House Tour: A Portland Cottage With a Farmhouse History - Cottage style decorating, renovating and entertaining Ideas for indoors and out

Design Ideas

House Tour: A Portland Cottage With a Farmhouse History

Visit a cottage in the West with a vintage touch.

Surrounded by fir trees and situated on a spacious former hazelnut orchard, this classic cottage near Portland, Oregon, was originally a farmhouse built in the 1940s. Today, its idyllic setting is home to Meg Muschlitz and her family of six, whose busy lifestyle begs for a space that is as flexible as it is charming.... READ MORE

Written by Jennifer Gaudet

Photography by Bret Gum

Styled by Jickie Torres

The Lakeside sign hanging above the dining table is one of Meg’s favorite pieces in her home. It was taken from a favorite shop in the town where she grew up after it closed. The cottage’s traditional style can be seen best from the exterior, with neat rooflines and dormers in view.

The antique pine plate rack was a flea-market find and now holds Meg’s collection of white dishes. The blue number 40 sign was a 40th-birthday gift from a friend who visited France.

Some of the home’s cupboards have a chicken- wire front, adding to the garden-cottage feel.

This antique Dayton scale was found at a local antique market in Portland. Meg uses its beautiful patina tray to hold flowers, candles or even drinks during a party.

At nearly 3,800 square feet and sitting on a 1⁄2-acre property, the historic home is unusually large. The family has maximized the three-story, four-bedroom cottage that has historic appeal and welcoming comfort while also accommodating their needs.

Vintage-Modern Balance

Upon moving in, the family made a few key modifications to balance the vintage-style charm of their home with modern functionality. They updated the kitchen and equipped it for two cooks and added a double sink and an extra refrigerator and dishwasher tucked away inside the cabinetry. The walls on the downstairs level were extended to add sliding barn doors, sectioning off a fourth bedroom.

Meg also updated lighting fixtures throughout the house, intentionally choosing pieces with more of a modern bent, such as Restoration Hardware pendants in the kitchen, to contrast the cottage’s rustic features. Striking this balance helped Meg keep the home from looking dated, while still accenting its historic charm.

The living room takes a similar approach, where a vintage-industrial style coffee table and Williams Sonoma armchair and sofa offset nearby flea market-style elements like antique signage and a grain-sack chair.

The living room is a serene gathering placed filled with a variety of textures that give Meg’s décor its signature richness: a sisal rug adds a rustic nod to the home’s history, while plush white-linen sofas add elegance and comfort. Antiques, such as the old bus banners Meg framed as art, and contemporary classics, such as the wrought-iron étagère, add textural interest.

Whether framing an old flag, hanging a vintage sign or adding a giant vintage clock above the mantel, Meg demonstrates the impact of a large-scale piece.

Neutrals & Naturals

Meg keeps the many windows of her cottage covered simply or not at all because she loves to bring the lush greenery outside into her home.
Original dark-oak flooring runs through most of the house, providing the perfect contrast for antique pine pieces. Neutral furniture pieces, including an ecru sofa and armchair, lighten up the room, while a textural seagrass rug anchors everything.

Meg added a sisal or seagrass rug to each room for a grounded, warm feel. These durable pieces are able to withstand the wear of everyday life.

“Our house is about real life. We want our home to look comfortable, inviting and lived in. I like a clean, uncluttered look, but not perfect,” Meg says.

Looking for creative storage ideas? In the powder room, in place of a traditional tray, Meg uses a white lantern to group bath items together.

The master bedroom has soothing tones of green and blue to evoke relaxation.

“Our house is about real life. We want our home to look comfortable, inviting and lived in.”

A fun, whimsical touch for a girl’s room, the ceiling has pom-poms and lanterns. The lanterns light up at night and are used as a night- light. Meg decorated her girls’ room with vintage items and things that belonged to her when she was a child.

Resources

Plate rack: Flea market
Secretary, Josef Originals birthday figurines: Family heirloom
File shelf piece on the counter, floral pillow, entryway mirror, master bedroom bedding, seagrass rugs: Pottery Barn, visit potterybarn.com.
3 18 vintage barn pendants, egg crates (above cabinets), floor lamp: Restoration Hardware, visit restorationhardware.com.
French Bistro barstools, Aiden coffee table, sisal rugs: World Market, (877) 967-5362 or worldmarket.com.
Dayton scale, sign in living room, urns, nightstand: Monticello Antique Marketplace, (503) 256-8600 or monticelloantiques.com.
Lakeside sign, buffet, Grain sack chair and ottoman, baking table/desk, Black French-style twin beds and nightstand, pink stars: Antique
Bathroom lantern: Home Goods, visit homegoods.com.
Bedford sofa and chair: William Sonoma Home, (877) 812-6235 or william-sonoma.com.
Clock: Pier 1, visit pier1.com.
Antique pine hutch (partial piece): Partners in Time Antiques, Portland, Oregon, (503) 228-6299.
Girls-bedroom bedding: Pottery Barn, visit potterybarn.com.. Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic, visit target.com.
Paper pom-poms: Martha Stewart, visit marthastewart.com.
Lanterns/Balls: Cargo, Portland, Oregon, (503) 209-8349.
White tray: Rachel Ashwel Shabby Chic, visit target.com.

Know Your Elements

Work with the layout of your home. :The entryway in Meg’s home lends itself perfectly to a simple and sweet display, with tiny trees ready for adorning with wreaths, small bird nests or flowers from her property like hydrangeas, daffodils and pussywillows.
Incorporate fresh flowers in each room. :Whether you have the advantage of clipping fresh blooms from your own garden or you visit a flower mart, try to add a floral arrangement in all your rooms. When shopping for vases, look for unique shapes and sizes that will add visual variety.
Look for Spring icons. :Display decorative items that represent spring, such as a mossy bird nest with mock eggs, a pair of ceramic ducks, or a rabbit, robin, garden gnome or lamb.
Tuck greenery into unexpected places. :Using branches in a vase atop a kitchen or dining-room table or sprigs peeking out of small vintage glass bottles, don’t be afraid to mix it up with how and where you use greenery.