Idea House 2015 | Cottage at Cloudland Station

Our first built-from-the-ground-up Idea House puts a fresh spin on a classic American house style. A storybook cottage with a steeply pitched roof, it combines historical architectural details with modern amenities. An open floor plan, a flexible layout, and a wraparound porch maximize space indoors and out for a home that's functional, adaptable, and full of appeal. Click through to take a tour.

How exactly does this small house live large? The wide-open ground floor embraces living, dining, and kitchen areas. It also hosts one of two master suites, to allow for a family's changing needs or to welcome guests. Upstairs, the main master suite, a third bedroom, and a hall bath lead to a top-story sleeping loft tucked beneath the rafters. Clever storage and seating built-ins throughout tap every extra sliver of space. One reason we chose to build our Idea House at Cloudland Station, a Southern Living Inspired Community in Chickamauga, Georgia, is the obvious craftsmanship of the homes, which are based on traditional turn-of-the-century designs. We believe this cottage offers inspiration and accessible ideas that you can apply to your own home, whether you're making modest upgrades, embarking on a major remodel, or building from scratch.

Shown: The facade's tapered porch columns on stone piers, stone-clad foundation walls, and beefy brackets are classic Craftsman touches. The peaked metal roof updates the traditional form, as does the vibrant paint color (Olympic's Chinese Porcelain).

The porch, a generous 10 feet deep on two sides, accommodates multiple seating areas to extend living space. Interior Designer Yvonne McFadden chose furniture, including a pair of all-weather wicker sofas, to suit family life as well as entertaining. The carpenter-built cedar coffee-table top hosts cocktails or cards with ease. Pendant lights allow conversation into the evening. The green custom front door brightens the shaded area.
Paint: Olympic's Asparagus (door)
Floor, railings: Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Sconces, pendants: Lamps Plus
Wire side tables: The Company Store
Plants: Monrovia

The porch ceiling is clad in tongue-and-groove white-pine beadboard. Painted in Olympic's Beach House, it helps reflect light into the house on a gloomy day. An outdoor ceiling fan keeps air moving on a sultry summer afternoon.

Come on in! No space is wasted on an entryway in the family room, where shiplap paneling and decorative red-cedar beams set the rustic cottage tone. Atlanta interior designer Yvonne McFadden chose tailored seating and a coffee table on casters that glides over a supersize ottoman to free up floor space.
Paint: Olympic's Quill (walls)
Beams: Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Drapes, Roman shades, baskets: The Company Store
Art: UGallery

Multiple seating areas create a comfortable space for entertaining by the fire. Window sashes are painted charcoal to disappear, putting the vistas just outside in focus.

The dining area's custom-built trestle table bridges living and kitchen spaces. Nearby, French doors lead to the side section of the wraparound porch.
Custom dining table: Sonny Whitt (423-488-5762)
Dishware: The Homer Laughlin China Company

McFadden enlivened the kitchen with cabinets painted in Olympic's Castile. She also designed a pendant with glass globes found at an antiques warehouse. Marble lines the counters; shiplap wraps the range hood. Reclaimed chestnut—with 10 coats of food-safe butcher-block oil—tops the island.
Custom cabinetry, countertops: Harris Custom Cabinetry
Faucet: Moen

A custom built-in bench houses drawers for nicknacks and space underneath for just-shed shoes. Additional cabinets and hooks organizes inhabitants of all ages and sizes.
Paint: Olympic's Stormy Weather (cabinets)
Ceiling light: Lamps Plus
Bags, pet accessories: The Company Store

Floor-to-ceiling cabinets keep the compact laundry room tidy. A counter for folding spans the washer and dryer. The sink can serve as a hand-washing and hand-laundering station or a palce for potting plants.
Faucet, sink: Moen
Art: UGallery

