Houzz Tour: New Home With Classic Cottage Style
A designer uses arches, paneling and earthy elements to create a comfortable vibe in an Idaho new build
Interior designer Judith Balis wanted to create a new home that felt like it had history. “We wanted this home to feel like a cottage,” she says of the Boise, Idaho, house she designed and built in collaboration with Tradewinds General Contracting. Using soft arches for openings and niches, choosing earthy and handmade elements and balancing off-whites with dark tones and wood created a pleasingly homey feel in the new house. She gave it an updated look by minimizing moldings, designing simple fireplaces and using floating vanities and shelving. Here’s a look at how she created a balanced mix.
An arched niche in the entry foreshadows what’s to come inside. Balis used arches to add character and simple curves throughout the house.
She chose Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin, an off-white with just a hint of gray to it, for the walls. The white oak floors and floating shelf contrast with the light walls. A vintage rug adds warmth to the entry.
She chose Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin, an off-white with just a hint of gray to it, for the walls. The white oak floors and floating shelf contrast with the light walls. A vintage rug adds warmth to the entry.
Balis used a range of textures to add character, warmth and an earthy feel to the home. The floors, mantel, ceiling beams and built-ins are white oak. The large light fixture overhead is iron with a matte black finish that plays off the front doors. “I needed something dark for contrast because the walls are so light,” she says. Woven accessories and branches bring in more natural textures.
The fireplace is a great example of how Balis kept things simple yet not sterile. “I used an oversized exaggerated fireplace box, and I didn’t want to junk it up with a bunch of stuff,” she says. Instead there’s a plain black metal surround with a clean white oak mantel floating over it.
She also added texture in key places throughout the house with paneling composed of individual pieces of MDF baseboard trim. Another detail she repeated was illuminating different features with library lights, seen here above the arched niches. Repeating design features created a sense of cohesiveness from room to room.
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She also added texture in key places throughout the house with paneling composed of individual pieces of MDF baseboard trim. Another detail she repeated was illuminating different features with library lights, seen here above the arched niches. Repeating design features created a sense of cohesiveness from room to room.
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The living room, dining room and kitchen are part of an open plan. Balis tied them together with materials, such as black iron on the light fixtures.
The doors next to the dining room lead to an expansive deck with an outdoor kitchen.
The doors next to the dining room lead to an expansive deck with an outdoor kitchen.
The dining area enjoys a view of the living room fireplace and arched niches.
The kitchen occupies a corner within the open plan. Balis created a focal point with a custom range hood. She accentuated it by using symmetry around it with the cabinetry and pendant lights. She placed the fridge off to the side within the work triangle.
Posts on the white oak island give it a furniture-like feel, and the counter stools add a modern touch. In the back corner, Balis used white oak floating shelves rather than running the cabinetry right up to the wall. This helped keep a lighter feel in the kitchen.
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Posts on the white oak island give it a furniture-like feel, and the counter stools add a modern touch. In the back corner, Balis used white oak floating shelves rather than running the cabinetry right up to the wall. This helped keep a lighter feel in the kitchen.
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“On the backsplash we used tiles with a really rough and uneven look that feels very handmade, and an earthy sage green on the cabinetry. Then we used polished nickel accents so that it didn’t feel too casual,” Balis says. “It was always about balancing that mix.” Glass cabinet doors provide a lighter look in the windowless kitchen space. Balis backed them in white oak.
Backsplash tile: The Tile Shop
Backsplash tile: The Tile Shop
Another vintage rug adds warmth, softness and a sense of age to the room. To the left of the refrigerator, Balis placed a bar. The opening to the right of the fridge leads to a walk-in pantry.
The right side of the photo offers a good look at the lack of trim around the opening. This is called a kerfed doorjamb and Balis used them throughout the house. “There’s no decorative wood trim — the drywall wraps around for a really clean look,” she says. Carefully editing the decorative trim gave the house an updated cottage feel.
The right side of the photo offers a good look at the lack of trim around the opening. This is called a kerfed doorjamb and Balis used them throughout the house. “There’s no decorative wood trim — the drywall wraps around for a really clean look,” she says. Carefully editing the decorative trim gave the house an updated cottage feel.
The designer continued the sage green cabinetry, white oak floating shelves and black accents in the pantry. The space also contains a beverage refrigerator and a small farmhouse sink.
This mudroom is off the garage entry and has a powder room located off it. Balis added well-worn texture to the floor by using tumbled brick in a herringbone pattern.
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Find a local tile professional
In the powder room, Balis repurposed a chest of drawers with an antique look as a vanity, adding character. Dark boards painted Sherwin-Williams’ Iron Ore add depth to the space, while brass sconces and mirror frame bring in some brightness.
In the home office, Balis repeated the use of Iron Ore on the built-in cabinets that flank the window seat. The brass library lights over them add warmth and make the room extra cozy after dark.
Another simple sloped fireplace is a wonderful asset in the homeowners’ bedroom. The vaulted ceiling has one wood beam that runs along the ridge. A chair placed between the fireplace and large windows provides a toasty and bright spot for reading.
Board-and-batten millwork adds a casual touch behind the iron bed’s headboard. A hide bench, flat-weave rug and a mix of textiles for the bed linens make the room inviting. The kerfed opening leads to the bathroom.
“I designed the house around this tumbled travertine mosaic floor tile,” Balis says. “It was so earthy, and a sample of it rode around in the car with me for about six months as I chose everything else. It set the tone for the entire house.”
The mirrors hang from hooks with square backplates, adding character to the space. “I didn’t want to use basic mirrors, I wanted to add something interesting and artistic,” Balis says. Floating the white oak vanity added a modern touch, while using polished nickel finishes brought in timeless elegance.
The mirrors hang from hooks with square backplates, adding character to the space. “I didn’t want to use basic mirrors, I wanted to add something interesting and artistic,” Balis says. Floating the white oak vanity added a modern touch, while using polished nickel finishes brought in timeless elegance.
Balis repeated the arch and floating white oak shelves next to the bath. The paneled look of the walls and the freestanding tub lend a sense of age.
The shower stall has another arched opening. Balis used handmade tiles on the shower walls. A long bench runs along the back wall of the stall. The French doors at right lead to a private hot tub patio.
In the guest suite, four large French doors open to a patio. Balis used Iron Ore paint behind the bed.
The guest bathroom is a play of light and dark. Balis plucked colors from the patterned floor — Iron Ore on the wainscoting and trim and a range of whites and creams on the zellige-like shower tiles. The handmade tiles and white oak vanity warm up the space.
Balis custom-designed the vanity. Drawers on the bottom make the most of storage space. “These drawers are great for storing toilet paper. And the legs on the vanity give it a furniture-like look,” she says.
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Balis custom-designed the vanity. Drawers on the bottom make the most of storage space. “These drawers are great for storing toilet paper. And the legs on the vanity give it a furniture-like look,” she says.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Size: 3,371 square feet (313 square meters); three bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designer: Judith Balis Interiors
Builder: Tradewinds General Contracting
Overgrouted limestone lends a sense of age to the home’s exterior, while steel-and-glass doors add a modern touch and fill the entry with light. Balis created a balanced mix of old and new throughout the home.
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