The Cottage Journal Cottage Charm 2017

Autumn. It’s the season that gives us respite from summer’s heat and teases with an occasional cool breeze. The staff of The Cottage Journal loves everything about this season—the clear light, the bluest skies, and the changing colors of leaves—it all seems to refresh and energize us. In this special issue, we celebrate the season with some of our favorite stories presented in earlier issues. As you peruse the pages, revisit old favorites and discover new articles you may have missed. Precious collections, homes decorated in cottage style, and tables filled with the bounty of the season fill our pages. This special collector’s issue, Best of Autumn Cottage, is sure to inspire as we welcome the season together. Wishing you all the delights of the season, The editors of The…

Since ancient times, botanicals have been preserved for their beauty and cataloged to identify different specimens. In Victorians days, slipping petals and leaves into a book was a way to remember a special person or occasion. Today, framed botanical collections are found hanging on walls as decorative art in cottages across the country. One artist known for her works with leaves and flowers is Lauren Lachance. For years she traveled with her inks and watercolors around the world to document plants. But, she shares, “when I discovered that delicately pressing can illustrate the essence and vitality of a plant, it became my passion.” Lauren explains that the herbier, a collection of dried and pressed plants, is a centuries-old method used to identify, study, and classify plants. “I lovingly evolved this…

Originating in China, the striking cobalt blue pigments were first seen adorning white pottery and porcelain ceramics as early as the ninth century. The intricate blue decorations were expertly applied by hand and became highly coveted as China opened trade with Europe, making a limited number of pieces for royalty. Much to the delight of the middle class, transferware was introduced in the 18th century, which allowed potters to quickly produce the treasured blue-and-white ceramics at more affordable prices. The revolutionary technique of transferware was developed in Staffordshire, England, making the city the epicenter of pottery production and development for more than 200 years. The process consists of transferring a pattern from an engraved and inked copper plate to a special sheet of paper. The paper is then applied to…

Chances are you’ve probably heard the name Josiah Wedgwood, who produced beautiful lines of pottery in England during the mid- to late-18th century. He is most remembered for his pale blue and green urns, plates, cameo jewelry, and other decorative pieces with white gossamer figures applied to them. While these works are known as Jasperware, Wedgwood and his factory also created other types of pottery, such as a series intended for more daily, practical use called caneware. Whereas Jasperware often portrays classical subjects or themes from antiquity, caneware typically reflects more natural elements, including plants, animals, and produce. Because of these bucolic attributes, it’s believed that the term caneware was derived from early pieces depicting bound bamboo reeds, wheat, and other stalk-like vegetation. Caneware also lacks the colors characteristic of…

When Amy and David Wilson were looking for a new home, they happened upon one they never dreamed could be theirs. They admired the work of local architects but knew having a home built wasn’t feasible as a young couple. But as luck would have it they stumbled upon a home built by Shepard & Davis, whose style they loved. “It was just everything that we were looking for,” Amy says. “It was everything we were hoping to build, but already built.” Amy describes her four-bedroom, fourbathroom home as a modern craftsman. With the deep, rich brown of the exterior the color of bark, the home nestles into its surroundings, and nature’s inspiration carries through to the interiors. “We’ve made the outside be our art because we have so many…

A mother of two with a million irons in the fire and a dad who is a chef and restaurant owner are the definition of the busy modern couple. So when they are home together that’s what they want—to be together. Autumn and Patrick Hankins found their cottage while still under construction in a picturesque village of cottages. Since it was not complete, Autumn was able to add her unique style. A successful search for rustic ceiling beams, vintage doors, and even a zinc sink are the one-of-a-kind of touches that Autumn relishes. Originally from New Orleans, Autumn wanted to make sure the cottage was ready for entertaining family and friends who might visit from the Bayou State. A stone fireplace is the focus in the light-filled living room with…