The first-floor master bedroom hosts guests—or homeowners who prefer to avoid stairs. Three-over-one windows face the front porch, while small casements over the bed allow a cross breeze.
Paint: Olympic's Cactus Blossom (walls)
Bedding, rugs: The Company Store
Table lamps, drape and pillow fabric: Schumacher
Custom drapes: Home Accent Inc.
Floor lamp: Lamps Plus

In the first-floor master bath, porcelain tile clads the shower walls. Honed-marble mosaic tile on the floor provides a nonslip surface. Two niches offer dedicated spots for soap and shampoo.
Tile: TileBar

Shiplap walls continue in the upstairs hall. Just outside the bunk room, a small laptop desk takes advantage of a natural alcove, with a small window above.
Desk chair: The Company Store
Art: UGallery

Tucked under the front gable, the upstairs master bedroom gains height—and interest—by exposing the structure overhead, all painted rough-sawn white pine. Showing off beams and rafters throughout the cottage lends a lofty feel.
Paint: Olympic's Cornmeal (walls)
Bed, bedding, rug: The Company Store
Art: UGallery

A generous bath is divided into functional areas by partitioned walls, including an alcove for a vanity table, whose apron is made from two pieces of a salvaged door.
Paint: Olympic's Quill (walls)
Robe, towels, accessories: The Company Store
Tile: TileBar

Wall-mount faucets make it easy to clean the marble counter with a swipe. The sink cabinet has a warm, gray-washed finish for a reclaimed-wood look.
Faucet: Moen

The shower is lined with a sophisticated marble mosaic tile befitting a master bath. A triangular bench tucks discreetly in the corner. A robe hook on the wall beside the shower provides easy access to robes and clothes after bathing.
Tile: TileBar
Hooks, towel bars: Moen
Tile: TileBar

For this second-floor bedroom, carpenter Sonny Whitt built bunk beds from rough-sawn white-pine rafters, distressed the wood with hand tools and chains, then applied a diluted ebony stain. The beds, attached to colorfully painted pine planking that wraps the head and side, are anchored to the walls.
Bedding, end table, table lamp, baskets: The Company Store
Bunk beds: Sonny Whitt (423-488-5762)

A stenciled design of turquoise arrows above the wainscot of black penny-round tile is a practical alternative to wallpaper in the upstairs hall bath.
Tile: Tile Bar
Faucet: Moen
Shower curtain, towels, robe, bath accessories: The Company Store
Stencil: Cutting Edge Stencils

The loft is accessed via a ladder-step stairway of reclaimed barn wood. To accommodate the steep pitch of the staircase, the steps are 8 inches deep. A sliding barn door on the hall bath eliminates a space-hogging door swing.
Staircase: Sonny Whitt (423-488-5762)

The loft offers a kids' play space at one end, twin beds at the other. The roof structure allows 7 feet 2 inches of clearance at its highest point. Egress windows are locked when kids are present. Clothes reside in cabinets built into the crawl space.
Paint: Olympic's Gone Bananas
Beds: Sonny Whitt (423-488-5762)
Bedding, chair, hamper: The Company Store
Art: UGallery

In the play area, foot-deep built-in shelves fit into the space between the first sets of rafters. A wood bench supplements the cushion seating.
Custom built-ins: Sonny Whitt (423-488-5762)
Poufs, baskets, toys: The Company Store

Landscape designer Kate Karam added a small garden in the space connecting the front and back yards. A faux-bois bench, with a matching cast-stone planter, offers a quiet rest spot. A garnet Japanese maple shares the plot with Little Lime hydrangeas and Japanese painted ferns.
Landscaping: Monrovia
Planters, bench: Campania International
Metal roofing: GreenForm

Sheltered by a 10-by-12-foot pergola, a ceramic grill and smoker sit on the perimeter of the paver patio so that smoke drafts away from diners.
Dishes: The Homer Laughlin China Company
Pergola: The Home Depot and Design Craft Millworks
Grill: Southern Hearth and Patio

The pergola and patio allow for multiple seating areas.