Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 - January 2018 i Cottages and Bungalows

IT’S MY FIRST CHRISTMAS IN THE NEW HOUSE. And like any first, it’s filled with lots of excitement, a little curiosity and some awkward fumbles. The tree doesn’t quite fit right where I had hoped it would go (small houses have a way of foiling your space planning). The new blue couch we bought kind of throws off my classic red-and-green vibe I do every year (I didn’t think of that). And lots of my favorite childhood ornaments broke when the mover (and by that, I mean my husband) stacked the boxes too high in the garage during the kitchen remodel when everything had to get stored outside. But as with my first apartment after getting married and the room we squeezed into at my parents’ home right before we…

One of the best times to craft is during the Christmas season. There’s a magic in the air that gets the creative juices flowing and hands ready to stitch, glue and cut. In her new book, Scandi Christmas: Over 45 projects and quick ideas for beautiful decorations and gifts, Chris Myers shares attainable projects that will add a hint of the Scandinavia countryside to your holiday home. “The most wonderful thing about Scandinavia is that everyone participates in decorating for the season,” she writes. “It is rare to see a darkened home in the neighborhood.” So gather friends and family around for a candle-lit evening crafting together. What You’ll Need: • Templates from the book • Felt in assorted greens • Green gingham fabric • Scraps of gray felt •…

The fireplace mantel is a picturesque part of the living room and the perfect place to solidify your Christmas style. Whether your style is traditional or modern, use your mantel to create a scene that will set the holiday tone for the rest of your home. UP ON THE MANTEL-TOP Due to their height and placement, the pieces on top of the mantel are usually the first to catch our eye. Start with a focal point that showcases your style, whether it’s a traditional wreath or a nature-inspired vignette, and use it to set the tone for your piece. “My mantel begins where many of my mantels begin—with an old window,” says April Hoff of the blog House by Hoff. “Old architectural elements give any vignette or room more character.”…

The Hostess 1. Consummate hostesses think of the details, and this is a delightful one: a pretty set of matches to perch on the mantel. Skeem fireplace party matches, $32. Visit skeemshop.com. 2. Handmade of terracotta and finished with a hand-painted gold accent, this sweet turtledove, a symbol of friendship, makes a beautiful gift. White turtledove, $60. Visit aerin.com. 3. Their soft blue details and antique finish make these vases stand out on any shelf. Bud terra cotta 3-piece table vase set, $43.99. (844) 205-6763 or wayfair.com. 4. Handwoven and made from 100% cotton, these baskets have a whimsical and earthy feel. Baya basket in sky, set of 3, $155. Visit pompomathome.com. 5. A soft, generous knit with a subtle metallic thread woven throughout makes this the perfect cozy yet…

BAR CARTS are essential for any host—especially during the holidays. And they’re a delight to decorate. Combine your hosting abilities with your bartending skills and add something fabulous to your festive holiday home. Vanessa Dina, in her book The Art of the Bar Cart: Styling & Recipes, gives her best styling tips and tricks for impressing your guests with your own special beverage station. Here are a few of our favorite ideas. THE CHRISTMAS CART The holidays are full of excuses to entertain. Whether it’s used for an ugly- sweater party or a New Year’s Eve celebration, this festive bar cart is a necessity for the excellent holiday host. Before you start popping bubbly, decorate your Christmas cart with a little bit of eye candy. This cart’s circular shape is…

If you enjoy hosting family and friends during the holidays, you’re probably not a stranger to the stress of creating the perfect Christmas table setting. Rather than fretting about fine china and expensive bouquets, go for something simple and elegant this year. Kim Wilson of the blog Sand and Sisal has created a refined tablescape with a few key pieces and one rule to follow. “A cohesive design for a holiday dining room consists of three elements: repetition of color, shape and texture,” she says. COLOR Start with your color palette, and chose your place settings to match. “I chose a soft and simple, yet sophisticated, color palette of silver and gold with crisp snowy white and holiday greenery,” says Kim. To keep things complementary, repeat these colors throughout your…

The holiday season is laden withtraditions. Best among them are those simple and lovely ways that we mark the season with good cheer. Handmade goodies are one of these gestures that stand the test of time. While we can’t all handcraft gifts for everyone on our list, we can give the gift of handmade as often as possible. Artist and jewelry designer Lynsey Walters specializes in exactly this. And her medium is one of the most charming of all for the holidays: felt. For more than 16 years, she has made felt into all manner of colorful brooches, bracelets, necklaces, scarves and more, all adorned with her signature wool felted beads and die-cut shapes inspired by nature. Why felt? For one, its tactile nature has fresh appeal. Lovely to touch,…

FOR Matt Gourley and Amanda Lund, two Southern California actors, writers and podcasters, their 1947 San Rafael Hills home, which Amanda describes as a Midcentury Modern/ Craftsman hybrid, is an extension of their creativity. Originally drawn to the house’s cottage-like charm, expansive backyard and location on a leafy, tree-lined street, they’ve spent the past two years making the residence their own through hands-on renovations and styling. The holidays are another time for the two to unleash their creative juices and their home, which features Christmas-friendly hues like hunter-green year round, becomes an elegant embodiment of the season under their touch. Matt says, “The minute Thanksgiving ends, Amanda and I get into decorating—not out of duty or anything, but out of the feeling that the year is wrapping up, work…

