This 700-Square-Foot Over-the-Garage Apartment Feels Like a Mini Vacation

For five years,Robin Andersonworked her way through her clients’ historicVictorian home, room by room. The rebuilt carriage house—the original was destroyed by ice dams—was the project’s very last component. In the new design, the bottom portion housed a three-car garage and the top, a one-bedroom apartment. “They have all the rooms they need, so this is a bonus space, say for girls’ nights. [It’s also] where her parents stay when they visit,” the designer says.

BEFORE:The homeowners hadn’t touched the original carriage house, not even to paint over the pink exterior. “A painter friend used it as a studio for a bit, then it was destroyed by ice dams,” Robin says. This view is where the cooktop is now located.

Since it’s separate from the main house, Robin reasoned, this didn’t need to be a clone. Instead, it feels like a mini vacation destination. Her style of choice? An updated take on French country. “The clients are more modern, but they’re into whatever I’ve got going on at the moment,” Robin says. “I experimented with a French vibe using classic and modern elements that feel European.”

A greige-and-ivory checkerboard tile floor greets visitors in the vestibule, then works its way up the stairs to the kitchenette in the airy great room. “The tile adds a lot visually and divides the kitchen from the living area,” Robin explains. “It helps it feel like its own room.”

AFTER:Robin chose concrete-like quartz for the countertops. “There was no way I was putting white quartz in this kitchen,” the designer says. “This has a lot of warmth, movement, and color.”

The green cabinetry that hugs the corner doesn’t hurt, either. “I’ve been dying to do a green kitchen,” Robin says. An apron-front farm sink and café curtains infuse French country charm into the space, and oak shelves, a drywalled hood,amber sconcesfrom Schoolhouse, and concrete-like countertops keep the interior feeling modern and rustic. Robin’s signature kitchen accessory—a table lampon the counter—serves as a finishing touch.

Structural beams stretch across the space, with a cathedral ceiling rising above. “I love beams,” Robin says. “They make a room cozy.” A minimalist, blackened-brasslight fixturewith caramel leather by Kathy Skelton swoops down over thedining table.Teak dining chairsare gathered around that piece, warming the vignette. “There are lots of hard edges in here, so I used rounded silhouettes to soften them,” Robin says. Achannel-tufted velvet barwith brass trim brings green to the room while injecting a healthy dose of glam boutique hotel flavor.

AFTER:The built-in cabinet under theSamsung Frame televisionmelds seamless with the architecture. A Selamat hand-woven jute pendant light adds interest to the top of the room and one of Anderson’s one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls sits on the coffee table.

Sabrina Cole Quinn

Robin contrasts the touches of emerald with atopaz velvet sleeper sofafrom Clad Home in the seating area. “We knew we’d keep the walls light and simple, so I went with a heavy jewel tone palette,” she says. “The super saturated furniture pieces really pop.”Plaid swivel chairs从一个房间&董事会玩棋盘瓷砖floor and make it easy to watch the television behind them.

In the bedroom, beadboard was painted the same greige as the oversize baseboards and three-panel doors. (Robin color-matched the paint to the darker checkerboard floor tile.) “Beadboard is a throwback that feels a little bit vintage,” Robin says. “And it brings a lot of character without adding much cost.”

AFTER:Robin, who is relocating to Switzerland in the fall, plans to use jumbo gingham fabric by Beata Heuman to skirt the sink in the farmhouse her family is renting. “This was my practice run!” she laughs.

Roman shades made fromjumbo gingham fabric by Beata Heumandress the windows. “Drapery is important to me; the Roman had to have the big droop in the middle,” Robin says. She coaxes the tiny burgundy lines out of the fabric with thecognac-colored velvet headboard. “The color ties to the kitchen sconces,” she says. “The space is small, so it’s important for each room to include hints from the others.”

AFTER:“Matte black and brass finishes update the beadboard,” Robin says of the bath scheme.Cedar & Moss sconcesflank a round mirror that counterbalances the shower door grid. “The black dividers are built into the glass so it’s easy to clean,” she says.

在浴缸里,罗宾层black and white patterns, making the classic tiles sing. Even the mustard striped towels are part of the scheme, echoing the wood ceiling beam and vanity. Like the bedding, they’re fromHeather Taylor’s collaboration with West Elm. “We scooped up the line when it came out,” Robin says. “It all feels a little French country.”