2009 Idea Cottage: Space-Savvy Design

By Melissa Bigner
With its eco-friendly construction and beach-chic feel, our Idea Cottage in I’On, South Carolina, shows how to live large in a small footprint.
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Right-Size Living

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
The next big thing in architecture is right-size living. That means using money-saving, environmentally sound materials to build a smaller but savvier house in which no square inch is squandered yet luxuries still abound. I’On, the idyllic 11-year-old village between historic Charleston and nearby barrier islands, is leading the way once again with its new Jefferson Canal Courtyards neighborhood. We show you how we achieved high style in a compact space.

Take an Overview Tour of the I'On Idea Cottage

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The Living Room

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Design Trick: Pull the palette all the way through a room―essential for cohesion in an open space. Here, a poppy-orange chair and plum pillows echo the stairwell and den beyond.

Favorite Detail: This sealed, direct-vent (chimney-free) gas fireplace decreases air pollution and increases energy efficiency by preventing heated air from slipping outside.
 

Take a tour of the Living Room.

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The Stairwell

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Design Trick: Opt for stencil-painted walls as a creative alternative to wallpaper. Designer Angie Hranowsky had a local artist interpret a pricey paper’s design with shimmery gold palm fronds and leaves that enliven a coral background.

Favorite Detail: Angie found this salvaged newel post online: sa1969.com.
 

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The Kitchen

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: This quartz countertop is naturally stain-resistant and is certified as a safe food-prep surface. We love how the quartz surface extends to the cabinet’s baseboard on each side.

Favorite Detail: tiling an entire wall, not just the backsplash. We love how this expanse of tile transforms the kitchen’s back wall into a textured mosaic.
 

Take a tour of the Kitchen.

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The Dining Room

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Emphasize the height of the space with objects such as a pair of extra-tall candlestick lamps. They draw the eye up.

Favorite Detail: The bold portrait by Molly B. Right, fashioned entirely from bottlecaps (even the eyes!). So intricate up close, so striking from afar.
 

Take a tour of the Dining Room.

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The Half Bathroom

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Paint PVC pipes to mimic the color of copper pipes when they’re visible, as they are in the bath off the den.

Favorite Detail: The single sconce over the mirror. It casts a softer glow and makes room for a larger mirror.
 

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The Master Bedroom

 
Designer Trick: This canopy is deceptively simple. Angie had a plywood “top” wrapped with fabric. A skirt, the back panel, and corner panels simply drape from the top. The entire thing hangs from the ceiling with chains that Angie covered with ruched sleeves.

Favorite Detail: the vintage rattan headboard―it dresses down all that silk and fabric. It’s all about creating a high-low mix.
 

Take a tour of the Master Bedroom.

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The Master Bathroom

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Keep the look casual by propping up artwork against the wall instead of hanging it. This trick works especially well with a pair of similar looking but different sized prints, such as in this bathroom.

Favorite Details: the brass accents in the sexy sconces, sink faucets, and cabinetry hardware―just a touch of luxe in an otherwise quiet room.

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The Guest Bedroom

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Pair a punchy fabric with a warm mocha paint color. The neutral hue makes the yellow, turquoise, and magenta tones in this pattern pop―and it’s a more modern, less expected backdrop than a color pulled from the fabric would have been.

Favorite Detail: Going skirtless and opting for a bedspread that kisses the floor―so ’50s, so chic!
 

Take a tour of the Guest Bedroom.

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The Guest Bathroom

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Create a gilded mirror by having mirrored glass cut out to fit a frame coated in metallic paint.

Favorite Detail: The chest-style sink console in the guest bath, which looks like a converted antique.
 

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The Courtyard

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Raised beds lend a sculptural quality to plantings and double as extra seating.

Favorite Detail: Planting between pavers. Soften hardscape with low-maintenance strips of green between easy-to-install concrete squares.
 

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The Den

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Paint every surface―walls, trim, and bookcases―one rich color like this dark eggplant for a seamless look.

Favorite Detail: A subtle, wave-patterned trim edging the bottom of the all-white sofas. Little details can have a huge impact.
 

Take a tour of the Den.

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The Exterior

Photographer Tria Giovan, Stylist Lindsey Ellis Beatty
Designer Trick: Combining stucco and fiber-cement planked siding (rot-resistant―a must on the coast). High style and low maintenance!

Favorite Detail: A permeable strip of creeping jasmine, a hardier groundcover than grass, to the tabby-paved driveways to absorb rainwater and reduce runoff.
 

Take a tour of the Exterior and Courtyard.

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