Innholdsfortegnelse for Country Cottage Vol II 2017 i The Cottage Journal

Finding the rustic farmhouse of your dreams and turning it into a tranquil haven for family and friends is no easy feat and one that should be lauded. In this special issue, Country Cottage from the editors of The Cottage Journal magazine, we take you on an uplifting journey into the countryside—the rolling hills and farmland of America—to see sublime interiors stripped down to reveal their charm and styled in way that fosters a simple life. From quaint cottage collections to modern farmhouse style, this issue is teaming with inspiration built for the country. One of the highlights of this issue came with a visit to Nashville, Tennessee, where country style and country music go hand in hand. We’re thrilled to invite you to the home of country music star…

Vivian was her mother’s best pupil. In fact, Vivian was her mother’s only pupil after she gave up teaching high school home economics to raise her two children. Although Vivian was 4 years old at the time, she can still recall her mother teaching her to sew. Vivian would spend hours listening to the sewing machine’s soothing hums and rhythms while she and her mother would sew one project after another. “Mother would give me all the fabric scraps, and I would arrange them into blocks. She would pick me up and put me on a box so I could make the machine go,” Vivian vividly recalls. That was more than 70 years ago. Throughout the years, Vivian continued refining her craft but put it aside for a while because…

Architect Dwight McNeill and husband Brian Noyes—baker and owner of the popular Red Truck Bakery—were planning to build a weekend home in rural Virginia when they chanced upon a charming 1850s farmhouse that had been in one family for generations. The couple decided to make the farmhouse their own and wasted no time in bringing back its 19th century features like a side porch and the color scheme. But they took their time in furnishing it with flea market and antiques store finds as well as original artwork. Cedar Grove, the 1,300-square-foot farmhouse cottage on 3½ acres in Fauquier County, Virginia, had been in the Ashby family for generations before Dwight and Brian spotted it in 2005. “We’d bought some land nearby, intending eventually to build a weekend home, but…

George and Wilma Becker built their Carolina country home in 1977 knowing it would be their forever home. But after living there for 40 years it was time to remodel. The home was dark with knotty pine cabinets, brown appliances, and bow windows. “Very 70s,” Wilma says. The desire for more light was really the impetus for the work. “We made one error when first building,” Wilma shares. “Because it’s a horse neighborhood we were unsure about barns, flies, and manure smells so we did not position the house for optimum light.” They soon realized that none of the horse issues bothered them. In fact, they joined the equinely inclined. “Our daughter had horses and donkeys until she entered college. Now we house our neighbor’s horse,” says Wilma. In the…

On 400 rolling acres outside Franklin, Tennessee, Gentry’s Farm has been owned by the family for seven generations. From cotton and cows to hogs and hay, diversified efforts have kept the farm flourishing, while summer camps and fall festivities allow the public to share in the memory making, too. Built between 1805 and 1810, the oldest building on Gentry’s Farm is now the home of Jase Gentry, the great-great-great-grandson of farm founder, Samuel Fielding Glass Jr. For much of its first 150 years, the log cabin was used to house tenant farmers and farm workers. Thankfully, Jase says, “good old logs stick around for a long time,” and in 1984, Jase’s uncle re-chinked and renovated, adding on a couple bedrooms off the back. Almost 20 years later, Jase graduated high…

In 2014, after Jesie and Matthew’s website introduction, the couple bought a 40-acre farm in the north-central Alabama hamlet of Sylacauga and began their business raising chickens and growing fruits and vegetables. That same year, they also renovated the 1930s cottage on the property that Jesie describes as a “farmstead,” a combination of homestead and farm. Their business, Marble Creek Farmstead, which derived its name from the town’s nickname of “The Marble City,” strives to raise wholesome, pesticide-free produce and all-natural meats. Before they even became a couple, the two shared a common and burgeoning interest in where their food is grown. Matthew’s focus on farming began while getting his master’s in business administration, and he initially started a farm with a couple of friends. At the same time, in…

A beehive isn’t your obvious anniversary gift, but Mary and David Mansur aren’t your average couple. Twenty years ago, Mary’s father had no idea what he was jump-starting when he gave his daughter and her husband a beehive for their anniversary. “Bees are a symbol of love,” Mary explains. Not only did the hive hit a sweet spot between the two honeys, but this family has been tending the hardworking little pollinators ever since. Naturally, when the Mansurs relocated to Ipswich, Massachusetts, the bees came along to make forays into the neighborhood. Starting with the bees buzzing around their own property, the Mansurs eventually came to steward fifty hives at local farms and locations throughout their region—including several based in Boston proper. They call themselves Tomten Beeworks, a name that…

