Our Sitting Room Transformation: A Welcoming Retreat for all in our Coastal Cottage

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Some rooms wait patiently for their purpose. This one sat just off the mudroom and kitchen with built-in bookshelves and good bones—but no real role in how we lived. It wasn’t quite a living room, not quite a library, and definitely not a space we gravitated toward when friends came over.

From day one, we knew we wanted it to become the exact opposite, but waited for the right time. Today, this sitting room is one of the most welcoming areas in our home—a layered entertaining zone complete with a wet bar, proper storage for all of our glassware and serving pieces, and comfortable seating that invites people to linger. It’s warm, textural, and quietly confident. And it feels like a clear step forward in where we’re taking our home stylistically.

Designing Around How We Actually Live

Because this room opens directly off the kitchen, it needed to feel connected in purpose—not styled as a precious, separate remembering space. I wanted it to function as an extension of how we cook, host, and gather, whether it’s a casual weeknight drink or a full house during the holidays.

The transformation focused on three key elements:

• A functional wet bar

• Thoughtful storage

• Seating that encourages staying awhile

Everything else flowed from there.

The Wet Bar (and the Cabinet Color That Changed Everything)

The wet bar is what truly anchored the room. We used cabinetry from The Cabinet Joint, but instead of going with a standard finish, we had our crew spray them the exact same color I had originally chosen for the bookcases: Blue Spruce by Benjamin Moore.

Blue Spruce has this incredible depth—moody without being dark, classic without feeling traditional. Carrying that color across the cabinetry and trim created a seamless, built-in look that makes the whole room feel intentional and calm.

For hardware, I chose Rejuvenation’s unlacquered brass. I love how it starts polished and then slowly develops character over time—it’s the kind of detail that makes a room feel lived in, not frozen in time.

Layering Pattern, Wood Tones, and Texture

This room is really about the mix of old and new to meet exactly where my style lands.

We layered multiple wood tones, varied finishes, and wallpaper to bring warmth and visual interest without overwhelming the space. The wallpaper adds just enough pattern to give the room a pulse, while the surrounding finishes ground it and keep it timeless.

Nothing here is meant to match perfectly, and that’s very much the point. The textures and materials play off one another quietly, creating a space that feels collected rather than designed all at once.

Seating That Makes You Stay

Though a small space, I wanted seating that felt comfortable and inviting, but still polished enough to hold its own next to the cabinetry and finishes. This isn’t a room you pop into for five minutes—it’s a room that naturally fills when guests arrive.

People gather near the bar, settle into conversation, refill a drink, sit back down. It works because it’s easy. And ease, especially when entertaining, is everything.

A Space That Signals What’s Next for Our Home

More than anything, this sitting room reflects where we’re headed as a home. It’s welcoming. It’s layered. It leans into warmth, texture, and quiet detail rather than trends. It feels like a natural evolution from where we started—and a foundation for what’s coming next.

Shop the Sitting Room

You can shop the decor, wallpaper, furniture, lighting, and entertaining pieces from this space below. Every item was chosen with both function and longevity in mind—pieces that feel just as right day-to-day as they do when we’re hosting.