Name: Laurel Harrington
Location: Mill Valley — California
Size: 1,800 square foot cottage with guest barn
Years lived in: 10 — owned
From the first day Laurel Harrington moved into her hillside Mill Valley cottage, she had her mind set on one thing: creating a space that was cheerfully chic. Laurel, an interior designer by trade, started her company, Harrington Design, in 2002 and has been creating lovely interior spaces every since.
In her own home, she likes to mix high end custom designed pieces with local flea market finds, which results in a casual chicness that feels laid back and happy. Inspired by the local beaches she takes her two dogs — Dudley and Honey — to every week, she wanted to incorporate a beachy vibe into her home. Not shy about color, Laurel painted some of her walls bright green and turquoise and followed up with accessories in sunny yellow and hot pink. The bright color palette spotlights her crisp white accent pieces and gives her home an island tropical air.
Laurel also made sure to take advantage of the amazing views out her windows, with built-in benches and outward facing dining spaces. She loves to entertain and opened up some of the existing walls to create a more open fluid space. The old growth fir floors are original and lend themselves nicely to her relaxed aesthetic.
While owning an older home has its own challenges, Laurel has decided that it's all worth it. She briefly thought of selling her home a few years back, but couldn't bare to part with her labor of love. Laurel believes "your home should give you a hug" and in her case you leave with a hug and sunny kiss on the cheek!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Cozy, chic and comfortable. I love mixing antiques and great paintings with inexpensive finds. It’s like getting dressed and pairing Levis with a Birkin bag.
Inspiration: Looking at what makes sense for the house. I think it’s great to live in a house awhile to get a sense of where you spend most of your time and understand how you live in the space.
Favorite Element: The views, the great light and the old growth fur floors.
Biggest Challenge: It can be a battle to keep up an old house.
What Friends Say: "Love the colors", "cozy" and "great view". It’s a great hang house — I’ve had lots of barbeques, dinner parties and even big parties at the house. It has a great vibe.
Biggest Embarrassment: I am a terrible gardener! I need to spend some time finishing the yard.
Proudest DIY: When I bought the house, it needed a lot of work. My ex-boyfriend was a musician/carpenter. We literally sat on floor with a bottle of wine and planned the entire renovation. We knocked out walls, changed the entire floor plan and really opened up the house.
Biggest Indulgence: Buying great design books and magazines for inspiration. Having people over, oh and chocolate!
Best Advice: Your house should give you a hug
Dream Sources: I would love to go on a buying trip all around Europe.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Sherwin Williams, Festival Green
ENTRY
- • Antique Bamboo Bench: Alameda Antique Faire
LIVING ROOM
- • Sofa: Pottery Barn
• Artwork: Nancy Spoelhof and vintage sailboat paintings
• White Fish Vase: Sweet Things of Tiburon
• Vintage Lamps: Beach House Style with custom shades
DINING ROOM
- • Dining Table: Beach House Style
• Dining Chairs: Antique repainted white and recovered in apple green fabric from Cloth
• Toss Pillows: Mix of custom Johnathan Adler and pillows made with fabric from San Francisco Design Center
KITCHEN
- • Tile: Ann Sacks Apple Green Tile
• Sink: IKEA
BEDROOM
- • Green & White Duvet: Z Gallerie
• Artwork: Estate Sale
• Pillows: Custom
BATHROOM
- • Art: Splendid Little Shoppe
OFFICE
- • Lime Bamboo Vintage Lamp: Beach House Style
• Vintage Print: Flea Market
• White/Yellow Armchair: Maine Cottage with Desousa Hughes fabric
OUTDOOR
- • Orange Bisto Set: Craigslist
• Green Adirondack: Beach House Style
Thanks, Laurel!
Images: Alyssa Remington
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Beautiful and really cheerful :)
What a cheerful house tour to wake up to! I love turquoise and hate lime green, so imagine my surprise when I fell in love with the combination!
Also, usually typos annoy the heck out of me. But "fur floors" made me giggle. Cute mental image
I absolutely love your style. It's so sunny, cheerful and warm at the same time! a real retreat. well done!
THIS IS MY DREAM HOUSE. My heart is in my throat, I love it so much.
i love this house! It's preppy, girlie, chic and comfortable all at the same time. Your doggies are great accessories too.
I smiled from ear to ear when viewing your adorable house. Incredible style, fun, happy and huggable:)
such a happy place... going through the photos put a smile on my face.Thanks for sharing..
Love, love, love your house. Love the colors, dogs and all... Wish mine looked like this.. You have an amazing house and home. Love it.
I love it... my favorite colors. Where is that rug under the round dining table from? I love it!
(And I'm also giggling about the "fur floors"... sounds very soft on the feet!
Love love love this! I wish I could see how that gorgeous front door looks with the front of your home! Great job!
Looking at these pictures just makes me happy. I love the colors, and the artwork is amazing.
I love the color, the accessories- all of it- GREAT design.
"Old growth fur floors" is my new favorite flooring.
Happy house, too. That window seat under the beamed ceiling is just lovely.
Grah. I wish people would post more pictures of an entire room, instead of closeups of their doodads and thingymabobs. That said, very pretty.
You would ROCK the colour contest. Your home makes me want to cry... it's soooooo pretty! I'm in love.
i love your place, is so charming, lovely, and inviting,relaxing and has a very good energy , i love places like this it is very original, the colors are very nice, i always dream to have a cottagelike this , make me happy just looking it , and by the way never sell your little sanctuary with the time you will have regrets....
Wow what an exciting place to live in! love the colour combinations!
I really love the monkey fruit bowl. Where did you get this? Overall, beautiful and fun house. GREAT job!
Very pretty but I'm so disappointed that we didn't actually get a house tour. Beautiful accessories and cute dogs but I have absolutely no feel for the flow of the home.
I'd love to see shots of entire rooms, too! This post is just a tease for something better.
This is such a happy house. Please tell us the paint color of the turquoise wall color. I would also like to see more pics of the kitchen and bedrooms.
Your style is so upbeat & refreshing. There's a right way & a wrong way to do color. Yours is the right way.
I want those dogs. So cute. I totally understand "Old growth fur floors".
LOVE.
That says it all.
I loved your advice that your house should feel like it's giving you a hug-- and your space clearly hugs you. it's clear to me that your space makes you happy, and that's the goal (and ultimately, all that matters).
that said: my eyes are burning. too much color for me. and possibly because I lived through french/hollywood regency in the 70s, and have now been assaulted again with with it's resurgence... well, suffice it to say: not my taste.
(although I really am happy that you love it, and obviously others feel connected to your style and sense of home.)
Beautiful home! My favorite part was all the great art you've collected and it's thoughtful placement in your space. I checked out your website too. It was interesting to see all the neutrals. You are obviously versatile!