Innholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2018-19 i Cottages and Bungalows

MY PHONE’S BUZZING OFF THE HOOK as text messages roll in about whose car we’re taking next week to pick up the tree. Another beep, and I look down to see an ongoing debate about Secret Santa for the gift exchange or gifts just for the kids or gifts for everyone. Meanwhile, my brothers and I will draw straws to find out which unfortunate one of us will help Mom pull Christmas boxes out of the attic over the garage. For a moment I take a deep breath, reeling from the premonition of a season of chaotic plans, too many people in the kitchen and many more favors than there is time to grant. But then I am reminded of my grandma’s wisdom and my dad’s patience. “I love a…

Do you long for a cozy cabin Christmas? When we found out Debbie Macomber’s Christmas book this year (her annual Christmas tomes are fast becoming our favorite tradition) is set in a snowy cabin in the woods, we couldn’t wait to create a fireside scene inspired by her story. In Alaskan Holiday, protagonist Josie Avery finds herself stuck in a lakeside lodge in Alaska; what was supposed to be a summer gig turns into a long winter’s stay. So what would the ultimate winter cabin contain? Check out these elements, and discover ways you can incorporate these looks no matter where you call home this holiday season. RUSTIC PATTERNS We love this native-inspired multicolor rug which transitions perfectly from summer to winter. Mirroring the geometric patterns in the rug, a…

This year we’re all about embracing the comfy and cozy part of the holidays. We love perfectly imperfect elements, cozy textures and highlighting the casual side of graceful spaces. After all, once the cooking, shopping, wrapping and hosting is done, what’s left—and what’s most important—is that you find yourself in a holiday space that is warm, welcoming and good for the soul. So if you’re ready to embrace easy elegance, follow these tips. NEUTRAL NEST We love beautiful neutrals as the base for your holiday color palette. Sure, red and vibrant green warm up the space and add that classic holiday touch, but from the slipcover to the throws to the brown paper packages around the tree, our favorite part of this space is the soothing cream white and flax…

The Chefs 1. This stylish wall piece keeps paper and pencils handy for shopping lists. Antique brass hanging note roll and pencil cup, $45. Visit atwestend.com. 2. Perfect for any loose items around the house, this denim basket will be a perfect addition for stockings this season. Denim basket, $28. Available at shoptwine.com. 3. If you ever wanted to give a gift that lasts, these clever seed bombs may do the trick. As easy as plant, water, and grow! Herbs & greens seed bombs, $18. Available at uncommongoods.com. 4. Beautiful and functional, this elegant, measuring-cup set crafted by LA-based ceramic artist Natan Moss is something any chef would love. Marfa measuring cups, $80. Available at lawsonfenning.com. 5. Painted a soothing deep ocean blue, this classic Japanese porcelain teapot will thrill…

“Color makes a huge impact,” Vani says. “Pick a color that makes you smile, and use it smartly. For example, if your kitchen is small with low ceilings, a splash of a cooler color tone will open it up, whether in the backsplash or inside a glass-front cabinet.” Vani explains that in this space, the light can be “unusual” due to the double-height windows. “The light changes as the sun travels,” she says, which can affect the color of the cabinets; it varies between gray, blue and green, given the outdoor conditions. The cabinetry was painted in a shade called “Metropolitan Gray,” a special blend created by Metropolitan Cabinets. The color meshes well with the wall color, a red vinyl covering with a subtle, embossed animal-hide pattern.…

For an easy way to bring winter style home, display all the little wonders found outdoors. Nature boxes are the perfect way to bring the outdoors inside in a simple, beautiful way. Just take a printer’s tray or shadow box, hang it on a wall and fill it with any and every bit of nature you can find. Londen made two nature boxes to hang in the dining room. She spray-painted them with chalkboard paint because it’s a softer black than traditional spray paint. “I love the subtle color and texture, and being able to see our finds every day,” Londen writes on her blog. Her boxes are filled with goodies picked up during walks in the woods or any time spent outside. Treasures include seashells, small jars of sand…

• Japanese Santa Claus figurines: Rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed, these papier-mâché dolls bring Christmas cheer wherever they go. “They make me smile with their quirky faces and little hands clutching their pipe-cleaner trees,” antiquer Nicole McCay says. • German putz sheep: These little decorative sheep with wooly bodies and stick-thin legs are full of Old World personality. • German wax angels: Treasured by collectors and families alike, rare décor made from wax is often handed down as an heirloom through generations. But there are also modern imitations. If the wax stays creamy and opaque in the light, it’s a real antique; modern wax ornaments will turn translucent. • Antique ornaments: From gorgeous and intricate glass-blown bulbs to simple pipe-cleaner creations, Christmas tree ornaments are never out of style. • Vintage bottlebrush trees: A classic in the…

