Innholdsfortegnelse for Best of 2016 i The Cottage Journal

W when people visit Brenda Speller’s tiny Katrina cottage, their lasting impression tends to be a sentiment of “this is all you really need in life.” Though her one-bedroom cottage provides less than 600 square feet of living space, it offers a simplistic solution to beach living. Brenda decided to move to the beach after retiring from 20 years of service in the military. The undeveloped wooded property she owned in Seacrest, Florida, housed two small buildings, a washroom and a one-room guest bungalow, and allowed just enough space to add a prefabricated Katrina cottage. Brenda gutted the cottage to create a simple home that maximized every inch. And with the help of interior decorator Tonya G. Kilpatrick she was able to employ a few design tricks to make the…

Barbara Tickle and her husband, Charlie, have enjoyed weekend escapes to the mountains for more than 40 years. Just a few years ago, they decided it was time to put roots down in their favourite vacation oasis and build an incredible dream cabin in the hills of North Carolina. With the help of builder Dearl Stewart and architect Mark Paullin their dream became a reality. Their mountain home enjoys an elegant look yet still feels appropriate to its setting due to their thoughtful use of natural materials and personalized décor. “We wanted it to be rustic without feeling cabin-y,” Barbara says of the home’s interior. The rustic cottage is built with solid wood, complete with stained pine ceilings and flooring throughout, while painted wood-planked walls complement its frame in a…

W hen a New England couple planned a move to the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, they found the perfect lot; unfortunately, its rustic cottage couldn’t be saved. Undaunted, they set about building a new home that looks like it has been standing amid the old trees for years, yet is custom to their lifestyle and aesthetic with modern comforts and sound construction. The home’s traditional design has gables in the steeply sloped roof, a wraparound porch with a shed roof, red-trimmed sash windows, and a convenient attached garage. Reclaimed picklewood (used in the vats for curing pickles) and reclaimed barnwood make up the exterior materials and the doors. “A project goal was to make it look like it had been there forever and to save the huge pine…

Farmers Allen and Cindy Gentry have lived on their family farm in Franklin, Tennessee, for more than 30 years. Allen’s family has owned the farm since 1848, making the Gentrys’ three grown children the seventh generation to be a part of the farm’s history. The family remains deeply connected to their heritage and stays busy working their almost 400-acre farm. But they agree that the holiday season is the perfect time to slow down and reflect on family as they celebrate their faith. The Gentrys’ charming double-pen dogtrot-style log cabin was originally built in the early 1800s. They combined the cabin with an old tenant house on the farm to create what Cindy calls “the meandering house,” as most visitors are surprised at how large it seems inside. The house…

There’s a snap in the air and a crunch underfoot, but don’t let that stop you—because a bounty awaits outdoors. Baskets full of flowers are standing by. A multitude of berries have turned rosy and plump on the shrubs. Pluck them up, and bring them close. The birds won’t mind if you stuff your pockets with some wild grape clusters to infuse your kitchen with that giddy scent. There’s plenty to spare. Fetch a few and put them in a dish in your office to sample their deep, ambrosial fragrance as you work. Harvest handfuls of fluffy seed heads from the field, and fill a vase for your bedside. Call it foraging or scavenging—the beauty of harvesting in autumn is that there are no second thoughts. Everything is about to…

Artist and interior decorator Pandy Agnew’s 1,100-square-foot cottage has helped teach her the importance of streamlining. “Editing out the clutter keeps me breathing,” she says, adding, “I have come to that place in my life where good health and happiness are my priorities. All of the lovely ‘things’ in my home are just that.” Originally built in the 1800s, Pandy made a few modifications (like the addition of closets) to the cottage’s existing floor plan. But regardless of her home’s small stature, Pandy insists that it’s the perfect size for herself and her young grandchildren who visit often, as well as the casual get-togethers she regularly hosts. Pandy’s move toward simplification influenced her choice of furnishings and décor. “What speaks to me in furniture and accessories is true comfort and…

It’s no mystery that as our lives evolve, our needs change as well. With that said, sometimes an opportunity may roll around that, only a few years ago, would have seemed impractical. And when good fortune comes along in the form of a wonderfully planned community, such a discovery may be hard to pass up. Washington homeowners Brian and Colleen Ducey not only have found the right place, but they’ve also adjusted their daily routines accordingly. It took some settling in for them—and lots of decluttering— to make their new location an ideal choice. “Before moving here, Brian and I were living in a 2,400-square-foot home in Seattle,” Colleen explains, “and although we had talked about downsizing many times, our options seemed limited.” Because their children are grown and out…

