Cool, Calm, and Collected Decorating

Just about everything in Laura Jayson’s Rowayton, CT, home is either a shade of blue ("What’s cooler than turquoise and aqua?"), neutral ("Plenty of white and natural materials help a space feel laid-back"), or old ("My house is a collection of things I’ve picked up at flea markets").

In the two years since the light-filled three-bedroom house was built, Laura has been on the hunt for carefully chosen picks that get a place in her home or find their way to Rowayton Flea, the nearby vintage shop she co-owns with her friend Laura Grabe. "I have a lot of interesting pieces tucked around every room," she says. "The overall look is relaxed, and that’s how I want people to feel when they walk in my house."

The airy living room is almost all white and weathered wood. Laura chose stucco for the walls and added rough-hewn wood beams (salvaged from old barns) to the ceiling. The seating area includes a secondhand pine coffee table, an overstuffed sofa, and a settee Laura "borrowed" from her parents.

A white slipcovered sofa from Lillian August is a great backdrop for patterned pillows.