Mathew Mead loves the natural elegance of the tree in its natural state, so he’s created this Christmas corner by displaying a pair of petite trees sans the trimming. To pull off this look, take some time to trim the branches (think bonsai style) to really ensure the shape is perfect. You’ll also want to display them in interesting vessels. We love these urns. But zinc buckets would be great for a farmhouse look, or woven baskets or crates for classic cottage charm.…

LIKE THE VISION OF CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE and tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, your Christmas cottage should be a haven of charm and good cheer. Blogger Sarah Vandiver of Little Vintage Nest has achieved this in her own home, and you can do so as well. COLOR. In her living room, Sarah kept her home’s neutral palette with frosty white greenery and creamy glass ornaments. “I’m really loving all these neutrals,” she says. “I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but they’re just so comforting and calming for me.” PERSONALIZED APPROACH. Just like at any other time during the year, you want your Christmas décor to match your everyday home. This might mean that some of your Christmas elements aren’t intended for Christmas at all;…

The hunt for the perfect holiday ornament is a yearly tradition. From the glitzy stars to the humble manger scenes, surfboarding Santas to ballerinas and nutcrackers, you’ve seen it all on your tree. For a different ornament this year, hark back to traditional spun glass. SPUN GLASS HISTORY We have glass fibers today thanks to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, who knew how to melt and stretch glass to aide in construction. Similar techniques of heating and stretching glass commercialized in the 1930s, and the process of pulling glass into thin strands continues in current manufacturing. Not only do glass fibers serve as insulation and building reinforcement, but also as art pieces, like spun-glass ornaments and figures. The term “spun glass” describes the look of the glass as it hardens;…

If Christmas had a single centerpiece moment, it would surely be the tree. It’s the piece de resistance for your holiday décor, the hub of gathering and gift giving. The tree is a pretty big deal. We like the idea of a fresh tree and that inimitable pine smell as much the next person, but when you factor in the watering, the mess, not to mention the time and money you spend hunting for the perfect specimen at the tree farm, it’s not hard to see why so many are turning to artificial trees. But with all the choices out there, how can you ensure you’re choosing the best? Here’s our breakdown of what to look for and look out for when choosing yours. 1. MATERIAL For the most realistic-looking…

It can sometimes feel nonstop,right? Hosting during the holidays. Since Thanksgiving our merry-making muscles have been in overdrive. But now’s the time we should be slowing down and savoring the season. Here we’ve pulled together our best entertaining tips for how you can have your party and enjoy it too. GO BIG, BUT NOT HOW YOU THINK… We don’t mean go all out; we mean literally go big. One big pot of pink poinsettias is all it takes to make this lovely living room in designer Alison Kandler’s Santa Monica home look festive and fun. Before you start building your shopping list full of arrangements, table cards and enough candles to light up a cathedral, think about buying one big statement piece—we prefer fresh seasonal plants and flowers—and letting that…

Christmas is a magical time spent with family and gatherings of friends. And for Lieset Elshout, it’s a time when her home feels truly special. Set on two acres of rambling gardens and surrounding Oxfordshire hills, the house, she says, emanates a magic all its own. “It’s the perfect winter home,” Lieset says. An open fireplace draped in winter greenery greets you in the hallway, and a plump feather-filled sofa and well-worn leather chairs beckon you to sit in the candlelit living room. “I wanted to keep the cottage feel of the house. Even though it’s been extended, we wanted to avoid it feeling too big, so the low ceilings, natural colors and the modern country style give the illusion it’s smaller,” she says. “And now that it’s fully finished,…

With traditions and nostalgia taking center stage this time of year, it’s not hard to see why the holidays bring renewed love for the old. Southern California-based antiques dealer Nicole McCay takes her collections of vintage treasures and accents them with Christmas touches every year, for a home that’s filled with festive cheer and vintage charm. Here’s how she gets the perfect blend of natural, vintage and holiday décor to get her family in the Christmas spirit. “I create the perfect holiday look for me by mixing in natural elements with my vintage goodies .” GO NATURAL Manmade holiday decorations are all well and good, but there’s something extra special about bringing in the accents Mother Nature has to offer for the holidays. “I create the perfect holiday look for…

It’ beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the farmhouse build in Social Circle, Georgia. We’ve been following along as Katie Busenitz from the blog The Rustic Boxwood, her husband, Ryan, and their two children have tackled building their dream home from the ground up. Now just in time for the holidays, they’ve got the fireplace wall (and mantel!) complete and the all-important pantry finished and ready to work hard for the winter. Here Katie shares how it all came together. CB: The fireplace wall in the living room is truly stunning! Tell us about the design elements that help make it the focal point of the space. Katie: This wall had to be grand in order to keep up with our tall, 17-foot ceiling and the large amount…

