Innholdsfortegnelse for Country Cottage 2017 i The Cottage Journal

Welcome to Country Cottage. This special issue highlights some of our favorite country-style cottages from the past pages of The Cottage Journal. Featuring charming interiors, outdoor living spaces and inviting renovations, discover ideas meant to inspire. In Country Fixer Upper on page 93 a couple gradually reworks their honeymoon cottage to create their forever home. The couple also lets us in on their tradition of family “swap meets” and occasional furniture exchanges. What a creative way to update! As Luck Would Have It on page 57 is the story of a North Carolina family who celebrates good fortune in their family-friendly cottage. Accessorized with a curated blend of both modern and country style elements the home is filled with timeless charm. The tranquil beauty of nature is…

The “wearing” of a cane hasn’t been popular in the United States since Fred Astaire danced in his top hat and tails. But during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the cane was a status symbol as world-famous designers, including Fabergé and Tiffany, created canes for society’s elite. Exotic woods were carved and then adorned with precious metals and jewels. An Edwardian gentleman would have at least three canes in his wardrobe, a country or day cane, an evening cane, and a system or gadget cane. “Right now it seems figurative canes (see serpent and Sherlock Holmes, top right) in silver and ivory are the best sellers with my clients,” says Liela Nelson, who is a dealer of canes through her business, The World of the Walking Stick. And when…

Shea Halliburton Wright’s first three years of life were spent in a 1920s guesthouse on her family’s 80-acre farm in Clarksville, Tennessee. For three generations, this tiny abode has been much more than a starter home for the newlyweds in the family. Rather, the cozy cottage is symbolic of new beginnings—an experience Shea had firsthand when she moved back to the family farm in 2010. Her initial design challenge was to make 900 square feet seem more spacious. Shea and her father began with the ceiling, unveiling original beams under old drywall. Coats of white paint on the ceiling and walls created a blank canvas, instant airiness, and a striking contrast to the dyed ebony floors. In the kitchen, quick cosmetic changes produced dramatic results. Sticking with a monochromatic…

Debbie Serang is the kind of lady who knows what she wants. Raised in an upstate Pennsylvania town bursting with beautiful Victorian architecture, she says she’s always had a fascination for turn-of-the-century style. And when the time came to build a custom home in central North Carolina, Debbie grabbed her graph paper and set to work. “I spent eight months drawing and tweaking, while my sweet husband transferred my sketches to CAD (computer-aided design),” she recalls. “I knew the square footage we had to work with, and I spent most of my time shaping the footprint. Having four married kids with [their own] kids, I knew our home needed to work with how we live.” The result is a cozy country cottage that makes exceptional use of space while…

 Cascading layers of creeping fig drape the entrance to the enchanting countryside home that Avery Rhodes shares with her husband, Chris Akins, and their three children. It gives the house a magical fairy-tale feel, one Avery likens to Sleeping Beauty’s vine-covered castle under the hundred-year spell. “I like to think we have a slightly ‘sleepy’ household,” says Avery. “We try very hard to slow things down when we are at home and just enjoy each other and our moments together.” The open and airy interiors of this cottage definitely offer a tranquil retreat, and the pretty and polished furnishings belie the fact that an active family lives in every square inch of these sunlit spaces. Avery has created a kid-and-pet-friendly abode where daughter Willa Rose and sons Hopper and Walton,…

Meg Page has been credited with helping to revive the centuries-old art of naturalist painting, but her work is perhaps better described as a kind of portraiture. She captures in exquisite detail the appearance of her subjects—whether flowers, frogs, snakes, or chickens—and goes beyond the surface to convey a sense of life and dignity. That combination of realism and a sense of the spiritual gives her paintings their remarkable and timeless appeal. Although she does most of her work in her Baltimore studio, she finds inspiration, subject matter, and an “aesthetic haven” at Gentle Farm, the country retreat her husband, David Ashton, has carefully restored. The farm fulfills a childhood longing of Meg’s to be closer to nature than she was growing up in suburban Towson, Maryland. Meg envied her…