If where we live is a reflection of ourselves, then Jon and Scottie Ingersoll’s happy holiday home is the perfect reflection of their warm and inviting family. For Scottie, a preschool teacher, and Jon, a firefighter and little league coach, it’s important that their Christmas home be a cozy sanctuary full of positive inspiration. So, when we set out to create a holiday party setting, we needed only their warm and cheerful spirit to inspire our décor. My starting point was the idea of hosting for the holidays. When it comes to our home, how we decorate it, who we allow in it is connected to how we want to inspire those we love to experience all the best that life should offer them. Using Scottie’s classic cottage décor as…

You don’t want your Christmas tree to come across as shabby. Blogger Kerri Roche of A Pop of Pretty has decked out her tree to be full of glitz and glitter. “When it comes to Christmas tree decorating, simplicity is not my forte,” she says. “I love a tree that is chock full of all kinds of things, with layers of ribbon and lots of visual interest.” Here are five steps to make your tree look glorious this year. 1. LIGHTS UP. Before you add ornaments, start with strings of lights. For best results, weave the strings in and out from the trunk so the whole tree twinkles. 2. FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN. As with the lights, use simple ball ornaments to fill the inside of the branches so…

What was once a symbol of status is now a staple for the modern-day entertainer. The origin of punch bowls goes back to the 1600s, when they were used to chill glasses, display fruits, and even as flower vases. In those times, the size and number of bowls in your collection became part of your social identity. Today punch bowls are a lovely way to elevate your gathering, and they can be the crown jewel of your entertaining space. THE HISTORY Punch bowls were originally made of ceramic, porcelain and sometimes wood. As the world became more interconnected, resource materials proliferated and wealthy families began to request punch bowls made of silver and decorated with elaborate designs. Before his famous midnight ride, Paul Revere, an experienced silversmith, was commissioned by…

1. Use fruits that are in season. Quality over quantity is always good to keep in mind. Keep in-season organic fruits on your cart to give your drinks a boost. Having fresh strawberries in the spring and oranges in the winter will really add flavor and art to your famous cocktails. 2. Collect some unlikely tools. Watching a drink being made is almost as fun as drinking it … almost. If you’re already stocked up on the staple bar tools, add a canvas bag and mallet for crushing ice, a muddler for your fresh fruit, and keep some reusable metal straws on hand. If you want to get fancy, invest in a soda siphon to make your own carbonated drinks. 3. Don’t overlook the ice. Ice is essential for making…

1. Don’t worry about acquiring fine china; use everyday white dinner plates instead. Stack them with decorative salad plates and bowls for added color and patterns. 2. Look for unique placemats rather than a fancy tablecloth. You can also get creative and arrange holiday greenery in a circle under the plates. 3. Before heading to the store, shop your home first for coordinating decorative items. Arrange ornaments, figurines, fresh greenery and flowers on a tray for an easy and inexpensive centerpiece. 4. Find some after-season clearance ornaments and place them in a basket, vase, sleigh or glass cloche for a quick and beautiful decoration. 5. Don’t forget candlelight! Simple votive candles can lend a special ambience to the dining table.…

Nothing says classic Christmas quite like plaid. Whether it’s a Swedish-inspired red and white or a Scottish-like green and crimson, adding plaid accents in your pillows, rugs, throws—even your Christmas ribbon—is a wonderful way to imbue your home with a wintry warmth. Ready for your plaid makeover? Here’s your pattern primer. 1. TARTAN Composed of crossed horizontal and vertical stripes in multiple colors that meet at 90-degree angles. The warp and weft threads are woven in a two-over-two twill pattern; this plaid often contains a band or two where the threads are very visible. 2. CHECK A pattern of alternating colors of stripes that form squares. A plaid check has a twill pattern in the weave that creates boxes of two different opacities, depending on which parts overlap. The trendy…

Inspiration abounds when creatives gather ideas and share their journey. Instagram and design sage Jodie Kammerer is all for collaborative exploration with her twin sister Julie. Together they run the blog The Design Twins, where they share their decorating exploits and ideas. “Last year was really the first year I started to get into farmhouse décor and collecting vintage pieces,” Jodie says. “My style is constantly evolving.” After discovering farmhouse chic, Jodie let a little chippiness into her heart and explored flea markets for inspiration. With each addition to her home, from chalk paint to vintage linens, her Contra Costa Country, California, home grew cozier. It also became uniquely The Design Twins, the design and décor business she runs with her sister. “Even though Julie is in Seattle, we talk…

 The holiday season is here, and picking a theme for your décor is just as important as picking out your gifts. Ashley Frank, of Ashley Frank Interiors, likes to change up her Christmas décor every year. When decorating her Valencia, California, home, inspiration can strike from the smallest piece—a ribbon or fresh flowers—to create a feeling that keeps Christmas alive and magical in a place that’s summer all year round. “It starts with a ribbon and I go from there.” The scents of pine and cinnamon fill the house, as the air outside begins to chill. A CLEAN SLATE The Frank family had a lot of renovating to do on their 1980s fixer-upper. Ashley and her husband worked as a team to build their dream home, all while Ashley was…