COTTAGE TO THE CORE

Lifestyle blogger Rebecca Lovatt's 17th-century thatched cottage in the English countryside springs to life with a romantic blending of rugged good bones and layers of well-loved vintage treasures.

- KELLY RYAN KEGANS

HOW CLEVER IS THAT?

DIY Pallet Sofa

For the back patio, Rebecca's husband, Jamie, built a corner sofa from old shipping pallets that Rebecca then topped with bench cushions and a mix of grain sack and gingham pillows.

Fresh paint gave new life to an armoire Rebecca found on Facebook Marketplace. She made the entry's pendant from a lampshade and inexpensive light kit.

Blooming hollyhocks-a classic flower for cottage gardens-provide a bright border around Rebecca's home in Suffolk, England. "It does feel quite magical here in the spring when everything turns a delicious green," she says.

Built in 1650, the cottage's thatched roof and black weatherboard rear exterior are common vernacular in the English countryside setting.

Before Rebecca and Jamie Lovatt moved their family from Northern England to the Suffolk countryside, they made a list of features they didn't want in their home: nothing too old or in need of repair and most certainly not a thatched roof, which requires regular maintenance. But, as luck (and love) would have it, the thatched, timber-framed 17th-century cottage they fell for ticked off every item on their do-not-buy mandate. "When we first toured the property, as we turned every corner, we were saying, 'Oh no...we can't possibly...we musn't... ” Rebecca recalls, just before they relented. “I'm a complete romantic at heart,” she adds. “And my husband loved it, too. Possibly even more.”

COTTAGE CLASSIC

Slipcovered Sofas

To offset the sitting room's rugged walls, Rebecca selected slipcovered sofas and thick floral draperies backed with striped fabric.