My week ended with an inspiring visit to my darling friend and office manager’s cottage style home. Oh, My. Her home is filled with cherished collections and family memories, including many custom touches created by her husband John’s hands. Over time, small changes have updated this cozy retreat with pure style and charm under Connie’s keen eye and love of Black-eyed Susan style. It was such a thrill to see so many details and endearing rooms with the rustic charm Connie has added.

Her home is a perfect example of fine-tuned style, carefully designed to create big statements in a small space, assembled for the most part with a simple re-design approach. If we could all have a handyman who builds, paints, plumbs, tiles, wires and happens to be your husband, perhaps we could join this creative club as well!

I’ll share with you some of the details that warmed my heart and found their way into my memory for future use. I love knowing that a cherished and dedicated employee is also an inspiring creative force!

Apparently, the architectural fragment featured in the headboard pictured above used to be mine! I didn’t even recognize it! Connie fabricated a padded headboard from a coarse rustic linen and added this fragment for perfect cottage chic. To complete the look of this most inviting guest room, she hung three cream vintage platters. Sheer perfection.

Grommeted sheer linen panels add an updated dressing to the windows, and this darling arm chair (purchased from one of my Black-eyed Susan Paris Flea Market sales) was Connie’s first attempt at upholstery…naturally, supported with some tips from her husband, John! The addition of the Paris tea towel gives it just one more quaint vision of inviting charm. And let me just say how much I love that vintage writing table behind the sofa! Such great design.