INSIDE PENNYBROOK COTTAGE
Designing a getaway that feels like home
Photos by Lisa Petrole
Opening a vacation rental has been a longtime dream of ours. Being able to share our love of design and hospitality with others, in a place that is still somehow under the radar but full of natural beauty and cultural gems (see our Litchfield County guide here), feels like a dream come true. We found our cottage on a whim. The first time we went out with our new realtor, it was to tour a ten-acre horse farm we probably had no business considering. She happened to have another listing that weekend and brought us by. We instantly fell in love. What struck us most was that the home had already been renovated with choices we admired. The previous owners had opened up the layout, raised the ceilings upstairs, added pine paneling, and exposed the structure in a way that felt authentic to the house. For us as designers, it’s rare not to want to redo everything, but here the bones already felt right.
The scale was another draw: manageable enough that we could bring it to rental-ready condition quickly. We closed in March and set a goal to open by Memorial Day. It meant an intense Spring of paperwork, setting up systems, and furnishing the house in just 75 days, largely with vintage finds, Marketplace scores, and pieces from our own home. After a blur of sourcing trips and carloads back and forth, we welcomed our first guests by June.
Now that Pennybrook Cottage has had a full season, it finally feels like the retreat we imagined. Come inside for a little tour.
When you enter the cottage, you step right into the dining and kitchen area. We loved the compact and timeless kitchen design the previous owners had created and made only a few thoughtful updates of our own. We moved in an antique sideboard to serve as an island, added a matching cabinet to the far right of the range, and introduced new lighting and curtains to soften the gap above the fridge while creating a little privacy. We also fully stocked the pine pantry with dinnerware, glassware, servingware, small appliances, and cooking essentials from spices and olive oil to baking basics, so guests would have everything they might need to prepare meals at home.
Off the kitchen is a small powder room where we decided to go bold. Powder rooms are my favorite spaces for adventurous pattern, so we installed a dark Suzani-print wallpaper from St. Frank. We painted, swapped in new (to us) lighting sourced from Facebook Marketplace, hung a new mirror, and finished the space with art from a local thrift shop in town.
Through the kitchen is our living room. The biggest update to this space was paint and lighting. We used Benjamin Moore Medici Ivory, watered down and rag-applied for a limewash effect that brings depth and softness to the space. We painted the stairs and added a new runner, installed roman shades, and hung a large tapestry that makes a striking statement while cleverly covering an unused door. That shift allowed for a better furniture layout and ensured guests wouldn’t be tempted to use the door.
While I’m always drawn to light neutrals, I wanted to make sure the furniture in this space was durable for high turnover, so we opted for a darker velvet sofa, slipcovered chairs that could be easily washed, leather, and hardy materials like jute and wood.
We styled the shelves with a mix of collected and new objects, decor and garden books I’ve gathered over the years or found at local shops nearby, so guests have something inspiring to page through. The built-in bench seat layered with pillows has quickly become one of my favorite features in the room.
Heading upstairs, our hallway leads to the 2 bedrooms and bathrooms as well as a laundry area. An extra-long runner sourced from Etsy helps warm up the space.
In the larger bedroom, we fell in love with the exposed beams and light in the space, and knew we wanted to add an organic all-over print to the room to give it some more personality. This Swallows bird wallpaper from The Inside was the perfect fit. Furnishing this room came together quickly with a mix of pieces we already owned like a bed and rug from our home, layered with vintage and Marketplace finds like the nightstands, lamps, artwork, and a side chair.
Across the hall is another bedroom with a mix of new and vintage furniture. Cozy linen bedding from The Citizenry makes for a luxe organic feel. The pine dresser was a piece I feel in love with in one of my favorite local antique shops, Montage.
Walking through Pennybrook Cottage now, it feels like a perfect blend of what we inherited and what we added. The house already had such thoughtful bones, and our goal was simply to layer in comfort, durability, and personality so guests could settle in and feel at home in a part of the country we have come to love. It’s a space that reflects our love of design and hospitality, but more importantly, it feels easy, like a cottage should. Sharing it with others has been the most rewarding part, and watching guests make their own memories here has given the house a life that goes far beyond our own vision.
If you’d like to experience Pennybrook Cottage yourself, you can book a stay here via Airbnb or Vrbo.
You can also shop the products we used in the cottage here.