Tour a Kentucky Interior Designer's Vintage Country Cottage

Yes, you can blend farmhouse with curated modern touches, as interior designer Gretchen Rose's charming Kentucky home proves.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Photo By: Lang Thomas

A Kentucky Dream Home

Kentucky-based designer Gretchen Rose is carrying on a proud family tradition. Born and bred in the Bluegrass State, she is the owner of Kentucky Rose Designs, a vintage shop and interior design firm where she expresses her love affair with vintage furnishings — especially rugs — that started with her mom. Now, after two years in her 1,700-square-foot, 1950s Cape Cod-style home, the designer, her husband, Jordan, and their two dogs have the home of their dreams.

A Home Decorated With Vintage Decor

As with any vintage-inspired space, Gretchen’s living room is filled with beloved objects. Some were finds, others were heirlooms, but some of her favorites were gifts. “I love my art,” she beams. “A local artist just painted a gorgeous landscape of my parents’ farm with my dogs in the foreground. It really is a beautiful piece I will cherish forever.” Her rugs are some of her other favorite design elements. Rugs were at the core of her design adventures with her mother, and the development of her company. “Rugs were the start of Kentucky Rose Designs,” she confirms. “Every single rug is important to me,” she says, “because they are certainly the oldest and most storied pieces.”

A Stunning Peacock-Blue Living Room

“This took time,” Gretchen says, looking at the home she has now and thinking about where it began. “We needed several dumpsters immediately after closing to remove what the seller had left behind. There were broken and damaged doors, pet-stained carpets, litter boxes, broken dishes in the backyard and more.” It’s a far cry from the scene that greets visitors today. Gretchen’s spacious living room is made immediately eye-catching with its use of color. A soft yet deep peacock blue covers the walls, perfectly suited to the blush-toned sofas.

An Old Home’s Stunning Modern Renovation and Transformation

Though now it takes up most of her time, a career in design wasn’t always Gretchen’s ambition. A college graduate with a degree in pre-veterinary equine sciences, she was once on a very different path. Since then, her grasp of design has grown to rival her knowledge of horses. She’s now a pro at renovating interiors, having converted her living room and bedroom suite, and with an eye toward which rooms she wants to approach next. “A few of the rooms are long and narrow,” she says, “which makes the layout a little more tricky. The basement is just one long room with two posts that are really irritating when you’re trying to place a sofa,” she laughs.

Patience Is a Virtue When Remodeling and This One Was Well Worth It

Despite the time it took, Gretchen couldn’t be happier with the look of the home or more comfortable with the feel. And as she will be the first to say, in the end the connection you feel with your space is all that matters. “What I love most about this home is that it has my personality,” she says. “It takes time to make your home feel like your home. Don’t rush it.”

A Major Bathroom Overhaul With a Rug Focal Point

As anyone would imagine with a remodel of this size, the main bathroom was one of the biggest priorities. “The bathroom was a total remodel,” says Gretchen. The result is a perfect fit for the country-cozy aesthetic of the home. With limited wall space for adding color, Gretchen immediately took the opportunity to go back to her happy place, adding a beautiful multicolored vintage rug to the space.

Farmhouse Decor Works Beautifully in This Bathroom

Two beautifully shaped farmhouse mirrors preside over the double sinks of the long vanity. Like all hard renovations, this one took its toll, but in the end the result was worth it. “I like to think the spaces look like they are well thought out,” Gretchen reflects that they contain “collected pieces over time that have meaning and purpose in our lives.”

A Peaceful Bedroom Retreat Shows Vintage Can Be Minimalist Too

Where vintage rooms can often tend toward maximalism, Gretchen’s bedroom offers a more minimalist experience. Calm and reflective, the neutral-on-neutral palette of the room is perfect for late mornings or relaxing afternoons. Warm metallics and a single pop of pink from the flowers on the side table play up the home’s signature style, which Gretchen describes as “classic with a vintage twist.”

Vintage and Antique Treasures Create a Classic Bedroom Vignette

Opposite the bed another collection of finds is grouped by the door. The hunt for these treasures is what Gretchen loves most about her job. The variety of antique stores, vintage shops and other places where pieces can be found means that she is always on the move. “I love local thrift stores and the peddler’s mall for finding furniture and styling pieces,” she says. But why confine your searches to local shops when you can hit the web as well? “I also really love Facebook marketplace!” she adds.

Paint Is One Way to Update and Freshen Up the Living Area

The fetching paint job that Gretchen did in her living room isn’t just a scene-stealer, it was a necessity. Gretchen and her husband had to paint in order to move in, given the condition of the home when they bought it. “We had to immediately paint everything with a special primer to get rid of the smoke and pet smells.” But painting wasn’t the end of it. “We put down new carpet in the basement, primary bedroom and everywhere else,” she says, to help erase the odors in those rooms.

Don't Be Afraid to Update Your Home’s Layout

Part of finding the sweet spot for this home for Gretchen was deciding which rooms needed to go where. “When we first moved in, I had the dining room and living room swapped," she admits. “Eventually I changed that up.” Ultimately the deciding factor was more about the logistics of the home than the flow of the space. “Having the fireplace attached to the kitchen was great but the dining room is also our porch access so putting a sofa in front of sliding doors wasn't really an option,” she explains.

Mix Modern and Vintage Elements for a Unique, Timeless Look

Gretchen’s love of vintage pieces comes through in this home, as does her understanding of how to make this era-specific style feel warm and relaxing. From tables to picture frames to lighting, each element in the room evokes a laid-back, rustic feel. With a few modern elements mixed in to keep things feeling relevant, it’s a blended style that makes its creator smile. “I guess I am a mix of eclectic-vintage-cottage-granny-chic,” Gretchen laughs.

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