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This Virginia Mountain Cottage Is Straight Out of a Storybook
There's even a dreamy reading nook tucked under the stairs!
From their first glimpse of it, Sean and Amy Whyte felt a magnetic pull to the little cottage in the mountains. Everything about the place—its forward-pitched tin roof, frame of forest foliage, petite brick-and-clapboard footprint—seemed to beckon from inside. “The roof even had a charming little sag, just like you’d see in a children’s book,” Amy says.
The couple passed the cottage frequently on their way to the Shenandoah River, where they’d hike and bike away the weekends before returning home, 30 miles east in Leesburg, Virginia. When the property went on the market in 2019, they jumped at the chance to finally cross its threshold. To their delight and destiny, they discovered its cozy, storybook soul was more than just a cover. Every turn of its 1,500 square feet revealed a new intimate detail, from low-slung ceiling beams to numerous built-ins. “It’s full of nooks and crannies and coves and eaves that invite you to tuck in,” Amy says.
Professional builder Sean wasn’t quite as besotted, but he was up for the adventure. “He’s Mr. ‘Everything Must Be Squared Off and To Code,’ ” says Amy, a designer and dealer at Leesburg’s Old Lucketts Store. “But big picture, we’re pretty aligned on what we like.”
The Whytes named the 1953 cottage “Hayes Cottage” after its builders and only other owners, Martha and Jack Hayes. A Virginia couple as well, the Hayeses had used the home first as a family getaway, eventually transitioning to full time. The small but deliberate touches they had left behind presented themselves slowly as Sean and Amy settled in. “ ‘J Loves M’ is carved into the big oak tree next to the house,” Amy says. An Instagram message from one of the couples’ daughters confirmed to Amy what she already knew: This was a house filled with love and warm memories. “I can’t explain it, but I could tell that the second I walked through the door,” she says.
Meet Amy Whyte
Homeowner Amy Whyte with Charlie, one of the family’s three four-legged members
A Cozy Nook
The custom-built cove beneath the cottage’s original pine stairs was built by Sean, whose builder eyes see every inch as an opportunity. The “Cabins for Rent” sign and chunky hickory stool both came from Berryville, Virginia’s Hip and Humble Interiors, a favorite spot of Amy’s. “Downtown Berryville is the cutest,” Amy says. “It’s essentially a one-street town with a barber shop pole and railroad tracks.”
Get the Look:
White Paint Color: Shiplap by Magnolia Home
Enchanting Creatures
In the living room, the thick pine-paneled walls, even thicker ceiling beams, and petite four-pane windows all struck Amy’s fancy, but her favorite element is the fireplace, with its unique cast-iron grate. “Its backplate has a fox on it,” she says. “It was like a little surprise tucked beyond the hearth.” That little fox inspired woodland motifs throughout the house, including the oil canvas above the mantel by local artist Lauren Rose Jackson.
What is it? What is it Worth? A Chesterfield Sofa
Named after the English lord who first commissioned its design in the mid-1700s, Chesterfield sofas are marked by their tufted leather upholstery and wide rolled arms that measure equal height to the sofa’s back. Vintage Chesterfields can be found online starting at around $1,500.
“Just-Right” Furniture
Discovered at a Charteuse and Co. barn sale in Maryland, the kitchen’s 27-drawer workbench was a classic case right out of Goldilocks. “The indigo color drew me to it,” Amy says. “Then we saw it matched our measurements exactly—that never happens!” It sets the rustic, pieced-together feel of the cottage’s galley kitchen, which is inspired by old European cottages. The browns and golds of the tile backsplash unite the deep pigments of the blue cabinet and emerald green Hallman stove.
Get the Look:
Backsplash Tile: “Nostalgia” by Lauren Liess
Green Range: Hallman Gas Range
RELATED: Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas for the Perfect Rustic Vibe
Forested Walls
The tiny 5- by 5-foot nook where the cottage’s kitchen once stood now serves as Sean and Amy’s cocktail bar.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Forest” by Cole & Son
Cabinet Paint Color: Bancha by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: Beautiful Ways to Decorate Your Kitchen With Wallpaper
Let the Sunshine In
As far as Amy’s concerned, there’s nothing like a scrubbed pine finish to bring warmth, as is the case with an antique farm table in the cottage’s rear dining nook. The twiggy light fixture (new from Old Lucketts Store) and handmade gingham curtains bring additional bursts of warmth.