Situated just 30 feet from the back door of Dr. Michael Blum’s home, a 16-square-foot shed houses a work table, deep sinks, a sun-drenched platform for growing plants, and two utility closets. It’s practical and functional, but it’s also rich with character. Michael built the shed entirely of heart pine from a century-old barn on his grandfather’s farm and furnished it with items from his mother’s childhood home. A painted desk and cabinet, a rocking chair, an old well-bucket, and a horse-and-buggy seat find new uses in the potting shed, and each one has a story attached. “Old things are more meaningful when you know your ancestors used them,” says Michael. Michael also opted for reclaimed and recycled materials to build the shed. The flooring and the wall of operable…

Country Charm Breezy afternoons call for time spent outdoors. Both working and relaxing can feel inspired with a selection of charming outdoor seating like porch rockers, bed swings. Country Charm Create a spirit of country style even if your home is in the heart of the city by using warm wood tones, soft linens, and your favorite pastoral artwork. Mixing tone and textures can create a space that feels curated and collected over time. Essential to most country-style kitchen designs are the much-loved and often coveted farmhouse or apron-front sinks. These extra large kitchen sinks originated in a time when there was no indoor plumbing. They were created to hold the water collected from nearby wells or streams. Whether made from porcelain, stainless steel, or zinc, the farmhouse sink effortlessly…

The 150-year-old dairy barn on Gina Galvin’s property in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is anything but your typical barn. Complete with its original stalls and three large haylofts, Gina’s 30,000-square-foot barn has been refitted to serve as a place of inspiration for retail buyers and shoppers alike. Seated at the “Peacock Park,” the namesake for Gina’s wholesale line of home décor, and filled with artful vignettes, the inspiration arrives in the form of a barn sale that is open for one weekend each year. “It’s really an inspiration station where people can come and get inspired and take away not only products but display ideas,” Gina says. The barn sale grew from Gina’s retail background, her love of antiques, and her creative ingenuity. Living in a small town where shopping often…

Jan and Bryan Pruitt relished the excitement of discovering new towns and the challenge of creating new homes along the way, but there’s an undeniable element of disappointment in knowing that it’s only temporary—especially for a family of six. So not only did Jan and Bryan embrace the search for their long-awaited permanent home, they also knew exactly what they wanted. Jan loves old houses, but when they came across a captivating new house under construction, she decided she could infuse the home with a timeworn sense of charm. With only the framing complete in the new construction, the couple walked through to get a feeling for the size of the rooms. This was when the “walls” came tumbling down. Jan had the builder remove the framing for the…

 Acclaimed North Carolina painter and furniture designer Bob Timberlake built his first fishing cabin when he was 12 years old. “Well, it was really a shack,” he says, “but my brother and I loved it. We’d spend the weekend there, living off the land, cooking what we caught. It was great.” The fishing cabin near his Lexington, North Carolina, painting studio is definitely a step up from a shack, but it’s still designed for living simply and close to nature. “We weren’t going to put in a bathroom at first, but then we decided to add one on the porch, and it’s enclosed and heated,” he says. Built by Rene Swing Construction of Lexington to Bob’s design and specifications, the cabin is 900 square feet and constructed of hand-hewn logs.…

 When Ginger Hain and Larry Hart first found their mountain property in charming, artsy Waynesville, North Carolina, the newlyweds knew the 1940s cottage would offer cramped quarters. The couple was so smitten with the location, they planned to simply upgrade when they outgrew their space. “But rather than moving, we just kept adding on,” Ginger explains. And over the course of 32 years, the starter house became a forever home. “We called it a ‘Florida House’ back then—lots of concrete—terrible for the mountains,” Ginger recalls. But thanks to her handy husband, Larry, who is an accomplished carpenter, necessary additions were made with ease. What began as a one-car carport became an inviting living room complete with a Scandinavian gas stove and a flea-market mantel. The original narrow living room became…

