Yahoo Lifestyle These Dreamy Mother-Daughter Beach Cottages Are Pure Magic
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Blame it on the penny candy. Or the old hurricane oil lamps. Or the hand-dipped ice cream. Once Susan Hackley and her daughter, Daphne Berger, stepped inside the 160-year-old Brewster Store, a general store in the Massachusetts town of the same name, they were smitten. “That’s what cemented us here,” says Daphne of the emporium famous for its inventory of classic New England nostalgia. “We quickly fell in love with how authentic it all felt.”
Daphne had been hunting for a house on Cape Cod where her family as well as her mother and her mother’s husband could steal away together. Susan had fond memories of the area, having spent summers as a child in her family’s little cottage by the ocean and later returning as a college student. “I could never afford a place of my own on the Cape, but I always wanted my children to love the seashore,” she says.
A few years ago, when her father passed away suddenly, Daphne made finding a coastal getaway a priority, telling her mother, “Life is too short—we’re going to make this happen.” What she hadn’t planned on was finding not one cottage but two side by side, located just minutes from the beach. Daphne, her husband, and their three children would take the 700-square-foot home in front, which they named “Daffodil Cottage,” while Susan and her husband would stay in the 750-square-foot “Lilac Cottage.”
Each of the cedar-clad 1920s Capes needed an interior facelift, so Daphne began creating mood boards on Pinterest, where she discovered interior designer Marynn Udvarhelyi of Wildflower Home, who helped bring her vision to life. “I wanted both cottages to feel collected,” Daphne says. The updates took cues from the original structures, with slight floor plan adjustments to better accommodate visitors.
Most important, especially for Susan, are the memories the family is collecting here, in a place that has long been familiar to her. “To be back here and realize how little has changed in 50 years is amazing,” she says. “This came late in life for me, and I’m super, super grateful.”
A Sunny Entry at Daffodil Cottage
Daphne Berger’s shingled cottage “Daffodil” is just a bike ride from the beach where she and her family love to go on weekends.
Dreamy Front Porch
Next to the front door of Daffodil Cottage, a scalloped lantern sconce by Coleen and Company in an aged verdigris finish signals a warm welcome. The spindle-leg table underneath belonged to Daphne’s grandmother. The porch originally had Linoleum floors, so Daphne and Marynn tiled over the top (didn’t take up the existing floor due to asbestos concerns) with faux “aged” tiles.
A built-in queen-size daybed invites spending leisurely afternoons on the front porch, which is filled with vintage touches, including a Suzani quilt and seascape paintings. The rug also belonged to Daphne’s grandmother.
Get the Look:
Floor Tile: “Palo Alto” Hex Tiles from Wayfair
Block-Printed Pillow: “Dani” by John Robshaw
Gingham Pillow: “Mini Gingham” by Heather Taylor Home
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Vintage Accessories
A thrifted sea captain painting greets guests to the Daffodil Cottage above the writing desk in the sunroom, which shares space with the daybed. The table was Daphne’s father’s childhood desk, and the Windsor chair belonged to her father’s grandmother. The hunter green tole table lamp is a find from Facebook Marketplace.
Every square inch in the 700-square-foot cottage is put to use, including in the makeshift entryway, where a rustic peg rack provides a handy spot for hats and totes.
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Cheerful Checks
The living room’s new gingham sofa, slipcovered in a practical performance fabric, offers a cheerful welcome inside the front entrance. Designer Marynn Udvarhelyi reupholstered the vintage wicker chairs in blue-and-white ticking fabric and rolled out a rose-colored floral rug under the primitive coffee table (both items belonged to Daphne’s grandmother). “Having that juxtaposition of the warm wood tones with those light beachy fabrics made for this windswept look,” says Marynn. Original windows, new shiplap to match existing planks, and freshly painted white walls keep the room airy.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Simply White by Benjamin Moore
Pillows: “Savannah Cross” and “Unfading Flower” by Lauren Servati
Gingham Sofa: “Spruce” in blue gingham by Serena and Lily
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Pretty Pickling
During the renovation, Daphne opened up the living area to connect it with the kitchen and the dining room. The original pine boards between the ceiling joists were already pickled, so Daphne applied the same staining technique to the 100-year-old wide-plank pine floorboards. The dry sink, another treasure from her grandmother, sits under framed artwork of Cape Cod dunes painted by her other grandmother (Susan’s mom) in the 1970s. A wall-mounted dish rack and pot hanger maximize space in the compact cooking area.
