Innholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2025 i Cottages and Bungalows

AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES, our homes become the heart of celebration and joy, where memories are made and family traditions come to life. The scent of evergreen, the glow of candlelight and the warmth of loved ones gathered around are things we all cherish about the season. And don’t forget the cookies, pies and fudge! In this issue, we’ve curated a collection of ideas to help you transform your space into a festive haven. From cozy house tours to stunning mantels and showstopping Christmas trees, we hope to inspire you to style your home in a way that feels inviting and uniquely yours. We’re also peeking into the progress at both of our ongoing Project Houses in Utah and Austin! One is coming to a gorgeous conclusion while the…

While pale blue and gold details and whimsical holiday touches make this home feel like a vintage Parisian escape, it’s actually located in Northern Ireland. “We bought it 20 years ago when we moved from Scotland due to my husband’s job,” says Louise Mair, known on Instagram as @thevintageroom. The home’s interior is an ode to her travels to Paris and her love of all things vintage. “I very much like to decorate my home at Christmas in a way that reflects my usual style,” Louise says. “The traditional holiday colors of dark reds and greens can feel a bit jarring amongst my décor, so over the years I’ve built up a collection of decorations in my favorite pastel colors.” FROM FRANCE TO IRELAND In every room, there are touches of…

The holiday season is the perfect time to bring family and friends together, and nothing sets the mood quite like a beautifully arranged table. Whether you’re hosting a cozy dinner or a grand holiday feast, your table setting can elevate the occasion and create lasting memories. If this is your first year hosting a holiday meal or your 40th, here are some tips to help you design a holiday table that’s both stunning and inviting. CHOOSE A THEME Start by deciding on a theme that reflects your personal style and the ambience you want to create. Whether it’s a classic winter wonderland, rustic charm or modern elegance, a cohesive theme will guide your color palette, tableware and decorative accents. Try one of these themes: • Winter Wonderland: Think frosty whites,…

Toni Mogensen, our very first Brand Ambassador in 2021, impressed us then with her effervescent personality and her beautiful styling—and she has never stopped impressing us! So, who better to ask for fresh ideas to bring the spirit of the holidays into your home? Toni and her husband, Bryan, lead a busy life with three children and a pup, but they still manage to keep their home up to date and always improving. Bryan built the fireplace surround to Toni’s specs and she does her magic with it, changing up the décor as the mood strikes. Shown here are two versions of her holiday designs. “I’m into layers and varying heights of pieces to keep the eye moving and interested. And candlelight is a must!” she says. This year, Toni…

Do you believe in following the rhythms of nature and embracing the passing seasons around you? Wouldn’t it be so lovely to bring some of that energy into your home as well? Kay Prestney and Becca Cherry have compiled all the best advice on how to decorate your home thoughtfully and elegantly for every season in their new book, A Home for All Seasons—and they have research to prove their points! Many of their studies have shown that there are countless benefits, both mental and physical, to aligning your home with nature. Read on if you’re ready to live a more “biophilic” life. MASTERING COLOR PSYCHOLOGY Color has a much larger effect on our moods and emotions than we sometimes realize. The entire color spectrum, from passionate red to tranquil…

Christmas in a Charming Cape Cod Ethel is 78 years old and is settled in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Chicago. She’s charming, timeless, welcoming—and a house! Stop by for a visit with Ethel! An 1896 Italianate Gem What would attract an active family with young children to a century-old home? According to its owner, Katie Baker—everything. The historic home especially shines at Christmas. A Cozy Christmas Kitchen As you trim the trees and hang the stockings, don’t forget to spread Christmas cheer to the heart of your home—the kitchen! Christmas Whimsy in Utah Vintage holiday magic fills this home and shows that a neutral color scheme and soft, romantic styling can be just as ‘Christmasy’ as bright red and green. A Natural, Nostalgic & Nautical Christmas Cottage This Christmas…

extra In Season JOYCE FLORES CALLS THIS her “Heaven & Nature Sing” tree, with its celestial- and nature-inspired elements adorning every branch. With the Grandis Fir from Terrain as the centerpiece, Joyce begins decorating in mid-November. “It usually takes me several weeks to get everything done and on this tree I made many of the ornaments,” she says. Joyce adds, “I handpainted old ornaments to resemble oxidized iron (or planets, if you will). I created a star garland using copper wire and some wooden stars and wound the garland around the tree. I painted and glittered wooden half-moon shapes to bring in a bit of whimsy. I used a gold tree topper and gold star ornaments from previous years and brought in nature with the use of some dried and faux…

