Gieves AndersonNot every design project allows a decorator to pursue his own desires. More often than not, and rightly so, they are carrying out a clients dreams. But every once in a while, a special project comes around where the clients encourage a designer to truly pursue his own vision.Thats exactly what happened for designer Eddie Lee when he was hired to update an 18th-century shingle-style weekend cottage. This was a rare opportunity for a client to say go for it, Lee says. Since it is a weekend place they were totally cool with pushing it.Gieves AndersonThe bar area of the downstairs living area features a pair of antique English armchairs covered in a Dedar fabric. Lee, who opened his own firm in 2005, worked with contractor Jim Best to gut the interior of the three-bedroom cottage, set on 200 acres in Bedford, New York. Downstairs the two opened up small spaces to make the common areas cohesive and added modern updates, which included ripping out the linoleum floors in the kitchen. The wide plank pine floors, beams, and staircase stayed, and the result was a more open living, dining, and bar area. Lee overcame the challenge of a small space and low ceilings through decoration. Its not like I could make the furniture diminutive, it had to be through the materials, Lee says. Lee sheathed all of the walls in the same grasscloth wallcovering in a light, airy color by Phillip Jeffries and opted for Roman shades by Hunter Douglas along all of the windows. Curtains, he says, would make the space feel choppy. Whenever you turn your head, theres continuity, Lee says. And because of the color of the grasscloth, and the rug, it definitely gives a glow. Lees knack for combining styles and periods shows through his selection of antique and vintage pieces, primarily English. I like the idea of an English country house thats been passed down, and each generation has used the premiere furniture of their generation, he says. Gieves AndersonDesigner Eddie Lee went for cheerful and joy while designing the kitchen. The pendants and sconce are by Visual Comfort and the cabinets, trim, and door are painted in Spiced Apple Cider by Benjamin Moore. Upstairs, Lee kept the existing room layouts, aiming to make the slanted and sloped ceilings of the bedrooms feel charming. As counterintuitive as it might sound, using a patterned wallpaper opens up the rooms, he says. In the primary bedroom, Lee pulled colors from the Schumacher Indian Arbre floral pattern that covers the walls and bed to paint the window trim in Van Courtland Blue by Benjamin Moore, as well as the background beige color on the ceiling. Similar colors were carried into the primary bathroom with matching subway tiles. Lee continued the theme in the neighboring twin bedroom covering the walls in a coral and green floral by Waterhouse Wallhangings. The third bedroom, dubbed the bird room, shines with an aviary print by Schumacher. Lee dosed the kitchen downstairs in cheer by painting it in Spiced Apple Cider by Benjamin Moore. I just want this to be fun and feel like a vacation when they go to their weekend house, he says. I wanted it to feel almost celebratory. And it absolutely does. Take A Look Inside This Cozy Bedford, New York Home