When looking at most spaces you may not notice the delicate balance of angles and shapes a designer plays with to create a harmonious home. That was not the case when Katie Monkhouse first stepped into this house. Katie embraced this home’s quirky layout and added a dash of English charm to create a home that accents its angles and has great flow. Scroll through the gorgeous photos by Stephanie Russo to see how it turned out!

Love what you see here? Both Katie and Stephanie will be speaking at the Fall 2023 Haven Workshop! This is your opportunity to learn from creatives you admire, in-person, face-to-face, real success, and growth stories shared. We’re pulling back the curtain on how we took our businesses and brands to the next level—and how you can, too. Take a minute to pop over to our Workshop page to learn a bit more about our event then join us in Sonoma to learn from the experts themselves!

From the photographer… Working with Katie Monkhouse is never not fun. She has an incredibly strong sense of style, but doesn’t take herself too seriously which results in focused photoshoots…dappled with belly laughs. This was actually our first time working together and I remember panicking when I walked in the door, there were so many beautiful details (let’s all take a moment for that marble surround). I wanted to do every corner justice as it was immediately apparent she had put big heart into this little cottage. The home itself had several distinctive corners/turns and as the sun shifted it lit each room in such a beautifully unique way. We spent the day chasing light around the house and also brought in some off-camera flash to enhance the textures + palette Katie had so thoughtfully chosen for each space.

From the designer… Our clients were a young couple that was moving from the city, they welcomed their first child during this project! They fell in love with the property but knew they wanted it updated to feel a little younger without losing all the charm and traditional feel. We decided to go for a bit of an English cottage feel, warm with layered colors and patterns but still modern enough for this young family.

This cottage-style home definitely had some challenges as far as the quirky layout and all the angles. It had been added on too many times since it was built so we were trying to connect the dots without taking out the quirk that gave it character. We pulled millwork details from existing areas through to the renovated areas to create continuity and make it all feel like it had always been there. A lot of the inspiration came from my time living in England. We wanted lots of wainscotting and paneling, lots of draperies, and herringbone floors – we knew the house needed to keep the cottage charm but we wanted to layer it in color and pattern to give it some gravity.

My favorite elements are the brick floor we put in the entry, the Calacatta Monet fireplace in the sitting room, and the soapstone and millwork fireplace in the primary suite – all of these elements are consistent with the character of the home but feel so updated and fresh. The project took a year to (nearly) finish. There are actually two pieces still waiting to be delivered and installed but that is always the case these days!

The dining area is one of my favorite transformations. We ripped out some built-in bookcases to make the space symmetrical and reframed the opening to be wider and have a soft curve. The millwork is an extension of what is existing in the adjacent hallway and the built-in dining banquette adds loads of extra seating. Farrow & Ball Jitney on the millwork and a printed grass cloth Philip Jeffries wallpaper create a sofa contrast to the rest of this area in the home which is a warm white.

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Interior Design: Katie Monkhouse Interiors · Photography: Stephanie Russo · Carpentry: Jasper Montgomery