Home & Living

Cottage Ease

Interior designer Stephanie Gamble of The House Downtown narrates a tour of charming Towson home.

COTTAGE CHIC: Larry and Lorraine Miller’s home is the sweetest stone cottage, with great, simple architecture. Before they transformed the place, the rooms were very dated, stuffy, and super-traditional, which is the exact opposite of who this warm couple is.

NICE AND NEUTRAL: They really didn’t dictate much, except that they wanted the spaces to be comfortable and pretty while using a neutral palette. They have a great collection of antiques that I was thrilled to repurpose and use, but they really allowed me to use them however I thought best.

HOSTS WITH THE MOST: The first step was giving them a floor plan that would work for them. They love to entertain, so maximizing the seating was imperative. Lorraine also needed a comfy spot to write letters and open mail, so her antique desk found the perfect home behind the sofa.

CHARM MAGNET: The quaint and quiet architecture in the house was super-inspiring. The house was built in the 1940s and its cottage charm provided all the ambience a designer could ask for.

FRAME GAME: The couple has been collecting Maxfield Parrish artwork for years and had them scattered throughout the house, so I gathered them up and grouped them together above each of the console tables.

HIDDEN TREASURES: I also found these amazing candlesticks hidden in a cupboard and placed them on the mantel, where they work effortlessly alongside the other new accessories.

LOCAL LOVE: All of the new furniture, rugs, accessories, and lighting, were purchased from my store, The House Downtown. All of the seating is from Lee Industries, which fits the style of the home perfectly. The soft neutral fabrics were selected to lighten the space and provide a calm respite for reading and entertaining. Lee’s masterful tailoring of these fabrics brings a refreshing level of sophistication.

MANTEL PEACE: Their mantel is quite possibly my favorite spot in the house—I’m a sucker for symmetry, balance, and detail, and this mantle has it all. Combining their antique candlesticks and vintage photographs with a new gold mirror laid the foundation. The painted teak bowls and Chinese jade calligraphy brushes bridge the gap between old and new and add an element of surprise. Hydrangeas from Lorraine’s garden provided the final touch of color and life.