11 Effortlessly Stunning Decorating Ideas From a California Wine Country Cottage

Though the house was a serious eyesore, Bonnie Miller (a former retail executive for Restoration Hardware and Smith & Hawken) and her husband, Hank, couldn't turn down the chance to own 28 acres in the heart of California wine country. To whip the circa 1870s structure into shape, Bonnie enlisted the help of designer Laurie Furber (a former Pottery Barn executive, now owner of Elsie Green House & Home).

Together the two catalog veterans reimagined the house, which originally served as the home of a cattle ranch foreman, by opening up the cramped floor plan and installing creamy white paneling. They then incorporated an assortment of antiques right alongside plenty of mass retailer finds. "We tried to stay true to the history of the property," explains Laurie, "by keeping it simple and inviting."

To give the renovated kitchen a historic feel, Laurie enlisted a local painter to turn the new pine ceiling supports into aged-looking beams. "We wanted to use repurposed materials, but nothing was long enough," says Laurie. "Luckily, the charcoal-and-brown paint job fools everyone!" Above the island, four articulating bronze sconces from Circa Lighting were mounted for task lighting that doesn't compromise the design. Adding some edge to the clean, white space are four zinc-and-black leather barstools. Modified by a local metal shop to swivel, they help create a casual, open feel between the kitchen and adjoining living room.

Laurie's and Bonnie's catalog-meets-collected design is perfectly represented in the living room where newly purchased sofas, coffee tables, and lamps effortlessly coincide with one-of-a-kind finds. Case in point: the showstopping baskets displayed above the velvet sofa. Collected by Laurie on trips to Europe and hung in an asymmetric configuration, the arrangement brings texture and tonal hues that feel at home among the contemporary pieces. A duo of handsome sofas—one leather, one velvet; both from Restoration Hardware —anchors the room. "A matching set would have had a decorated- in-a-day look," says Laurie. "The different shapes and fabrics let the pairing feel much more organic."

To maximize space, Bonnie opted for a built-in banquette, which she paired with an antique pine table and schoolhouse chairs. The throw pillows' color palette was inspired by the 1930 poster advertising a horse race that took place just down the road from the Millers' property. The zinc light fixtures may look as weathered as the table below them, but they're actually current offerings from Urban Electric. "The key is to have items from a variety of eras, even present day," says Laurie. "That way nothing screams 'I don't belong here!'"

Just the right size to fit an alcove off the kitchen, this beat-up spring green piece was previously an artist's easel and, before that, a handyman's work-bench. Now it's an ideal spot for serving drinks and storing bar essentials.

One of Bonnie's first purchases for the home was a metal basket from Sundance, which she cleverly turned upside down to use as a table. "I love that it adds an industrial touch next to the chippy cane bench," she says. Rounding out the entry is a cowhide rug made using remnants from a prior upholstery project.

With low ceilings and small windows, the Millers' bedroom lacked architectural interest. To remedy this problem, Laurie enlisted a one-of-a-kind headboard and plenty of patterned textiles. She used hand-block-printed linen to create billowy window treatments and cut costs by forgoing floor-length curtains in favor of a window sill design. A smaller-scale motif on the bedding plays off the blue-and-white look.

"This frock made from an old map is girlie without feeling over-the-top," says Laurie of this vintage artwork in one of the bedrooms.

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With a whopping seven windows, the master bathroom presented a serious design challenge. "I didn't want to hang blinds because of the light and the stunning views," explains Bonnie. "But with a guest cottage located just north of the bathroom, we needed some privacy in that direction." The ingenious solution: Suspend mirrors from the ceiling! To do so Bonnie equipped West Elm mirrors with pulleys (purchased from a hardware store and spray-painted black) and hung them with thick sisal rope (also from a hardware store).