The Cottage Journal Holiday 2014

Connect with us We would love to share in your joy during this magical time of year as you capture precious moments within your holiday home. Show us your holiday traditions, decorations, and seasonal favorites by tagging your social media posts with #MyHolidayCottage. This special issue is filled with homes for holiday inspiration. From designs with fresh takes on tradition to collectibles passed from one generation to the next, each home is unique in style. To fill your own festive home with wonderful scents of the season, create a classic holiday meal with the recipes provided in “Celebrating the Season” on page 91. A cozy log home and an English Tudor decorated in fresh greenery are among the homes that were a dream come true for theses families, and ones…

Pumpkin popularity is at its peak during the fall holidays. Halloween would be amiss without them. Scary and funny faces carved into gourds and lit from inside wait on porches everywhere for the trick-or-treaters. Then, as if by magic, pumpkins transition into pie and become thehit of Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a versatile thing for sure. And with its colors of green, white, and of course orange, the pumpkin is no longer relegated to just these two holidays. It’s becoming the cornerstone for fall decorating both inside and outside the home. Style Idea Add pumpkins to a bench at the front or back door for a colorful fall greeting. With the addition of berries and rustic pieces such as flower pots and watering cans, you’ll have a photoworthy vignette. IDEAS FOR…

“W hatever you collect,” Bob Timberlake says, “it’s an indication of personality or heritage. What you collect shows that you’re conscious of your heritage—that you appreciate it.” For Bob, heritage encompasses the natural world as well as family history. “From the time I could pick up a rock or a bird’s nest or an arrowhead, I’ve been collecting,” he says. “I’ve been collecting all my life—turtle shells, marbles, toys. It’s just something that’s inside me.” The list of items that have caught his attention over the years is long and varied, but there are some common threads: appealing colors, interesting contrasts, and above all, stories. “I could conjure up stories about everything I have,” Bob says. Every item and every collection taps into a memory or is the starting point…

With just one peek in the store window, The Iron Gate will capture your imagination and tempt you to linger awhile. Since 1997, the store has been a haven for lovers of found objects, fine gifts, and exquisite linens. Owner Rozanne Jackson curates a thoughtful, authentic collection of pieces that appeal to a wide range of customers. “I am typically drawn to items that have character and a story behind them,” Rozanne says. “I also am passionate about supporting local craftsmen and offering products that are American-made.” Thanks to this creative model, inspiration abounds at The Iron Gate, especially during the holiday season. “Right after Halloween, we transform the store into a magical winter wonderland!” Rozanne says. “We try every year to inspire our customers with our holiday displays.” These…

Sandra Haley’s world got a little smaller the day she discovered she knew the daughter of her home’s builder. Armed with stories, Sandra’s new friend walked through the circa-1927 English tudor and recalled some of the intricacies of its construction. Take, for instance, the curious off-center fireplace with a built-in bench in the living room. As the tale goes, the builder was at a play in New York when he was so inspired by the set that he sent his architect up to view the show and re-create the look. The library off the living room has a creative past as well, serving in earlier years as a minstrels’ gallery for the home’s musicians. “We never sought to have an old house, but we moved to the area when our…

When these Houston natives needed an escape from the city, the charming town of Round Top, Texas, was where they found their ideal retreat. This early Texas farm-style guesthouse is conveniently located just an hour away from their favorite team’s campus, Texas A&M, and steps away from their main house—meaning during football season it operates, much to the homeowners’ delight, like a bed-and-breakfast. “We were trying to find someplace close enough to go to [Texas] A&M football games,” the homeowner shares. “When we built the guesthouse, we didn’t really know if our Aggie friends would come or not, but it has surely been—from football season up through Christmas— a gathering spot for friends and family.” Decorated with the help of designer Linda Brunson, who owns a bed-and-breakfast in town, they…