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There's such a thing as too much house. Kathy Ferguson realized this the day she walked through her old dining room and thought, "I use this room two days a year." That's when she and her husband, Tom, took a good look at the way they lived and decided to move.
They were clear about what they wanted in a brand new home: It had to be easy to maintain, comfortable, full of natural light, and "traditional in the best sense of the word." The Fergusons were ready to give up unused space as long as they retained interior details like beaded board and fine moldings and a floor plan with plenty of walls for furniture placement. "Too many new houses we saw were all about the �great room' concept with one big open space and no walls. Tom and I wanted a house with good flow, but we also wanted distinct spaces," Kathy says. To their surprise, the Fergusons found a piece of land for sale just 2 miles away from their old place in Covington, Louisiana. Foundation work was already under way on the site, but local designer Judy James agreed to rework her original blueprints for Kathy and Tom. "This couple wanted a traditional cottage with modern amenities," Judy remembers. "I tried to give them the conveniences they required without sacrificing the familiar elements they loved." Everything about Tom and Kathy's new house shouts classic cottage. There's a white picket fence around the front yard, working louvered shutters, and a small porch accented with gingerbread trim. The front corners framing a broad bay window are trimmed with painted scrollwork, and the house is topped with a simple metal roof that's functional and durable. To make the interiors feel spacious, airy, and light, Kathy asked for transom lights and 10-foot ceilings. Kathy also requested beaded board, so Judy used it as tall wainscoting inside the entryway from the back garden. | 