RELATED: 60+ Farmhouse Decor Ideas to Help You Design Your Dream Country Home
A Cozy Landing Spot
It may be small, but Amy turned the petite space inside the back door into a fully functioning mudroom with an upholstered bench, twig coat rack, and wicker stand for canes and umbrellas. A mix of textiles invite you to sit and stay awahile. “I am a textile junkie,” says Amy. “I love the pattern and texture they bring.”
Sleeping Beauties
Playing off the warm wood beams and brick wall, Amy painted the attic bedroom a rich cocoa, then layered pairings of more browns and deep blues, such as the striped duvet she was drawn to for its masculine vibe. “It balances the femininity of the floral curtains and ties the whole room together,” she says. The primitive farm bench with traces of old blue paint came from Hip and Humble, and Amy purchased the early-1900s armoire with its original blue paint from another local shop, Red Schoolhouse Antiques. She so believed the curvy Scottish treasure belonged in the room, she was willing to remove the house’s stair railing in order for it to fit up the stairs. Also pictured is Sheepadoodle Stewie with his “professional-strength puppy dog eyes” that get him whatever he wants.
Get the Look:
Duvet: from Libeco
Wall Paint Color: Pine Cone Brown by Benjamin Moore
Thrifted Finds
Amy scored the bedroom’s four-drawer pine dresser for $45 at a thrift store. The lamp is a combination of a new gathered shade atop an antique crockware base.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Pine Cone Brown by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: These Antiquing Tips and Tricks Will Have You Picking Like a Pro
A Woodland Soak
The master bath is home to a whole host of treasures culled from Amy’s dealer friends including the early-1900s copper-lined claw-foot tub. The woodland print wallpaper is the one new feature in the room. “It feels like you’re bathing in the forest,” says Amy.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: Forêt Noire by Nathalie Lété
Curated & Collected
Other treasures in the bath: a late-1800s brass mirror with shelf and cup holders, 1930s pedestal sink, and hand-carved Indonesian wood chair.
RELATED: The Best Small Bathroom Ideas to Spruce Up Your Space
Pattern on Pattern
The guest bedroom, located in the cottage’s 1980s new addition, showcases Amy’s mastery of pattern mixing. The designer likes to start with wallpaper then layer additional pattern and color via bedding and window treatments. “When you put the pattern on the wall, it establishes a sort of hierarchy and lets you bring in other patterns and prints on the bed and the furniture,” she says. “The other patterns are all players in the game, but the wallpaper’s the star.”
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: Wychwood Melon by Andrew Martin
Looking Glass
The long skinny back room provided the perfect spot for Amy to tuck in a metal chaise topped with comfy pillows and a cushion, including some she sewed from vintage fabrics. “I love layering and playing with pattern and texture,” says Amy. Situated in front of the large picture window, the seat is a favorite afternoon reading and nature watching spot. She completed the inviting setup with a metal sconce grouped with an antique carved Black Forest shelf from a friend and a framed print that brings the home another fox reference.
Get the Look:
Sconce: from Lamps Plus
Black Forest shelf: from Trove Magpie on Etsy
Perfect Ending
Come dusk, dinner is served at the deck’s circa-1950s handmade wood-plank table and bench, where Amy and Sean eat as many meals as weather permits. A retro red metal cart makes the perfect tableside bar caddy.
Autumn Escape
On the deck’s opposite side, the setting of antique willow furniture and a hickory rocker is one of the couple’s favorite spots to hang during fall weekends. “There’s a little creek at the bottom of the hill,” Sean says. “You can’t see it, but you can hear it.” The old wood Jøtul stove gets plenty of use on lazy autumn days.
What is it? What is it Worth? Jotul Wood Stove
Norwegian company Jotul has been handcrafting cast iron wood stoves and fireplace inserts since 1853. New versions can be purchased today for $500 to $5,000. Sean found this red Jotul on Facebook Marketplace for $200 “It’s probably only about 30 years old, but it’s a classic design,” Amy says. “We were originally going to put it in the fireplace but it was too small, so it went out on the deck.”
Tour More Cozy Cabins!
Want to look inside more cozy cabins all dressed up for fall?
Check out:
*This Tennessee weekend retreat renovated by two brothers
*A floral designer's quaint Connecticut cottage
*A Wisconsin lake retreat full of soft finishes and warm wood walls
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