THE COTTAGE CRAFTSMAN TOUR HOME

 

THE STYLE

From the very beginning, this home was rooted in intention. We originally designed it as a spec build, thoughtfully planning every detail with the kind of livability and warmth we believe makes a house feel like home. When the developer approached us about featuring it in the Salem Home Builders Association 2017 Tour of Homes, we felt so honored — and honestly, so excited — to open the doors and share not just a project, but our heart for design with the community.

This 2,332-square-foot single-level home was created with a season of transition in mind. We imagined a couple ready to simplify, to trade extra square footage for meaningful spaces — downsizing without ever sacrificing beauty or comfort. Every room was designed to feel intentional, layered, and welcoming, with an effortless flow that makes everyday living feel special.

Set on a generous corner lot, the property gave us room to dream a little bigger outdoors. We incorporated an RV pad for flexibility, a garden space with raised beds for slow mornings and growing something beautiful, and a firepit area perfect for gathering with friends. Just off the covered patio, a stretch of lawn creates a seamless connection between indoors and out — because we believe some of the best moments happen when a home invites you to linger a little longer.

It’s the kind of home that feels grounded, timeless, and ready for the next chapter.

A single level craftsman style home in Salem, Oregon with gray siding, stone accents and shutters on the front facing windows.

THE KITCHEN

We worked with several companies to style this home and one of the most asked about items were these kitchen bar-stools. Wayfair generously supplied these for our white kitchen, the perfect addition to our monotone kitchen.

A classic, bright white kitchen in Salem, Oregon with swivel bar stools and carmen light pendants.
A modern yet timeless kitchen in Salem, Oregon with alabaster white shaker cabinets and Carrara Quartz countertops.

Not knowing who would buy this home, I wanted to keep it timeless and classic but still deliver a wow for those who would tour it. This large bright kitchen was a favorite for many who walked through the home. We used Alabaster White on the shaker cabinets to keep it light and bright. ( No surprise. They’re my favorite.) I chose a Carrara quartz to keep things feeling calm and clean. This tone on tone look was completed with a white glazed arabesque tile with white grout. It gives subtle texture without adding visual clutter. Now before you get worried about a white kitchen, let me assure you that it is not difficult to keep white if the items you choose have a high quality finish. Things wipe right off and show much less dirt/dust/smudges than dark cabinets.

A large, bright kitchen with Carrara quartz countertops, white shaker cabinets and a white glazed arabesque tile backsplash.

Another fun touch that I love to incorporate is a bump out in cabinetry. We did the same thing in the guest bath and I think it gives it that custom touch without added cost. You can see we did it here with the range top and it draws attention to the fun Ogee Edge detail we added to the quartz.

A kitchen in Salem, Oregon with a Carrara quartz countertop with an Ogee Edge detail, and a range top stove.

I wanted to add a little glitz to the kitchen which meant a shiny faucet and over-sized pendants. Brizo, the designer line of Delta Faucets had the most beautiful pull down kitchen faucet. We used a similar tub filler in the bathroom and I think you’re going to love it!

A kitchen in Salem, Oregon with a Brizo chrome faucet, an under mount stainless steel sink, and Carrara quartz countertops.


THE LIVING SPACE

The kitchen and great room has an open concept design with hardwoods throughout to tie all of the spaces together. The designated dining room was separate, yet open to the rest of the great room. This is perfect for entertaining. We chose Sherwin Williams Repose Gray with Alabaster trim. It is a great, slightly warm gray that changes in different lights. I love it for creating a neutral pallete that still has interest in each room.

A kitchen and living room with an open concept design, hardwood floors and a French country cottage interior design style.

Speaking of neutral… this rug gives me major heart eyes!!! I think a rug can be one of the most important features in any room. It not only anchors the furniture and sets the footprint, but it leads the tells the story of what style you are aiming to achieve. I love a good rug and think that they are often underestimated in value for a room. I was so excited to work with Annie Selke to style the Diamond Natural Sisal Woven Rug by their company Dash & Albert. I used the 10′ x 14′ and I could not be more pleased with the quality and look. It is the perfect design foundation for these Ikea Ektorp sofas, creating a comfortable look that will stand the test of time. The couple who purchased the home ended up purchasing 95% of the furniture and decor. They loved this rug and went on to purchase the matching Diamond Natural Sisal runners for the kitchen and hallways!