According to Merrie Loper, having a gorgeous garden is just one of the benefits of being married to a landscape architect. “I am fortunate that our home is a reflection of his passion for beautiful gardens and the love of outdoors,” she says of her husband, Jim. When planning their garden, which is continually growing and changing, the couple works together to beautify their space and create an environment where guests and family are comfortable. “We are always moving from one spot to another, walking the property, seeing what is there, talking about what to do next, and just loving being part of a beautiful day together,” Merrie says. As a landscaping professional, Jim’s signature style is his hardscaping. Merrie says he enjoys combining materials to create a foundation for…

To walk through the doors of the Antique Society is to step back in time. With incredible finds waiting to be discovered, it’s likely that you’ll leave with both a great experience and a piece of history in tow. The Antique Society got its start in 1989 with a small group of antiques dealers and enthusiasts in Sebastopol, California, led by owner Lorie Silver. In nearly 30 years, the business has grown to host more than 100 dealers and fill its expansive location, a personality-laden 1930s Art Deco warehouse. Antiques lovers nationwide flock to the Antique Society to explore 20,000 square feet of diverse, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and unearth the perfect piece for their own collections. “We’ve been described as unique, quirky—the good kind, a home away from home, a social…

 In a country pantry, there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place. This homeowner cleverly stores a variety of items in old bowls and jars so she can easily find what she’s looking for, whether it’s a knitting needle or a noisemaker. Cookie cutters are gathered in and around a white mixing bowl. Glass jars let you see exactly what is stored. An early-Pyrex bowl catches the noisemakers, while an earthenware bowl is the home for yarn, knitting needles, and a couple of rolling pins. With everything in plain view, searches are quick and easy. Country Charm Mason jars both old and new are always a favorite in a country kitchen.…

When Lauren Palmer’s home was originally built in the 1970s, it was typical of the ranch-style houses you’d find across the South—a one-story rectangular box with a gabled roof, an open carport, and a detached laundry room. Her parents acquired the house and barn when they bought the land, but the house was in rough shape. “Most people would have torn the house down,” says Teresa, Lauren’s mother, “but we felt it was important to save it.” Teresa says the house had good bones and she reveled in the chance to bring it back to life. “Being able to keep something instead of throwing it away meant a lot to me.” Lauren was still living and working in Nashville, so Teresa embarked on the country-style renovation with the idea of…

During the 1980s, Gregor Cann was searching for a new home in hopes of leaving apartment life behind, but the real estate market in Boston was out of control. So when he saw an ad for property in Ogunquit, Maine, that was a more reasonable price, his curiosity was piqued. It was a summer cottage—meaning no insulation, no heat. He and his partner checked it out only to find it was very small, barely 425 square feet, and located down an old logging road. But you could walk to the beach, and that was enough to get them thinking maybe apartment life wouldn’t be so bad if you had a beach house to retreat to. “Ramshackle is how I would describe it,” Gregor explains, “but we decided we still…

For Kaye Collett and her family, many of life’s most treasured moments have taken place on “The Farm.” Here, on rolling lakefront acreage, five generations have hunted, hiked, and fished, celebrated holidays and engagements, watched seasons change, and seen children grow. Most importantly, they’ve learned the beauty of disconnecting from it all and just enjoying each other. After the larger family farmhouse was struck by lightning, Kaye and her brother decided to each build smaller homes on either side of the lake. Deciding on size was the easy part—Kaye’s two-bedroom, two-bathroom abode was ideal for her family of four. Decorating a home as beautiful and as special as its surroundings was the more daunting task. “I love color and wanted to let the inside of our cabin reflect the brilliant…

Add a little pizzazz to your outdoor décor and make more wholesome meals for your family with free-range chickens roosting in their own adorable, tiny cottages in your home garden. Author Lisa Steele details this natural alternative in her new book Gardening with Chickens: Plans and Plants for You and Your Hens (Voyageur Press, 2016). The chickens are a more natural option to reduce pests in the home garden than pesticides, and they provide natural fertilizer. Lisa’s book shows the home gardener that it is possible to have a beautiful garden that results in healthy produce and happy hens. “A garden can provide your chickens with lots of nutritious, inexpensive treats to supplement their regular feed and save you money, while their activities in the garden can help it thrive.…