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The repeating Serena & Lily Priano pattern folds guests into this cozy nook along with plush pillows from Schumacher and Cowtan & Tout.
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Floral and striped fabrics from Schumacher and Sloane, along with a fresh coat of paint, breathe new life into the family’s well-loved rattan furniture in the living room. The bamboo coffee table, quilts and porcelain asparagus box were finds from the local antiques market.
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Fresh produce and flowers from White Stone’s Old Farm Truck Market, along with art and pottery from the Kilmarnock Antique Gallery, bring local flair and flavor to the kitchenette.
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In the guest bath, the wallpaper, shades and vanity skirt fabric in Colefax & Fowler Bowood charm guests with their vintage, romantic feel.
For decades, Tricia and Conrad Sauer have adored their river house in White Stone on the Northern Neck, but now that their grown daughters have families of their own, they needed room to accommodate everyone.
“They wanted a fresh and inviting place for guests to come from afar and have their own space,” Richmond designer Jenny Holladay says.
So, they drew up plans for a guest cottage on the lot next door. The multipurpose building houses Conrad’s workshop and Tricia’s gardening shed on the bottom floor, with a private studio apartment upstairs. For the guest quarters, they wished to create a serene sense of place while balancing out the new construction with a timeless design and a comfortable, lived-in feel.
“They didn’t want anything to feel too precious or have guests worry about coming in with wet bathing suits or putting their feet up,” Holladay says.
In the living room, Holladay layered in organic materials including a sisal rug, woven shades and a coffee table basket to reflect the natural elements outside. She revived old rattan furniture, once belonging to Conrad’s mother, with a fresh coat of white paint and new cushions with a perennial blue-and-white stripe fabric. At the nearby Kilmarnock Antique Gallery, Holladay scored functional finds such as a bamboo coffee table as well as conversation pieces including a porcelain asparagus box. She added floral throw pillows to tie everything together, as well as modern art for a pop of color.
The bedroom was designed for guests to take a vacation from their vacation, inviting them to relax after a busy day on the water. Nestled under the eaves, a Serena & Lily bungalow bed is piled with pillows and softly worn vintage quilts.
“In small spaces, I like to use the same pattern throughout — it makes the room feel cozy and enveloping as opposed to scrunched,” says Holladay. “We loved this Serena & Lily Priano pattern because it has an organic, water-like vibe that helps soften the angles of the room and speaks to the water just outside the window.”
Holladay says her favorite spot is the comfy window seat with a prized view of Dymer Creek.
“We wanted to create a nook that’s soft and wide enough for a child to sleep [in] or for an adult to enjoy their morning coffee,” she says. “You feel like you’re in this cozy little cocoon.”
Holladay says the guesthouse was sparked from an “If you build it, they will come,” mentality, and the Sauers’ plans couldn’t have worked out better. Their summers and weekends are filled with the laughter of five grandchildren and friends from all over the country. As guests look out over the water from their dreamy private perch, they may end up staying longer than planned — and the Sauers are just fine with that.