A neutral living room with white Ikea Ektorp sofas, warm gray walls, a beige stone fireplace and a tray ceiling.
A living room seating area with a neutral color palette, botanical art prints, and large windows with white linen curtains.

I wanted the look of white Austin stone for the fireplace to go along with the warm gray walls. We ended up going with Eldorado Casa Blanca Rough Cut stone and had our guys hand mix a bright white mortar. The look is pretty rare in the Salem area and has already inspired many homeowners to use the same combo. Next to the fireplace, I framed these watercolor botanicals from Porter Lane Home in oversized frames. Porter Lane Home also made the number pillow, as well as the “our nest” bolster. I love her work and you will see I used it in almost every room!

An Eldorado Casa Blanca Rough Cut stone fireplace with a bright white mortar and a natural wood mantel.


Dining Room

The dining room was kept simple with a large table and timeless candelabra chandelier in brushed nickel. I wanted to add an architectural piece to the wall to give texture and style without adding anything too dominant. I found this pet gate at Homegoods and thought it was the perfect touch. It was also fun to tell watch the face of those asking where I found the wall decor, when I revealed it’s original purpose.

An open dining room with a large walnut table, Windsor back chairs and a timeless candelabra chandelier in brushed nickel.

I paired this simple walnut table with Windsor back chairs form World Market. They were a so comfortable and affordable. Unfortunately, they were discontinued and we bought the final 6 in our state.  On the ends, we added these French Country chairs from Birch Lane to complete the look. Sad news, the Birch Lane is no loner selling these beauties either.  This 8×10 Jute rug is a great way to ground the space without getting too busy and is pretty cushy for the feet, too!

A french country cottage themed dining room with a walnut table, simple white place settings and monogrammed linen napkins.
A french country cottage themed dining room with a walnut table, a jute area rug and simple white place settings.

I worked with Porter Lane Home on custom table linens to add a bit of charm to the space. We are a family owned and operated business and we try to involve our kids in the process as much as possible. They were delighted to walk in and see their names on the table and were wondering where dinner was!

I know the chairs are discontinued, but I linked some look-alikes along with sources for some of my favorite items below. Hope this is helpful for ya!


Hall Bath

The guest bath is the perfect place to go bold with your style choices. We did this by adding a full wall tile back-splash with the same tone on tone glazed white arabesque tile form the kitchen. The other wow-factor was this full length mirror, hung to the ceiling. I added a bump out to the vanity, similar to the range top in the kitchen. It the little details that add dimension and create that upscale custom result.

An upscale hall bathroom with a bump out sink, a white glazed arabesque tile backsplash, a full length mirror hung to the ceiling and double pendant lights.

Get the look by shopping these items below!


Master Suite

We wanted the bedroom to feel like a peaceful retreat so we continued our calm, neutral color scheme. We tied in the blonde mantel and wood floor by adding this natural alder barn door to the master bath and closet. When you go gray, don’t be afraid to add in wood pieces to bring some warmth. We went with a soft greige bedding from target, dressed up by a linen ruffle and my favorite Porter Lane Home (PLH) touches. A design secret… I couldn’t find a bed skirt that I wanted so I used this ruffled edge queen coverlet as my skirt.

A country cottage themed master bedroom suite with a neutral color palette and a natural alder barn door leading to the master bathroom.
A master bedroom with a french country cottage theme, cream nightstands, simple white bedding and cool beige walls.

We used these cream tables from Lowes as our nightstands to mimic a pottery barn piece that I had been eyeing. We found these vintage cathedral window pieces from Feather and Birch.

Above you see our Fridley & Co. pillow from PLH, and remember the custom table linens I mentioned in the dining room? I ended up using the table runner as a bed scarf.

