installed butcher block. They also painted the cabinets and the island. “We did it all ourselves, it’s fun for us. That’s what we enjoy doing,” Katie says. The family spends most of their time in the kitchen and living room, which open to one another. Once the kitchen was done, the next project they tackled was the fireplace, removing the marble surround and replacing it with new tile, and painting the mantel.

fireplace
Photography by Mac Jamieson, Styling by Yukie McLean