TRIED & TRUE Page 12 Art above mantel, throw blanket, fur throws, round wood lantern, decorative trees: Homegoods, homegoods.com. Stockings, pouf: Target, target.com. Metal bucket: Magnolia Home, magnoliahome.com. BOLD & BEAUTIFUL Page 38 Cabinets:Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops, metcabinet.com. Chandelier:TroyLighting, troylighting.littmanbrands.com. Cooktop:Wolf,subzero-wolf.com. THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS Page 44 For more information on Lieset’s furniture company, visit thedutchhouse.org. Holiday lanterns, tea lights, glitter acorns, reindeer cocktail stirrers: Etsy, etsy.com. Dining room rug: Oka, oka.com. Bedroom linens: The White Company, (866) 846-8333 or thewhitecompany.com. Wool throws: House of Fraser, houseoffraser.co.uk. Reindeer Rugs: Greengate, greengate.dk. Headboard: Hypnos, (757) 855-2029 or hypnosbeds.com. Stove: AGA, agaliving.com. GOING STEADY Page 58 Coat hooks: Hobby Lobby, hobbylobby.com. Farlov sofa, Adel cabinets, cabinet hardware: Ikea, ikea.com. Sofa slipcover: Comfort Works. Buffet paint color: Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com.…

Gingerbread houses provide not only tasty baked delicacies but can also add to the cottage charm of your Christmas home. In her book Easy Gingerbread Houses, author Lisa Anderson shares myriad edible houses you can construct, from fire stations and tiki shacks to farmhouses, castles and, of course, cottages. And you don’t even need to bake gingerbread cookies yourself—store-bought graham crackers will do the trick. Here’s a gingerbread Swiss chalet to add to your Christmas home this year. What You’ll Need: For the icing: • ¾ batch brown royal icing• ¼ batch white royal icing For the graham crackers: • 8 whole crackers• 6 quarter crackers• 2 horizontal points• 4 three-quarter crackers For the decorations: • White Smarties• Green gum• Flower confetti• Red heart confetti• Tootsie Rolls• Spearmint leaves What…

The intriguing history and silhouette of the Mora clock comes from humble beginnings in 18th-century Sweden, but today they are icons of chic and sophisticated cottage style. When the farmers of the town of Mora in central Sweden found the land’s poor agricultural conditions just too much to overcome, many turned to traditional crafts to supplement their income. Krång Anders Andersson is credited with being the first maker and the inventor of the Mora clock’s distinctive curved shape—a simplified version of Rococo styles that were popular in the late 18th century. Soon other farmers and their families were forming an assembly line of sorts, with each family specializing in a certain clock part or hand painting embellishments, until the whole town was known for producing the clocks. Because these new…

UNDER THE MISTLETOE PEACH PARTY PUNCH INGREDIENTS: • 1 ounce Stirrings Simple Lemon Drop Martini Mix • 1 ounce Stirrings Peach Bellini Mix • 0.5 ounce coconut rum • 0.5 ounce dark rum • 1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice • Stirrings Lemon Drop Rimmer HOW TO MAKE IT: 1. Rim the glass with lemon juice, and dip it into the Lemon Drop Rimmer. 2. Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well! 3. Strain into the rimmed glass and enjoy!…

Serves 10 Ingredients: • 2 cups or 16-ounce Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Mix • 1 cup or 8-ounce Stirrings Simple Lemon Drop Martini Cocktail Mix • 1 can of soda, any citrus flavor • 1 cup or 8 ounces Smirnoff vodka • 1.5 cups or 12 ounces rum • 10 red grapes (optional) • Stirrings Pomegranate Rimmer and/or Stirrings Lemon Drop Rimmer (optional) 1. In a large bowl, jar or drink dispenser, add all the drink ingredients with ice and give a good stir. 2. For glass prep, you can pre-rim the glasses or have your guests DIY their garnishes. For pre-rimmed glasses, coat the rim with an orange slice. Dip into both rimmers for a unique mix, or make all glasses different. 3. After rimming the glass, guests…

Fresh and Modern Looking to have some fun with your holiday look this year? Go for a colored tree! Whether it’s white or pink, this tree is all about showing your personality. And while the color seems to be the star, these nontraditional trees actually do a better job of showcasing your ornaments, thanks to their lighter hue. So really embrace special, unique—even DIY ornaments—to make the most of this bold look. English Charm Some may call it the Charlie Brown special. We say it’s got cottage character. Looking for something homey and organic? Try a noble fir with generously spaced branches. You’ll have plenty of room for large ornaments and pretty ribbon garland. The key to this look is spacing your ornaments to highlight the lovely airy, spaced-out branches.…