A Porter Lane Home linen table runner used as bed scarf in a french country cottage master bedroom.

Heading in to the master bath, you’ll find it features the same white cabinets and pulls from the kitchen. We also used a 4 x 12 white subway tile and chair rail to give the classic appearance of wainscoting that sweeps into the all glass shower. We went with a 3×6 Desert Gray Subway tile from @Daltile in the upper portion of the shower to give a consistent look with the paint. This makes the space appear larger and keeps it feeling open.

A master bathroom with a free standing tub, Pottery Barn Pivot Mirrors, crisp white cabinets and dark gray tile.
A master bathroom with a tiled shower with a glass surround, and a white wainscoting wall.
A free standing tub with a wall mounted Brizo tub filler and white subway tile wainscoting.

I used an 18″ ceramic tile that looks like concrete for the floor and laid it in a diamond pattern. The Brizo tub filler, as mentioned above, is one of my favorite parts of this room.

We had a space for a linen closet right as you walk in the door. I opted for open shelving and hamper storage to keep the entryway light. My favorite thing shelved is this wood sign made by my friend Caroline of VineandBrancheTX.

A master bathroom with open shelving for hamper and bath towel storage.

You can see we mixed chrome and brushed nickel in here which adds interest within the same tonal palette. My favorite Pottery Barn Pivot Mirrors were a nice addition to these separate vanities that framed out the free standing tub. We did end up using a different counter top in the bathrooms which is a great tip to reduce your budget. Here we used Caesarstone Blizzard quartz.

A master bathroom with a free standing porcelain tub, Pottery Barn Pivot Mirrors, light grey walls and dark grey diamond tile flooring.


OFFICE

This plan included a nice office off of the entryway. This was a fun area to style and bring in pieces that were not brand new. I think it is so important to incorporate items that have history, especially when styling a brand new space.

A home office with a refinished antique desk in a french country cottage themed home in Salem, Oregon.
A home office with a french country cottage theme, a rustic wooden desk, grey walls and white curtains.

I refinished this antique desk and whitewashed this 1980’s kitchen hutch to be used for this exact goal. Brand new everything can leave a new home feeling very sterile. This rustic pieces anchored the charm and you could see it from the moment you walked in. Fresh plants and a crisp rug kept the older pieces from feeling junky. As much as we don’t want every thing to be brand new, we also don’t want the entire room to feel chippy and old. That leads to feeling dirty and cluttered. Balance is KEY!

A white washed vintage hutch in a home office with a french country cottage theme.
Styling details of a rustic antique desk in a french country cottage themed home in Salem, Oregon.


CURB APPEAL

As menioned earlier, this home sits on a large corner lot with space for a spacious RV pad, side garden beds and firepit area. This home sits on the corner entering the subdivision so I wanted make sure the garage side had plenty of dimension to match the front. I sketched this pergola for the side to tie in the wood shutters from the front. It was just the interest we needed for this end of the house.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! Thank you for following along with our work and being interested in the details. It is so fun to share our work with all of you!

A craftsman style home on a corner lot in Salem, Oregon with light grey siding and a natural wood pergola.
A craftsman style home on a corner lot in Salem, Oregon with light grey siding, a side entry garage and a natural wood pergola.
curb-appeal-with-austin-stone-and-gray-shingle-siding-batten-board-natural-wood-shutters-and-pergola-attached-to-the-house.jpeg

DETAILS

  • Wall Color : Repose Gray (Sherwin Williams 7015)

  • Trim Color: Alabaster (Sherwin Williams 7008)

  • Cabinets: Alabaster (Sherwin Williams 7008)

  • Hardwood: Olde Towne European White Oak

  • Tile: Coming Soon

  • Countertops: Pental Quartz Cashmere & Caesarstone Blizzard from Bella Pietra

  • Exterior Paint: Dovetail Gray (Sherwin Williams 7018)

  • Exterior Trim: Alabaster (Sherwin Williams 7008)

Bathroom, Custom Design, Kitchen, New Construction, Single LevelJayme Fridley2017