Innholdsfortegnelse for Holiday Home 2021 i The Cottage Journal

TIMELESS TREASURES Join us as we tour 10 gorgeous homes in this special issue of Holiday Home from The Cottage Journal. We are overjoyed with the variety of styles to inspire you. From foyers filled with ornament-laden trees to collected heritage memorabilia, each home carries its personality for the holidays. Those prized finds during travels or items passed down from family become holiday traditions and the focal points of displays. From a Texas cottage with its fresh red-and-white palette to a home in Georgia with lush wreaths and garlands all around, ideas abound not only on holiday tables but also along the hallways and entrances. With this issue, there’s plenty of inspiration to make this year’s celebration at home filled with happy hearts and glad tidings of joy!…

With a sentiment for the past combined with their updated traditional home, Brenda and Joe McGee cherish a lighthearted time at home during the holidays. Plans to assemble all things Christmas, including the old and the new, become a group effort for the McGees. During the Thanksgiving holiday, Brenda gathers their four adult sons to assist with unpacking décor, setting up trees, and positioning other heavy decorative pieces. “I utilize their enthusiastic days together not only for games, movies, and great conversations [but also] being part of the holidays ahead,” she says. She remarks that going up and down the attic stairs is much easier for them, and in fact, they enjoy contributing before leaving for their separate homes. From collected Nativity scenes to angels large and small, Brenda’s holiday…

With two sons moving out and a new house in a new city, Tamara Willman thought the Christmas season of 2020 seemed like the perfect time to experiment with her home’s décor. “[Our home has] always been pretty neutral, and I just wanted to add color,” she says, noting that the typical holiday theme would have run more toward hunting motifs. But after moving from Mobile, Alabama, to a cottage in Homewood, Alabama, the previous June, she saw an opportunity to mix things up. She teamed up with local garden shop owner Dorothy McDaniel to plan a holiday décor theme that would pop with fun colors and contemporary personality—including a showstopper of a tree in the front room. “I’ve always liked a flocked tree, and I really wanted all glass,…

During the Christmas season, Dallas, Texas-based interior decorator Nissa-Lynn Parson creates a cozy, magical experience for her five children. “I am passionate about holiday decorating,” Nissa-Lynn says. “Holidays and birthdays are huge events in our home! I love to go all out for every holiday and make it special.” Since Christmas is the pinnacle of seasonal decorating, Nissa-Lynn begins decking her home in early November with festive touches to be enjoyed throughout the Christmas season. “I love to put Christmas touches in every room in my home,” she says. “It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!” In 2012, the Parson family moved into their newly built house in McKinney, Texas, and they immediately set out to make it feel like home. When you walk through the doors,…

As festive seasonal gatherings commence, floral showcases are bound to make an appearance atop many a holiday table. In her latest book, Charlotte Moss: Flowers, designer Charlotte Moss encourages readers to continually celebrate these ephemeral gifts of nature. Well-versed in creating beautiful spaces, Charlotte is well-known as an interior designer, author, and philanthropist. In addition to styling numerous private residences in the United States and abroad, she has designed carpets, furniture, fabrics, china, and enameled jewelry. An author of 11 books, Charlotte also lectures internationally on the art of fine living—a lifestyle that’s incomplete without fresh flowers. For the past decade, she has documented her floral compositions, from opulent presentations for posh parties to gracious arrangements for outfitting a guest room. Peruse enchanting designs throughout the book’s 272 pages. Incorporating…

When Stephenie and Justin Ragan purchased their historic home in Wrightsville, Georgia, they called on the expertise of interior designer Maggie Griffin to help give their Southern charmer a fresh new life while making sure their young family felt right at home. “It’s not every day we get the opportunity to do a house that’s over 100 years old,” Maggie says with delight. “It was such a fun project, and [Stephenie’s] just such a great client.” Beginning in the winter of 2019, the team dreamed up fresh, contemporary finishes and classic design elements that were completed in time for the Ragans to celebrate their first Christmas at home. “When we came in early November (2020), it was a winter wonderland,” Maggie says of the Ragans’ holiday home. “It was perfection.…

Christmas in the Burford household is all about celebrating the season and spending quality time with family. From the second Cindy Burford’s grandchildren step inside her home, the magic of the holidays is upon them. “My foyer is a winter wonderland at Christmas,” Cindy shares. “It thrills my soul to see the children’s faces when they open the door!” The exquisite welcoming space features a grand staircase with more than 100 feet of garland intertwining the banisters. Colorful and fun decorations, such as oversize glittering baubles and polka-dot presents, adorn the bottom of the railing, while a crimson-hued ribbon draws the eye to the top of the stairs. Moving further inside the home, the arched ceiling gives way to a menagerie of large ornaments hung from above. In the center…

It doesn’t matter which room you enter in Sherri and Mike Mauter’s home—if it’s December, you’ll find sparkling, color-rich décor that’s dripping with personal stories. Even in the foyer, the Fitz and Floyd collection in the bookcase comprises gifts from Mike and his parents to Sherri over many holidays, and the miniature tree above has a special place in the couple’s memories. “Mike and I were walking through Macy’s after Christmas one year, and there on an aisle by itself was this poor, pitiful-looking tree,” Sherri says. “We decided it needed to live at our home, and after several years of finding just the right ornaments, it now stands proudly and is often admired by our friends and family.” The precious memories and personalized touches don’t disappear upon entrance into…

TREASURED DISPLAYS Sprinkle the Christmas spirit around your home by arranging a pair of pretty parcels amongst collected relics for a simple yet stylish seasonal vignette. PERSONALIZED PACKAGING Elevate your gift wrap designs this year with the addition of festive cutouts—from classic Santa figures to vintage-inspired sheet music featuring beloved Christmas tunes—secured with adhesive spray and accessorized with graceful bows. MIRRORED MAJESTY For a creative twist to top off your tree, showcase an unexpected heirloom that conveys your signature style. Reflecting the surrounding scene’s radiant glow, an antique sunburst mirror imparts subtle French flair as it crowns this balsam beauty in lieu of a traditional topper. ALL DECKED OUT A medley of ornaments in various sizes, contrasting hues, and shining finishes lends visual interest to your décor, while spirals of…

When interior designer Molly Kay Johns and her husband, Thomas, who is a master woodworker and general contractor, built their modern farmhouse in Purcellville, Virginia, they flexed their collective creative muscles to design a dream home for their family. The four-bedroom cottage features an open floor plan and is set up for optimal family living. It shines year-round, but at Christmas, it truly glows with the spirit of the season. “I love decorating for Christmas,” says Molly Kay, who gets a head start each year and has several trees displayed by the end of November. “I want to enjoy them for as long as I can. Because I put up a lot of trees, it takes a while. Once they are up, it frees me to focus on being with…

The McMillian family’s Scottish heritage is apparent before friends and family even enter their home. Hanging on the double front doors during the holiday season are two wreaths, each tied with a red-and-green tartan scarves, giving guests a peek at what’s through the doors. Upon entry into the foyer, visitors are welcomed by a flocked tree, dazzling with crimson ornaments and laced with sheer red ribbon. Atop the tree, a tartan bow in blue, red, and green pays homage to the family’s lineage. Nearby, the stairwell features more tartan ribbon and two traditional Scottish sporrans, small pouches worn on the front of a man’s kilt. Wife Jodi enlisted the help of decorator Shelayne Thompson to create the perfect holiday décor, which features a blend of the family’s beloved Scottish heritage,…