The Cottage Journal Holidays 2013

Welcome to our special holiday edition filled with inspiration for the season’s celebrations. This is the season when we gather together to share the bounty of home. From the front door flourishes to the style of the sideboard, we explore unique cottages that toast the season with charm. Memories of good times, special people, and beloved places write our life story. And treasured antique heirlooms serve to anchor these memories, lending a connection to our family history and traditions. At Bouchon Bakery in the Napa Valley, a wonderful antique dough bowl is used daily—its rustic patina is as rich as the centuries-old baking tradition it embodies. In “The House That Was Meant to Be,” one homeowner’s antique pottery collections are intertwined not only with his love for history, but also…

Style Idea You don’t have to be a dumpster diver to make your home one of a kind. Yard sales and flea markets are great sources for newfound treasures. Juxtaposing old and new objects will add character to your interiors. This decorating trend doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Several popular television shows feature pickers who scour flea markets for objects they can recycle or that have already been repurposed by a previous owner. The hunt is the name of the game. And one of the many treasures they are hunting is tin. The tin ceilings so popular in the 1800s were often painted white as an inexpensive way to create the look of plasterwork. But as with all trends, the popularity of tin waned, and in…

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…

Besides maintaining and caring for a great house, the best way to personalize your home with style is to fill it with wonderful and meaningful items—and from the looks of this Georgian abode, it’s evident that this home has no shortage of personality or style. Within its refined rooms, displaying well-chosen accessories, antiques, and period-inspired furnishings, the owner’s collection of 19th-century dishware and pottery commands equal attention. Consisting of an assortment of English white ironstone china, brown and white transferware, caneware, and drabware, his impressive finds are tastefully displayed as works of art—which, in essence, they are. “I’m always searching for pieces that I know will interplay well with my other objects,” he states, “particularly those that work well in large groups.” treasured antiques Color also plays a key role…

It’s been six years since KariAnne Wood and her family made their big jump. Encouraged by a divinely timed sermon, the Woods decided to move from the hustle-bustle of the city to the stillness of the Kentucky countryside. And before they could look back, they’d become the third owners of a 1918 farmhouse sorely in need of some TLC. “We gutted the home, knocked out walls, remodeled, you name it,” KariAnne recalls. “At one point, the kitchen was just a sad pipe jutting up from the middle of the floor.” Their patience paid off, and KariAnne soon unleashed her penchant for design that she’d fostered since childhood. “As a girl, my pride and joy was my beautiful Barbie house,” she reveals. “I scoured the library for books about doll furniture…

Style Idea Autumnal hues provide year-round floor-toceiling warmth via rich window treatments, caramel-colored leather, and bold upholstery and rugs. It’s a mere 75 feet from the back door of John and LaDonna Bost’s home to their secluded cabin getaway. And yet it takes only one step inside to discover why this longed-for retreat has become a sanctuary for so many. The couple’s mountain-home dreams began many years ago when the Bosts were spending more and more time in the quaint village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Desiring a log cabin to share with friends and family, the pair one day realized that their wooded backyard might be just the land they were meant to build on. Construction began on Memorial Day 2005 with one caveat: LaDonna wanted her family to…