Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2023 i The Cottage Journal

In the charming Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas, Texas, where picturesque tree-lined streets give way to well-preserved homes from the early 1900s, Ashley and Wes Martin discovered their traditional 1941 Colonial-style house in 2010. As their family grew to include three children in the years since, they’ve made the dwelling their own with an undercurrent of comfort and durability while upholding a refined aesthetic in keeping with the home’s heritage. Original features stand out amid furnishings with clean, classic lines, and functional updates blend right in as the Martins’ personalities shine through in bold color, art, and accents that all come together for a look that’s current yet timeless. “We have been working with this family for the past 10 years,” says designer Emily Johnston Larkin of EJ Interiors. “They…

While South Walton, Florida, is best known for its 26 miles of sugar-white beaches, there are many more charms to be found in and around the region’s 16 beach neighborhoods. From outdoor adventure to endless shopping and culinary delights, you’ll find plenty of hidden gems just moments away from the Gulf Coast. WHAT TO DO: With four state parks, 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, and a 15,000-acre state forest to explore, outdoor enthusiasts will relish every moment spent appreciating the area’s natural wonders. For family-friendly fun, take a trip to the Sandestin neighborhood, where The Village of Baytowne Wharf hosts concerts, firework displays, and more alongside shopping and dining. WHERE TO EAT: Local ingredients and fresh-from-the-Gulf seafood come together for a culinary scene like no other, and no…

Growing up, Meg Massie recalls that, for her family, no out-of-town getaway was complete without an excursion to an antiques store. Her parents have always had a passion for timeworn treasures, a love they passed along to Meg and her sister. However, Meg’s affinity for tole trays transpired thanks to a very influential great-aunt. “She had some beautiful trays and tole pieces,” says Meg, who now shares an enthusiasm for collecting tole trays with her mother, sister, and sister-in-law. “All four of us have them in our homes and love finding and displaying them.” Tole painting refers to the application of paint and lacquer to tin as an effort to prevent the objects from rusting—imparting a decorative aesthetic to everyday items. Pretty and practical, the technique was developed in Wales…

When Alice Hubbard moved her daughter to college, she quickly found herself an empty nester eager for a change. With her mind made up, Alice called for a construction dumpster to be delivered to her home, and soon, she had either donated or disposed of all her furnishings—saving only her home office setup and her bed. To further the fresh start, Alice had the entire interior painted white, drowning out the existing jewel tones of her 1998 Jacksonville Beach, Florida, home. For six months, Alice lived in an empty white house, clearing her mind and planning her next steps all while throwing herself into her work. That’s when she reached out to Gordon Kessler and Larry Johnson of Fernandina Beach’s interior design studio, Gordon + Johnson. “We got a call…

In 2000, Justin Gaffrey had just sold his restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, where he’d also worked as a chef, and had turned to furniture building while contemplating his next step. One day, inspiration struck, and he began painting a folk art scene on one of his furnishings—and never looked back. “I loved building furniture—I still do—but I didn’t want to make a career out of it,” Justin says. “When I painted on the piece of furniture, I enjoyed it so much that I tried a painting the next day, and I literally have not stopped since. [At that point], I had every bit of time to devote to whatever I wanted to do. I’m an obsessive worker, and I was used to working 80 hours a week, so…

Throughout her 25-year career, interior designer Lizzie McGraw has worked alongside clients who have a myriad of styles, from modern and chic to bohemian and coastal. In her new book, Creative Style: Liveable, Loveable Spaces, she shares 14 of her most inspirational homes to spark readers’ imaginations. From the start of her small business in a refurbished furniture shop in 1997, Lizzie shares how her Venice Beach, California, storefront, Tumbleweed & Dandelion, came into such success. The store’s journey begins with repainted tables and chairs Lizzie brought from her own apartment and the sale of some of her first pieces to actress Julia Roberts. Now, eclectic décor pieces, trendy beach hats and bags, and special selections of textiles fill the shop to its brim, making it a must-hit spot for…

For Marnie Oursler, owner of Marnie Custom Homes, listening to her clients’ needs is a vital part of creating fresh and functional getaways on the East Coast. “I design and build these homes to make living, working, and vacationing in Delaware carefree and comfortable,” she says. “While each home I build reflects life at the beach in a variety of ways, the main goal is to always fulfill the homeowner’s wants and needs—especially how they want their homes to fit their lifestyle and embrace their surroundings.” For the owners of this Bethany Beach, Delaware, vacation cottage, settling into their new space located on a corner canal lot meant ensuring there were plenty of spots for gathering and enjoying the locale. “The house was designed specifically for this setting,” says Marnie,…

When Amanda and Luke Lanier purchased their charming midcentury cottage a few years ago, they knew the kitchen, original to the home, was a project they would have to tackle. Anticipating the needs of their growing family, the couple teamed up with River Brook Design & Construction to transform the dated space into an open, airy, and inviting kitchen built for family life and hosting in style. “The kitchen was dark, closed off, and not very functional,” Amanda says. “With the original layout, only one person could be in the kitchen at a time. When designing our new kitchen, we wanted it to be bright, functional, and more family friendly.” They began with the floor plan, opening it up a bit more to the living room and adjacent back porch…