When Charleston-based couple Hanna and Nelson Seabrook had three weeks to find and buy their first home, after Nelson landed a job in Louisville, Kentucky, they found a house with the "most potential". A 1940s 1,800 square foot cottage with original architectural details and a kitchen that needed to be completely removed and redesigned. Hanna, an avid Etsy, eBay, flea, and thrift store collector when she is not running Gadabout Creative was happily prepared to decorate her home.
"I always start with a piece I love and then build around it."
"It's the accessories that give a room its character."
The result is a lovely, livable home with chintz patterns, chalky walls and botanical-themed art and accessories of coral, shells, drift wood along with herberie pictures hung on a flat-panel door to conceal storage. Not everything was replaced: the black tile surrounding the fireplace was concealed with a charming, vintage wicker screen.
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| The walls are painted Farrow & Ball's Vert de Terre. |
"I wanted to bring in the natural world as much as possible."
Who doesn't love a wall of books? It absolutely transforms a room into a cozy den, library, or TV space; providing a venue to show off personal collections and a beautiful place to display the latest find. The singular pattern in this room, Smarkand by Peter Dunham Textiles, keeps the space "quiet" and gives a place for your eyes to land and take it all in.
"Books and their bindings give layers to a room."
"Growing up, I thought of brown wood pieces as "old lady," but now I value the craftsmanship and combine them with untraditional accents."
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| The dinning room is painted Benjamin Moore's Woodlawn Blue and the trim is Wedgewood Gray. |
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| Her beautiful magpie collection on her dinning room table. |
My favorite room in Hanna's home is the lovely, redesigned farmhouse-inspired kitchen by designer and friend Olivia Brock of torrancemitchell.com Beaded-board walls hung vertically for height, wood counter tops in a durable mahogany that are oiled twice a month, and hardwood floors painted Benjamin Moore's Randolph Gray. Making a statement is the French drop-leaf table she found at a local antiques store.
"It's 4 inches too big for the space, but that didn't bother me at all. Practically speaking it's an investment piece that can just move with us to the next house."
"People think wooden counters require a lot of maintenance, but we just oil them twice a month. These are 2 1/2 inches thick, which makes them look substantial."
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| More of her collections beautifully displayed. |
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| The impeccably styled master bedroom is gorgeously painted in Benjamin Moore's Mountain Mist. The gilt-metal floral mirrors had me at hello. |
"I hunted for them specifically because I wanted something that was busy and a bit over-the-top to go with the lamps."
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| Daughter Eaddy's bedroom is a lovely, muted pink with a timeless feel of collected items and Schumachers' Cabanon Stripe fabric. A lovely, timeless room to grow and play in. |
"I move my furniture around all the time, so I pick things that can travel."
To see the before photos visit the Southern Living article here
Photos: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Styling: Elly Poston Cooper