The first time Julie and Brian O’Keefe walked into their 1950s cottage in the hills above Los Angeles, Julie was ready to walk right back out. “It had absolutely zero character,” she says. Its 1,300 square feet were a mishmash of dated surfaces, bland architecture, and an uninspired layout. But Brian, who saw potential beneath its plainness, persuaded Julie to put her design eye to work. “He had the vision, and I executed it,” Julie says. Changing the floor plan wasn’t in the cards, so the couple focused on freshening the home’s face. Hickory flooring went down; tongue-and-groove ceilings went up. Julie cloaked the walls, ceilings, and cabinetry in creamy white for a sense of openness and flow, as well as a neutral backdrop on which to accent different plants…

When artist Susan Ferguson stepped into a circa 1926 Scottish-style cottage located in a revered neighborhood, she was surprised—and immediately smitten—with its myriad charms. She knew she had to have it. The whitewashed and exposed-brick exterior and terra-cotta tile mosaic threshold are just the first clues that this home is steeped in character. Open the door, and that impression is echoed by sun-washed interiors that are a beautiful blend of Old-World and eclectic styles. Susan has mixed sentimental pieces with more contemporary furnishings for a unique style that perfectly portrays her personality. Accents throughout the home—a dried honeycomb, a sweet bird’s nest, even her own exquisite line of leaf-shaped pottery— evince the artist’s love of nature and add charm to the surroundings. The kitchen is especially enchanting. “I wanted a…

It’s been more than 20 years since Peggy Kurz’s daughter took her to Rachel Ashwell’s shop in Chicago. The visit so influenced her she came home and painted everything white. The shabby chic design concept was inspired by flea market finds. And once Peggy decided to adopt that look, she and friends started checking out various antiques shows and flea markets. Peggy laughs when she shares, “I have lived in the house over 40 years and have gone through a lot of different decorating styles including Victorian and collecting cows.” But it looks like this style is a long-lasting favourite of Peggy’s, not only for the interior of her house but for the garden as well. The same shabby chic design principles of using timeworn furniture and feminine accessories are…

Cascading layers of creeping fig drape the entrance to the enchanting countryside home that Avery Rhodes shares with her husband, Chris Akins, and their four children. It gives the house a magical fairy-tale feel, one Avery likens to Sleeping Beauty’s vine-covered castle. “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 their children, along with a menagerie of pets, are free to…

W hen planning their vacation home, Joanne and Bruce Montgomery knew exactly where to look for inspiration. Their property on Whidbey Island in Washington state was once home to a summer inn used by fishermen from 1905 to 1947 when Holmes Harbor was a famous fishing spot. “We wanted the interior to have the look and feel of a classic fishing lodge with a great room like a lobby, and the fit and finish to be evocative of the original structure,” Bruce says. The Montgomerys presented architect Ross Chapin with old photos of the inn and shared its history (the original structure was torn down after a fire). “The historic inn was a classic white clapboard building with a hipped roof and wraparound porch,” Ross says. “Those were our design…

Driving up to Greg and Celia Turner’s charming Tennessee cottage-style farmhouse you’ll notice the street’s large arching trees, wide inviting spaces of green, and general lack of traffic making it all too easy to feel like you’re deep in the country. But the Turner’s street is something of a treasure because while it feels country, it’s no more than a stone’s throw away from major shopping retailers—a perfect combination for a modern family on the go. “It feels like the country, but it’s not,” Celia says. “As Nashville’s getting busier and busier, it’s nice to be able to come here and sort of retreat and feel like we’re in the country.” She calls her home a modern farmhouse— touches of vintage and funky eclectic finds are dappled throughout—reflecting each family…

When this homeowner sold her veterinary practice and moved to Okotoks, Alberta, she not only had more time to spend with her three young daughters, she also had the daunting task of figuring out which elements of her existing décor would work in their new home and which items she’d need to reevaluate. “My former home [had] a more traditional layout with separated spaces,” Andrea Flebbe says. “I loved that layout, but our current home is quite the opposite.” The main floor of the Flebbes’ cottage features an open floor plan where the kitchen, living room, dining room, and breakfast nook are all visually connected. “The furniture that I brought from our last home just didn’t seem to be working in our new space,” Andrea says. “I was having such…