This South Florida Farm Cottage Is Filled With Charm And A Miniature Horse

Every year, the Winter Equestrian Festival attracts thousands of people from all over to Wellington, Florida. While some come and go, others like Lily Maddock and her teenage daughter Mimi, both competitive horseback riders, find themselves quite at home. Maddock and her father, a Miami local, finished building Blue Heron Farms, her Wellington dream cottage and barn, from the ground up in 2021.

Most of the year, Maddock and her family live in New York City, where you’ll be hard pressed to find space for a 21-stable barn like the one they built in Florida. When they venture down, they are joined by a whole crew of horses, including Strawberry Shortcake or “Shorty”, the ashy white miniature horse who acts more like a family dog.

“She roams the property freely from sunrise to sunset,” Maddock says of Shorty. “We love sitting on the porch and having her come up there and get treats.”

From anywhere in the house, Maddock wanted to be able to gaze out at her farm. For the interior, Maddock was inspired by old Florida charm and natural elements, including an earthy color palette and plenty of wicker furniture (which happens to be Shorty’s favorite snack), while also prioritizing the practical needs of a farmhouse. 

“One thing we did establish was that this house will get dirty. It's windy, dusty, and dirty. It's a farm so we went with a dark wood floor and performance rugs,” says Lori Deeds, Maddock’s interior designer from Kemble Interiors in Palm Beach.

Throughout the home, a pair of riding boots here, equestrian ribbons there, and a tawny horse poking its head through a window around the corner all add to the appeal of this hard-working, horse-loving home.

Let Nature Do The Talking

“We have a really beautiful porch because we love to sit outside and see all the animals,” says Maddock. The beauty of this space for her, is the view. Here, a round table from One Kings Lane is perfect for outdoor dining and lounging, watching the farm at work or Mimi practicing her sport on horseback. This may be a horse home, but on the porch, an antique bird cage pays homage to the family parakeet that stays in their New York residence.

Prepare For Mess

Entering the home fresh from horseback riding, Maddock was well aware that her entryway would also welcome in some dirt and grime from the farm. As such, the foyer needed to be a flexible place, beautiful but still able to bounce back from a bit of chaos. Stunning Thibaut wallpaper is paired with high-performing decor, including a Dash & Albert area rug that’s easy to clean.

“It's a nice wide open space where you can come in and feel free to kick off your riding boots, and it doesn't matter if they're dusty,” says Deeds. “There’s just a simple little bench with no cushion, so if you’re dirty, you don’t have to worry about sitting down, and there’s a place to hang your hat.”

Look Inward

A blue and green wonderland, the family room is Maddock personified through and through. “I would say my favorite color is blue,” she says, “and we did a lot of blue and we did a lot of green because the farm outside is so green. I just love that.”

Full of colors that make her happy, including the matching Lulie Wallace’s Clara pattern that graces the walls, upholstered chairs, and throw pillows, several details in the family room are very personal to the Maddock’ life. On the walls, art from her mother pairs with racing ribbons won by Maddock and her daughter. On the side tables, Deeds hand-glued miniature butterfly figures one by one to Maison Maison lampshades to speak to Maddock’s love of nature, her young family, and her youthful energy.

Decorate From The Top Down

“Everywhere you look there should be something special. There should be a treasure,” says Deeds. “That’s my philosophy, so it's very rare you'll see a plain white ceiling in my work.” 

In the kitchen, light blue plaid Seabrook wallpaper complemented by hanging pendant lights set the stage for a simple and functional kitchen that’s far from boring. White walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White (967) set a clean foundation for soft blue cabinetry in Benjamin Moore Under the Big Top (1675), finished with grounding Serena & Lily barstools. Maddock’s husband, the chef of the family, loves cooking in this bright, open kitchen while Maddock adores the full-height wine fridge.

Blend Old And New

Both Deeds and Maddock love a good antique and both are fans of traditional, Southern decorating styles, however, it was important to them to also make this home decorating feel as young as Maddock herself. In many ways, the home is a balancing act between classic and contemporary, coming to a head in the breakfast nook just off the kitchen where Maddock eats with her family and enjoys farm views. 

“In this room, painting the trim a different color (the same as the kitchen cabinets, BM 1675) keeps it fun,” says Deeds. Meanwhile, the matching Schumacher wallpaper and table skirt lend themselves to a more classic style. “We also added a newer chandelier instead of a vintage or classic piece. The bubble chandelier is where I throw in a little bit of femininity and younger feel in the design. I could have done a classic lantern, but why not add a twist and do something with a lot of contrast?”

Chase Childhood Dreams

“I think that when girls grow up, some have always dreamed of having a canopy bed and others never thought anything of it,” says Deeds. Maddock is firmly in the category of canopy bed-dreamers. In addition to the whimsical bed, Maddock wanted of a fairy tale bedroom where she could enjoy slow mornings gazing at her farm out the window, surrounded by Thibaut wallpaper and upholstery. Across from the canopy bed in the large bedroom, a seating area and desk offer furtehr function.

“I wanted to look at the farm while having coffee in bed, a place to sit, and a desk so I could also do some work,” says Maddock, “but every wall has windows so there’s a full view of the farm at all times.”

Throw A Curveball

The tiniest of powder rooms is dressed to make a big impact with bold, colorful wallpaper from Brunschwig & Fils. Here, Maddock instructed Deeds to throw out the playbook from the rest of the house and design a fun-filled and unexpected vignette. Still, some elements from the rest of the home slip through. Blue and green are among the vibrant colors, though not the only ones, and a rattan-framed mirror from Pottery Barn upholds the theme of natural materials throughout. Additionally, a small piece of art showing a bird speaks to the homeowners love for animals which centers the entire property.

Create Consistency

In addition to housing humans, Maddock’s Wellington home needs a place for the horses to stay, too. Adjacent to the main cottage, Maddock's 21-stable structure is home to her five horses, including bay horse Julio and chestnut-haired Max. The large barn also has a lounge and three tack rooms where equestrian equipment is stored. 

Unlike the home that bursts with pattern and color, Deeds took a simplistic approach to decorating the barn. Clean lines and simple palettes flow throughout the utilitarian stables. The exterior is painted white with Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace (OC-65), same as the cottage exterior, which complements the forest green roof and shutters that also match those of the main house. These common threads throughout the property maintain cohesion and bring together the two halves of Maddock’s equestrian getaway.