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Quick & Easy
Having spent years carefully decorating her primary residence, Caren knew in advance that she did not want to do the same with their home at the beach. She wanted the process to be quick, fun and joyful, so that she could spend more time relaxing—not stressing about perfect choices. Luckily, at each step of the way, Caren was amazed by the ease with which her vision was falling into place. For instance, when she described the type of curtain fabric she had in mind for the cottage to a decorator acquaintance, the woman simply reached inside her bag and pulled out a swatch of toile fabric featuring shells and flowers...which fit perfectly with Caren’s nature-inspired theme!
Caren did, however, spend an entire year canvassing her favorite shopping places for the perfect assortment of natural accessories: French laundry baskets, seagrass rugs, glass buoys, wicker furnishings, glassware and china. One sunny day in winter, when the tourists all had fled, Walter Daggatt of Walter Daggatt Antiques invited her to attend the unloading of a shipment of antiques from Ireland at his shop. For two hours, she inspected the shipment before buying all the wooden furniture for the cottage on that single day!
Another generous offer came from Gregory Briggs, a Gearhart antiques dealer and interior designer who specializes in botanical, shell and other seaside prints. Gregory offered to deliver and hang an assortment of black-framed ferns, now lining the staircase to the guest room.
“I can’t emphasize enough how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know the antiques dealers and store owners in Gearhart,” says Caren. “Everyone has been so nice, so helpful, offering to let me take home items on approval and even, as in Greg’s case, hanging things for me!”
Probably the single most gratifying response to the achievement of her vision was the about-face Dave made. “At first,” recalls Caren, “Dave doubted he would spend much time at the cottage because we love to travel to new places all the time, but it’s rare now that I come here alone. We bring our two schnauzers, and while I’m at the beach with the dogs or working in the garden — my new art form — he’s off biking or playing golf.”Outdoor Pleasures. (Above) Victorian gingerbread adds panache to the Andersons’ porch, where a marble-top iron table becomes a resting place for a spot of tea, while a picnic basket provides table space for the rest of the party.
Small Solutions. To increase storage for her tiny kitchen (left), Caren purchased this green cupboard from Walter Daggatt Antiques in Gearhart; it houses her colorful china and glasses, which were carefully chosen to echo the natural seaside theme. The copper-top table doubles as an island and a dining table in this compact (20’ x 10’) space. Vintage Charm. For old-fashioned appeal, Caren hung a chandelier over the tub and a three-lamp
fixture over the sink. She also added a
vintage oval mirror.
Heavenly Dreams. Two marble lamps act as “bookends” for the bed, which features an iron headboard brought from the Andersons’ home in Washington. “I didn’t want to use the footboard that goes with it,” explains Caren, “because it makes the bed look too high.” Bamboo Roman shades add to the natural décor.