Have you ever been inspired by a house in a movie or TV show? Homeowners and Instagrammers Joe and Chelsea Gray of @kevrosehome affectionately refer to their home as “houselander” because they’ve patterned the look and feel of their New England Colonial after the popular book and TV series, Outlander. Now at Christmas, they infuse holiday spirit into every historically inspired room. FARMHOUSE TO COLONIAL When Joe and Chelsea were house hunting in 2018, they found this 1755 colonial but were wary of all the upkeep needed for an old home. “[The previous homeowner] had maintained it really well,” Chelsea says. “It was in bad shape when she got it, and she did a lot of fixing up.” So, the couple was able to work on the cosmetics of the…

Alexander James Shop Thoughtfully curated architectural products delivered directly to your door. A bespoke source for anyone wanting to beautify their space with hard surface floor and wallcoverings. Visit alexander-james.shop. MRCOOL® “Comfort made simple” is the company’s motto and they live up to it with innovative, reliable and efficient heating and cooling options for any space. MRCOOL® DIY® ductless mini-splits are the only true DIY HVAC on the market. Visit mrcool.com. Southern Crafted Shutters Hand crafted shutters are made to order in the USA and made to last. With over 25 years of experience, this husband and wife founded business offers over 100 gorgeous shutter styles to choose from and ship their goods nationwide. Visit scshutters.com. Regal Brands The Regal Brands family of companies produce decorative hardware products ranging from…

MADE FOR MEMORIES Page 22 Contractor: LJ Olsen of Make Some Space, Inc., Greensboro, NC, (704) 771-0477. Cabinets: KraftMaid Cabinetry, kraftmaid.com. Plumbing fixtures: Moen, moen.com. Hardware: Rejuvenation, rejuvenation.com. Lighting: Rejuvenation, rejuvenation.com and Visual Comfort, visualcomfort.com. Counter stools: Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com. Custom-sprayed cabinet paint: Lafayette Green, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com. Dining table: Woodbridge, woodbridgefurniture.com. Fridge: Samsung, samsung.com. Beverage fridge: Frigidaire, frigidaire.com. Panel ready dishwasher: Bosch, bosch.us. Range: ZLINE, zlinekitchen.com. Countertops: Olympic Danby Marble, fabricated at Ivey Lane in Greensboro, iveylane.com. NEUTRAL CHRISTMAS DÉCOR Page 28 To see more of Caroline’s home, visit her on Instagram @c.b._designs. Cabinet designer: Cyndi Haines, heartandhomedesignco.com. Couch, dining room furniture, place settings, garland and wreath: Arhaus, arhaus.com. Door: Grand Entry Doors, grandentrydoors.com. Framed rug fragments: Violet Vintage Rugs, violetvintage.com. Kitchen…

This beautiful, 25-year-old plantation-style house in Michigan with two breezy covered porches is home to Kari Boetsch and her family. Kari is a content creator and home-and-garden shop owner you can follow on Instagram @thecollecteddesign. Kari and her husband, Matthew, have been in their home for 10 years and were drawn to its secluded location to raise their three children. The natural woodsy surroundings and a lake just down the street make it ideal for enjoying the sounds and sights of wildlife. “We’re so lucky to see wildlife out our windows on a daily basis,” Kari says. Surrounded by tree farms, they traditionally walk to the one at the backside of their property to cut their own tree and carry it home! Kari keeps her front porch décor simple for…

Designing a home is one thing— The Fox Group has been hard at work at that. But designing the landscape around it is quite another. Creating the right setting through foliage, hardscapes and layout is far from an afterthought; it is instead a carefully thought-out plan that enhances the architecture and overall aesthetic appeal of the home it surrounds. For landscape designer Emily Brooks Wayment of EBW Landscape Design, ensuring the exterior landscaping reflects the look and feel of our Project House Utah inside and out is essential to successfully integrating the design. “Our main goals were to design a farmhouse/cottage garden that will allow for grass space to play games and make sense on a slender lot,” Emily says. PLANNING WITH THE LAND As with any design, the nature…

It doesn’t snow in Florida, so if you live in its warm climate you have to get a little creative. That’s the case for Fifi O’Neill, professional stylist and author of over 10 home décor books. Her 640-square-foot cottage is in Sarasota, a coastal town in the south of Florida. It’s the type of place that feels like a sauna in the summer and is a winter destination for snowbirds, those who live in colder areas of the country but are seeking to avoid snow in the winter. “You go outside in the summer and you almost can’t breathe,” Fifi says. “It saps all your energy.” So, there’s nothing quite as appealing as the dream of a white Christmas by the time November rolls around. MEANT TO BE Fifi has…