The Cottage Journal Winter 2013

Welcome to our first winter issue! From a cabin in the mountains to a cottage in the suburbs, harmonious spaces with individual charm and style celebrate the New Year upon us. Your personal retreat may be a window seat with a view, a cozy spot by the fi replace, or a bedroom where you can snuggle with lots of pillows and covers. Those are the spaces we feel the most relaxed in, where all is right with the world, and we can read, journal, or meditate in peace. Or perhaps you’re passionate about a hobby or collection that warms your heart and inspires you. In this special issue, you will meet two talented artisans, one who designs and constructs furniture and another who designs and creates quilts. Savor the season…

It’s the unexpected that makes us love the quirkiness of old houses. There may be a hallway recess that housed the family telephone in the late 1930s and ‘40s. You might find a small nook off the cottage kitchen that was a cold-storage room. The original need for many of these spaces may be long gone, but we still love those cozy, inviting areas. Today we often build in the nooks and niches from the start. Newly built homes are including window seats, built-in bookshelves, and small spaces for a computer or study area. Look around your cottage, and see if there’s just the smallest niche or nook that you might want to take over as your private place. Style idea Check out every nook and cranny. Even an unlikely…

Creamware was perfected in the mid- 1700s as Europe’s economical counterpart to popular but expensive Chinese porcelain. This refined earthenware pottery naturally aquired its name from the creamy color of its appearance. Although many experimenters and developers had a hand in creamware’s birth, Josiah Wedgwood is best remembered for his refinement to and successful marketing of the product. He became known as the Potter to Her Majesty after furnishing Queen Charlotte with his creamware line, which he then proudly (and cleverly) changed the name of to queensware. The majority of creamware is plain, but this versatile pottery was also decorated with transfer print designs, as well as monochrome and polychrome enamel colors. Many pieces were reticulated or pierced, which gives the edges a lacy appearance. Creamware can be found today…

Carolyn Bradford hesitates to define the exact style of her home. A brilliant blend of traditional English and country French, the Birmingham, Alabama, cottage could also be called “collected,” as it features an impressive selection of well-loved and well-curated antiques and accessories. Carolyn says her fondness for collections is the reason she opened Mulberry Heights Antiques, her popular shop that boasts furniture, lighting, accessories, and artwork. “It all began from a love of collecting mulberry ware, a form of black and white transferware that I simply could not get enough of at the time,” she recalls. in the spotlight style idea “The dining room walls are an interesting shade of green, to say the least,” Carolyn says. “Two specialty painters from Fairhope actually did the finish; it’s just a form…

style idea Separating and unifying, while sounding contradictory, describe the approach to take with an open floor plan. Use area rugs, furniture placement, and lighting to separate spaces with different functions; unify them through color and scale. With careful attention to color and scale, it’s possible to combine varying patterns and textures into pleasing, vibrant surroundings to be enjoyed even on those housebound winter days. In addition to design skill, it takes a dash of daring to mix a print sofa, patterned trunk, avian-themed lampshade, and animal print accent pillow in the same setting. In another space, boldly woven chairs with striped cushions rest on a tartan carpet. This home embraces tooled leather, Greekkey patterned trim, stripes, a monochrome colonial print, burled wood, plaids, and floral designs in a manner…

When Chris Jackson and her husband, Ronnie, purchased their abode in 1975, the young couple was enamored by the neighborhood and saw great potential in their red brick ranch. Over the years, the home has undergone a grand transformation as the Jacksons have painted and planned, renovated and restored. The couple even raised their roof line, unveiling an architectural beauty that fits the feel of their Tudor-style street. Preferring a cozy, clean-lined, and neutraltoned aesthetic, Chris has created a warm and welcoming home filled with abundant seating, storage, and room for an expanding family. A sweet little nursery that has welcomed many wee ones blends creamy walls and window treatments with colorful art and accessories. Plus, Chris adds, there is “plenty of room to hang pictures of grandkids.” In the…