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A Seascape Collection
A collection of vintage seascapes, some from Daphne’s grandmother, others found on Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, anchor a vignette linking the living and dining areas in the Daffodil Cottage. The blue chest had been left behind by the previous owner. Marynn gave it an update with a layer of moody blue chalk paint.
Get the Look:
Chest Paint Color: Vintage Duck Egg Chalk Paint by Dixie Bell
Sun-Kissed Coverlets
Featuring golden yellows courtesy of gingham shams and a Jaipuri quilts, the bedroom allows for a seamless transition from a day at the sunny beach. The white painted wicker headboard provides a shapely focal point, while the pale coral patterned wallpaper offers a sophisticated nod to the coastal setting.
Get the Look:
Gingham Shams: Gingham by Serena & Lily
Wallpaper: “Rushmere” by Colefax and Fowler
Shade Fabric: “Aditi” by Schumacher
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Lofty Ambitions
Full-size bunk beds designed by Marynn maximize sleeping space in the second bedroom of Daphne’s cottage. During the renovation, the drop ceiling was removed to open up the space and expose the pickled boards. The walls are covered in wallpaper depicting tiny trailing leaves. Marynn hand-painted a chest of drawers from Facebook Marketplace with mineral-based chalk paint in a muted matte yellow.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Cress” by Colefax and Fowler
Gingham Pillow Shams: “Penzance” by Poppy and Honesty
Chest of Drawers Paint: Buttercream by Dixie Bell
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Lilac Cottage
Susan’s shingled Lilac Cottage sits behind Daffodil Cottage, with both situated on a quarter of an acre and surrounded by trees and nature paths.
Stained-Glass Character
Lilac Cottage’s stained glass front door was installed by Bill Sydenstricker, who previously owned the cottage and founded his eponymous glass business nearby.
Communal Kitchen
Susan and her husband typically eat their meals outside, which is why the kitchen’s butcher block–topped peninsula serves as the only interior dining area. It and the cabinetry received a light spruce-up courtesy of seafoam-colored paint. The block-print pendant lights, the Smeg refrigerator, and the rattan barstools are also recent additions.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
Cabinetry Paint Color: Sea Salt by Sherwin-Williams
Rattan Barstools: “Riviera” by Serena & Lily
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Breezy Tones and Textures
While both cottages embrace seaside shades, neither has overtly nautical touches—well, with one exception. “Mom does love her vintage buoys,” says Daphne. The wicker sofa was left behind by a previous owner, though Susan reupholstered the cushions and painted the frame. A collection of straw hats doubles as art. “I love using things that are three-dimensional,” Marynn says, noting how the hats pair well with the warm wood trim.
Get the Look:
Floral Pillow: “Unfading Flower” by Lauren Servati
Throw: “Super Soft Throw” by Heather Taylor Home
Lively Patterns
In the all-white bedroom, the natural wicker headboard and wood window trim add a warm grounding elements, while plaids, checks, and florals bring a medley of pattern.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
Not-So-Secret Garden
Sliding French doors open from Susan’s kitchen to the back patio, where family members from both cottages congregate around the dining table, spread out in the shade, and take turns catnapping in a nearby hammock. “There’s no TV here, which was a choice we made,” Daphne says. “As a family, we’re playing board games like Candy Land, and there’s
a lot of drawing and reading and talking. A lot of talking.”
Get the Look:
Umbrellas: by Business and Pleasure Co.
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