A 1950s Forest Ranch Transformed with Subtle Whimsy

Homeowner Cathy Harrell says that Smith Lake has long been her family’s happy place. When they built a new lake house, designer Bee Martin Little and builder Chuck Gillespie made it even happier.

By
Alice Welsh Doyle
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The shingled exterior was updated with Gray Gardens by Benjamin Moore, along with fresh landscaping // Photography by Holly Schumpert // Floral Design by Vicka Hanson // Styling by Margaret Hicks

A Weekend Retreat Tucked Into the Trees

What do young married design professionals and their children do on the weekends? Sometimes, absolutely nothing at all—and that’s just fine by interior designer Ivy Schuster. “Our house does have a bit of a vacation vibe to it,” she says. “A weekend can go by where we never leave, and I hardly even notice. One reason we were attracted to this property was its location tucked away in the woods yet close to everything.”

The reworked pool deck makes staying home all the more enticing.

A Mountain Brook Find Worth Waiting For

After renovating what they thought was their forever home in Homewood, Ivy and her husband Josef, a custom cabinetmaker, learned that a property was going on the market in Mountain Brook. Not only was Ivy friends with the owner but she and Josef had worked on the house professionally after a fire.

The couple had always admired the 1950s cedar shake home, so it seemed like kismet when it became available. “We loved the bones, and it was in good shape,” says Ivy. “However, we did end up touching every room in some capacity. Several lifts were more of a decorating exercise, but we also added a wing that feels like it could be original. Before, the house was more of an L-shape; now it’s closer to a U.”

For the tight entry, Josef crafted a floating, fluted console set against an antique mirrored wall topped with an ornate French mirror.
A paneled wall in the primary bedroom provides storage accessed by a pair of jib doors. The posh, tactile room with its animal print and cowhide rug feels plucked from a contemporary hotel.

“One draw to the house is its great layout for hospitality and entertaining which is what makes it unique—there is such good flow between the rooms and the outdoor spaces.” —Ivy Schuster

A Designer’s Eclectic Eye, Led by Art

When it came to the décor, Ivy found herself exploring new territory as the style and one-level layout of the house was very different from her 1920s traditional Homewood stone cottage. However, her signature passions remained the same. “Your home is the only place where you can do exactly what you want, and I would say that my personal style is very eclectic and leans more modern and casual, but I also love to mix in antiques,” she says. “I’m fortunate to have inherited a lot of special pieces, and I’m very influenced by art. I also dove into my file of favorites that I’ve collected when sourcing for clients. I kept going back to some of the ideas over and over again.”

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Living Room Details

Dashes of color from the orange-hued Oushak rug and yellow Pierre Frey pillow fabric bring spirit to the neutral living room anchored at one end by custom millwork bookcases painted a deep gray green, the same color as the exterior of the house.
Tip: Bring contrast to neutral walls through painted bookcases, wood paneling, gilded mirrors, sheer fabric panels, and art such as the antique piece from The Nest

The result is rooms that are inviting with subtle panache—a tiered paper lantern over the breakfast room table; a wall covered in sheer drapery panels; a large-scale moody landscape suspended from the ceiling by decorative brass chains; floor-to-ceiling bookcases painted in a chic gray/green; layered cowhide rugs; and antique chests transformed into a kitchen island.

The Gallery Wall

Tip: Create an eclectic gallery wall full of family finds, travel treasures, and other pieces that speak to your personality or tell a story. “I wanted to cover that whole area with art, and I’m constantly adding, tweaking, and messing with it—there is no formula,” says Ivy.
The breakfast room shows off skirted chairs with dark wood detailing surrounding an antique table topped with a paper lantern that Ivy had used in other projects and long admired. “The lantern is a bit whimsical which keeps the space from leaning too serious,” she says. The art is a gift from a friend.

Kitchen, Dining, and Breakfast Room

Tip: Animal hides are super durable, family friendly, and add a lot of texture. Ivy used them on kitchen counter stools and armchairs in the living room. Above, a brass-framed kitchen island designed by the couple is the highlight of the creamy kitchen. Ivy paired it with counter stools from Circa Antiques & Interiors, along with vintage finds such as the French pie scales.
Dreamy Schumacher wallpaper sets a serene backdrop for the dining room.
Statement art by Megan Adams Brooks (from Odette) anchors the space.

“Our kids get to grow up somewhere they can roam around in the woods and be immersed in nature. It has really changed our life being somewhere with so much outdoor space.” —Ivy Schuster, homeowner and interior designer

The Girls’ Rooms

Tip: Double the fun. This linear room was the perfect size and shape for two twin beds. Josef worked with Jeanette Hightower to fabricate the bed canopies in a Thibaut print that adds vertical height, color, and pattern for a tailored look in the younger daughter’s room.
A graphic Thibaut wallpaper adds joyful pattern to a small bathroom and complements the fabric canopies in the adjacent bedroom.
The girls’ rooms were designed to reflect their personalities and grow with them. This one leans more sophisticated but still youthful with dashes of bright color and a favorite spot for the family’s Cavapoo, Rooster.
This girl’s bathroom has a woodsy Schumacher wallpaper that reflects the setting of the home and adds some whimsy.

Continue the Tour

See the landscape: Woodland Outdoor Living Haven

Resources

Interior Design: Ivy Schuster, Hatcher Schuster Interiors General Contractor, Custom Cabinetry & Millwork: Josef Schuster, Kitchen Potential Landscape Architecture: David Lorberbaum, Lorberbaum McNair & Associates Landscape Installation: Green Landscaping Living Room: Wall color: Benjamin Moore’s Wind’s Breath; Sofas and fabric: Odette; Stools: Maison; Cowhide rugs: Paige Albright Orientals. Primary Bathroom: Light fixture: Visual Comfort; Stone installation: Surface One; Porcelain tile: Fixtures & Finishes. Twin Bedroom: Rug: Hiltz-Lauber.

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