Massive Cape Cod Remodel Begins with Simple Color Inspiration
Peggy describes the recent demolish and rebuild of her 1950s Cape Cod cottage as a massive undertaking. She and her husband wanted to preserve the old Cape Cod feel but add modern systems and construction to meet building code. Inspiration for the project took root when Peggy stumbled across a magazine ad for a retro stove.
“It all started with the stove,” Peggy says. “Not only did it influence our decision to go retro, but it also inspired our entire color palette with its robin-egg blue color.” Peggy chronicled the process of the renovation on Instagram and on her website.
The results are nothing short of stunning. Peggy’s home is a blast of happy color from the stove and the Fiestaware to the comforters on the beds and the beach towels drying in the sun. Her desire to “go retro” with the design permeates every room in the cottage.
“We wanted to recreate the nostalgic feelings people get when they reminisce about the happy, optimistic times of the ’50s and early 60s,” she notes. “We used a mixture of true vintage and modern-retro materials and fixtures.” The stove is the focal point of the kitchen which also features diner-style furniture and a vintage metal hutch that she restored. A blender and other décor items are thrift store, consignment shop, and antique store treasures.
For the dining table, Peggy searched for a schoolhouse-style light to complement her other kitchen fixtures. She wanted something similar, but different.
“The Primary Schoolhouse Stem Mount Pendant with colorful striping was the perfect same, but different, finishing touch!” Peggy explains. “The fact that Barn Light products are American made and have a color close to our shade of blue was the frosting on the cake.” Peggy ordered samples of the finish colors available to choose the right hue.
“That was a tremendous help. We didn’t choose the color we thought we would,” she notes. “One of my themes in This New Cottage is ‘perfectly imperfect.’ The fact that the color of the stripe was not an exact match sealed the deal!”
Peggy’s Primary Schoolhouse Pendant highlights her retro dining table with plenty of old-school style. She customized this vintage-inspired fixture with a small opaque globe, a Galvanized fitter and 12″ stem, and a single painted band of Teal. Although the couple originally thought Jadite would be the best choice, having the finish colors in hand led them to select the Teal finish.
“It is the absolute perfect addition to the kitchen with its color and style! I am delighted to find such a great company that made my kitchen lights to order,” Peggy says. “Every step of the way — from getting samples, to asking questions about definitions of lighting parts, to ordering, to updates, to receiving everything in perfect condition — Barn Light is top notch!”
For more photos of Peggy’s gorgeous cottage, be sure to visit her website and be on the lookout for a coffee table book coming soon!
Photos courtesy of This New Cottage
