When I started dreaming up the design for our English cottage morning room, I knew I wanted it to feel light, layered, and lived in—while still standing up to the realities of lake life. Soft patterns, warm wood tones, and an easy, welcoming charm were essential, but this space also needed to work hard for our family.
This morning room isn’t just a place to sit and sip coffee. If you’re planning a multi-functional space and want help pulling together finishes, layouts, and storage solutions, our Virtual Design service offers a personalized approach tailored to your home and lifestyle. It’s our main drop zone, offering storage for coats, boots, and coolers. It doubles as a pantry for cooking supplies and household essentials. And finally, it needed to include a cozy sitting area with a small TV where we could relax together. Balancing that level of function with cottage-style charm was the true design challenge.
English Cottage Morning Room Design: Walls & Wallpaper
I envisioned one standout accent wall wrapped in wallpaper, with the remaining walls feeling calm, bright, and timeless. To achieve that balance, I chose a peel-and-stick wallpaper layered with soft shades of blue—perfect for pulling color throughout the room without overwhelming the space. The remaining walls are painted Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams, which keeps everything feeling airy and open.
This wallpaper became a key element in establishing the English cottage feel while still aligning with the relaxed tone of our lake house.
This is where my Personal Shopper Service becomes invaluable—helping clients source wallpaper, finishes, and materials that feel cohesive and intentional.
Inside the larger closet, we leaned into darker tones to create depth. That led to one of my favorite moments in the entire room: the pantry. I wanted this space to feel like a small surprise. When I walk out on our dock, I love looking down into the water and watching schools of fish swim below—and that feeling became the inspiration here.
The pantry wallpaper echoes those moments perfectly. Its blues and sage greens tie seamlessly back to the kitchen and reinforce a cohesive flow throughout the home.
Flooring That Balances Durability & Cottage Charm
Because this room sees heavy traffic (and plenty of dirt), heated tile floors were a must. I wanted something durable that wouldn’t highlight every footprint, but I also didn’t want it to feel cold or utilitarian.
I initially considered gray slate but worried it would read too much like a sidewalk. Then, while shopping for tile for our bathroom, I found the perfect patterned tile at Floor & Decor. The subtle mix of blues and grays pulls from the wallpaper and surrounding finishes beautifully.
I’ll admit, I hesitated before introducing another pattern—but leaning into that choice made all the difference. The layered textures add movement and personality, giving the room an unmistakable lake house cottage feel that’s relaxed rather than rigid.
Ceiling Details & Finishing Touches
We’re vaulting the ceiling in this space, and because the room gets full sun in the summer, a ceiling fan was non-negotiable. That said, I didn’t want just any fan—it needed to feel visually light, predominantly white, and ideally include a touch of caning.
When I found the one—white with gold accents and a cane-wrapped light fixture—I knew it was perfect. It adds just the right amount of elegance and texture without feeling heavy or competing with the rest of the room’s details.
These finishing details are often where our Full-Service Design clients see the biggest impact, ensuring every element works together seamlessly.
Final Thoughts
This morning room has become one of the hardest-working spaces in our home, and also one of the most joyful. It blends function with personality, storage with softness, and practicality with pattern. Every detail—from the wallpaper to the tile to the fan—tells a story, and together they create a space that feels both welcoming and deeply personal.
I couldn’t be happier with how it all came together.
Not sure which service fits your project best? You can also book a complimentary Interior Design Consultation to figure out where to begin.
