true blue

Charmed by a Minnesota cottage, the owners changed little, relying on paint and furniture for red, white and new personality.

- JOANNA LINBERG

WHAT YOU DON'T DO is as important as what you do designers Martha Dayton and Kelly Perry knew a light touch would give a Lake Minnetonka home more zip than a total do-over. "The bones of this cottage were great. It just needed a face-lift," Dayton says. White paint gave the interiors a glow-up, then Perry took the clients' brief for casual, playful style and came up with a subtle red, white and blue scheme carried by transitional-style, entertaining-friendly furniture. Sometimes, that meant going semi-custom, like the handwoven living room rug from Auda Sinda. For items bought at retail, like Room and Board armchairs, strong colors brought oomph. Then it was hands off and game on for the clients, who pack the house nearly every weekend with grandkids and friends.

Tough stuff Washable velvet on the dining chairs means no worry about dirt or water tracked in from the lake.