This unique place setting is not only festive but also inexpensive! Gina arranged colorful fallen leaves from her yard between two glass plates purchased at a dollar store for a polished look that exudes the warmth of the harvest season. The centerpieces for the table and sideboard were created by arranging a collection of branches and wild grasses in beautifully woven baskets. Turn the baskets on their side for a fun twist on food display. Scattered among the plates and carried over to the sideboard arrangement are seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as a collection of vintage-style mason jars, lanterns, and candles that create a warm, romantic glow that dances across the table.…

Interior designer Jacquelyn Ditsler never met the late Faith Bybee, a well-known collector and preservationist of 19th century Texan architecture, artifacts, and antiques, but she feels the they would have been kindred spirits. A half century has passed since Faith and her husband began work setting up a museum village in Round Top, now the site of some of the country’s most popular antiques shows. Faith moved many small 19th century homes and buildings to Round Top to store her massive collection of early Texas and American antiques, which were sold off after her passing Jacquelyn, who has assumed Faith’s role of town matriarch, says she shares the mission for the beloved small town and continues to work towards its revitalization—most recently with the small cottage on White Street that…

“We are makers of high-quality, handmade furniture and reproductions.” —TOM ROSSMAN At the Shaker Shoppe in Lititz, Pennsylvania, owner Tom Rossman says Shaker-inspired design has been his company’s forte for decades. “We create furniture using fine woods, traditional joinery, and expert finishing techniques,” says Tom. The five cabinetmakers working on the designs take great pride in their handcrafted furniture, and each piece is signed and dated upon completion. Tom’s first venture into woodworking was as a young teenager in high school some 40 years ago. He says it just clicked and he has been a woodworker ever since. Today some of his most talented workers come right out of high school woodworking classes. Looking around the shop, there are a variety of pieces including tables, chairs, and cabinets of all…

Hailing from the town of Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada, country music star Terri Clark got her start playing for tips at Nashville, Tennessee’s famed honky-tonk, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. She signed with Mercury Records in 1995, while in her 20s, and emerged as a distinctive voice on the country music landscape and every bit her own woman. The eight-time Candian Country Music Association (CCMA) Entertainer of the Year made her mark on radio with more than 20 singles, including six in the number-one spot in Canada and the United States. Her hits include songs such as “Better Things To Do,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Girls Lie Too,” and “I Just Wanna Be Mad.” And just like her music, Terri’s home in Nashville is a delightful reflection of self, highlighting her…

In 2010, Pennsylvania couple Barry and Cyndy Olliff invested in a large hunting preserve and turned it into a world-class comprehensive equestrian operation. Known as Stable View, it is a top-notch eventing (dressage, cross-country, and show jumping) facility that welcomes international equestrian teams, serious competitors, and professional trainers to perfect their talents at a private, state-of-the-art facility. Interior designer Susan Victor of Nandina Home & Design began working with the Olliff’s as she and her team designed the multiple cottages and apartmentstyle stable rooms for guests on the equestrian sporting property. However, it wasn’t long after the Olliffs purchased the land in the heart of South Carolina’s horse country that they quickly found a desire to put down roots of their own. With the help of Susan and the Nandina…

After moving east from Sparks, Nevada, to the crisp, cool New England coast, Debbie Bosworth found that the microclimate on Cape Cod Bay provides the perfect setting for her old-fashioned cottage farm garden. Aptly named the Dandelion House, Debbie’s cottage is home to hundreds of blooms that she’s divided into various sections, each offering a beautiful expression of creative recycling and sustainable gardening practices. In the “butterfly garden,” which makes up Dandelion House’s largest section of flowering shrubs, perennials, roses, and ornamental grasses, Debbie has also planted a selection of fruitful delights including blueberry bushes, rhubarb, and strawberries. “I like the idea of planting with a purpose beyond simply beautifying a space,” she says. “This garden feeds the winged visitors and us!” Debbie says her favorite spot within her garden…

Sue Charles of Washington Boro, Pennsylvania, always knew that she loved painting. Her affinity for drawing began when she was a toddler and continued throughout childhood. She often copied pictures from books and made greeting cards for her family. But even with this talent, Sue fell victim to the age-old question: “How could I ever make a living doing art?” So, when it came time for Sue to go to college, she pursued elementary education, and her art seemed to be hibernating. “But if you have art in you,” she says, “eventually it is going to have to come out.” About the time Sue had her third child, an uncontrollable surge of creativity emerged and she decided to seek out art lessons. “I initially chose watercolors because I had little…