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Monday, April 19, 2010

Making it Your Own

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{Jayme Armour Leffler in her Gorgeous Cottage in Decatur, Georgia}

The mail lady was very good to me on Friday. She brought me several of my favorite magazines including the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens, which includes this fabulous cottage of Jayme Armour Leffler, owner of Armour & Co in Atlanta (reason #1,001 of why I need to take a trip to A-town stat!). The 1928 stone cottage was a rental, but Jayme was determined to put her own stamp on the home, which was originally very dark and reminiscent of a “hunting lodge”.

bhg4 {Not only do accessories add visual impact, they also give a home charm and character.}

Jayme found a few clever ways to make a rental house feel like her home. With the landlord’s blessing, she completed a few cosmetic changes to update the cottage and make it feel brighter. She painted the hunter green walls in various soothing shades, had custom seagrass rugs cut for the rooms, she put up her own light fixtures where unsightly ceiling fans once hung, and added bamboo blinds to the windows.  Jayme’s approach is amazing! Not only did she make the home feel much more stylish, she didn’t have to take on any expensive renovations on a home that won’t be hers in the long run, and she helped the landlord increase the property value of the home. Anyone could implement these non-committal projects in their own rental home with stunning results.

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{How cute is the front door? I love the organic objects on the little desk.}

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{A Mix of Fiberglass and Bamboo Chairs lend an Eclectic Vibe to the Dining Room}

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{I love Jayme's bedroom! The use of color is wonderful and I love the accessories she has chosen. Everything feels fresh and youthful. The sunburst mirror looks great over the bamboo shades.}

bhg2 {Naturally, Jayme has some fantastic accessories in her home. After all, she owns a great home decor store. If you don’t live near Jayme’s store, you can find accessories like the ones in her home at places like Homegoods, which usually has a great assortment.}

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{This charming little patio is right off of the master bedroom. The window/door is beautiful and I love all of the colors here. In fact, Jayme incorporated color so brilliantly throughout the entire cottage.}

 

Image Credit: Rob Brinson for Better Homes and Gardens

23 comments:

Gypsy Purple said...

Loved this post!!

DesignTies said...

Paloma this is a great post - it's fantastic to see what someone can do with a rental! Of course this particualr rental looks pretty special architecturally... like you I love the front door, the vaulted ceiling in the living room - along with fresh paint colour on the walls - make the room so airy, and finally, my favourite architectural element, the doors in the master bedroom that lead to the veranda... I want to sit out there!! You're also right about Jayme's use of colour - everything is bright and fresh!
Victoria

Laura Trevey said...

I would love to have a little patio off my bedroom like that!! Just lovely ~~

xoxo Laura

Susie @ Maddie G Designs said...

I would never have guessed this was a rental....she's got major talent for sure!

Emily A. Clark said...

Such a great house with such a lived-in, comfortable feel. You would never guess this was a rental.

Nancy@marcusdesign said...

I love the vignette in the second to last picture, it's gorgeous, the pics on the wall are amazing

Tammy@InStitches said...

The master bedroom is great. I see you have 1000 followers, Congrats, that's awesome !

Ludmila {CreamyLife.com} said...

Love the dining and bedrooms. Very cozy and inviting! xo

thefinaltouchideas said...

All great looks!! Love the first one with the fire place.

The Iconic Blog.com said...

I love those mail days! Gorgeous!x

Mariska Meijers said...

Gorgeous posting. Delicate stylish colour punches!

chloeblossom said...

I love her style!!! This is a home that immediately feels like "home" to me...so beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

LifestyleBohemia said...

She has awesome style. What a great job making a rental look like home.
xx

paula said...

I know! I just poured of the feature. she had so great tips too.

Sanity Fair said...

wow - I LOVE her creativity. Rentals are such a challenge, but there's absolutely no reason they can't be beautiful. She employed her ideas so well. And look at you, Better Homes! I need to check out this magazine again - haven't looked at it in years!
-Sanity Fair

KSK said...

Such a homey yet chic space. BTW, I just saw one of those gold Chinese garden stools (like she has at the bottom of the bed) at HomeGoods for $49!

Plum Pretty Sugar said...

love!! so pretty!

That Girl in Pearls said...

I was going to say, I thought I saw those white jars at homegoods!! Great accessories. Love this!

Beatriz.
thatgirlinpearls.com

Stephanie Sabbe said...

I agree. great tips!

I have a stack of my favorite magazines waiting to be read as well. Dwell has been in the plastic for a week! That means I am REALLY busy!

Hog Hunting Texas said...

Very very nice interior thanks for sharing this pictures this is giving some idea to decorate the rooms.

Fargerike Dagny said...

Very interesting mix of styles. A little bit of hollywood regency with lots of organic materials and wood.

Tres chic!!

Katie @ Noodle and Boof said...

This is something special! LOVE it! Thanks for sharing!

Dayka Robinson said...

armour & co is one of my FAVORITE shops! off to find the new issue . . . .