Whitney McGregor is drawn to fixer-uppers.
She has a keen eye for envisioning the potential in places that others might consider teardowns.
“It’s 50% intuitionthe right house with the right energy.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
The other half is really methodical,” she says.
It was a hidden gem," she recalls.
After an inspection confirmed that the 2,000-square-foot home had sturdy bones, she was all in.
Here, she shares hercottage decorating ideas.
“The mountains are rustic.
I would have loved a little white cottage, but that was out of the question.
- that would disguise inevitable outdoor elements.
A cafe table, just outside the kitchen, sits underneath a river birch ablaze with fall color.
“That tree shines every season,” McGregor says.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
“I wanted to swathe them in white paint and call it a day,” says the designer.
Cool gray stones with white mortar help counterbalance the warmth of the wood.
A crisp white sofa and chintz slipper chairs also brighten the space.
She favors ottomans over coffee tables.
“I want people to lie back and put up their feet.
Comfort is my number one goal,” she says.
“I start with a floor plan for every room I do.
Adding crosspieces to existing exposed beams on the ceiling created the look of floor joists.
Painting the rest of the roomFarrow & Ball’s All White (No.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
2005)lets the flooring shine.
- and cover the previously bare walls with a patterned paper byColefax and Fowler.
The antique table and chairs were estate-sale finds.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
“As long as the scale is right, they do work together if you stay consistent.”
A friend gave her the grid of artwork as a housewarming gift.
Plaid carpet offers a soft place for kids to sprawl out when playing games.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
McGregor kept the lightly washed wood paneling in the den, which she believes was formerly a screened porch.
Treat It Like a Living Room
“Outdoor furniture can be tricky.
The new main bedroom came together by “happy accident,” as she describes.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
“One afternoon I was like, ‘Eureka!
I know what’s wrong!”
285by Farrow & Ball).
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
She picked a favorite fabric from her inventory to make the bed’s a slipcover and matching draperies.
Red detailing from theSchweitzer Linenbedding was pulled from the painting above the bed.
“That room needed a little zing,” McGregor says.
Speak To Your Surroundings
“This space feels very much like the Highlands plateau area to me.
I wanted it to feel cottage-y,” McGregor says.
2002by Farrow & Ball).
She kept the bath’s original marble slab for the vanity and added a skirt to the wooden base.
Using the same fabric for the sconce shades to tie the look together.
When her son graduated to a big-boy bed, she brought his antique twin pair to Highlands.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
Before, the wood flooring had been given a semitransparent green stain.
“I love a white-painted floor, but it’s super impracticalyou can see everything.
That mindset helped make decisions on complementary details like the white subway tiles for the shower and the wallpaper.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
Instead of tiling the floor, she kept the wood, taped out a design, and stained it.
“I love the play of masculine wood paneling with floral, feminine headboard,” McGregor says.
An antique French settee (covered in the same fabric) offers a soft place for guests to land.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
The leafyLee Jofa wallpaperabove the wormy chestnut paneling speaks to the surrounding landscape.
“Here you feel like you’re in a tree house, so that pattern seemed fitting.
When you look out the windows, it’s green everywhere,” she says.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox
