Innholdsfortegnelse for French Home 2018 i The Cottage Journal

Bienvenue! Welcome to The Cottage Journal’s special issue of French Home, featuring a collection of charming homes filled with ideas and color schemes seen in French design. In this issue, we explore the idea of Ma maison est mon château, meaning, “My home is my castle.” The featured dwellings are packed with personal style that gracefully reflects the homeowners. Many of these French-inspired interiors have a simple color palette and minimal decorating, which leads to a classic, relaxed design. In France, there is a love and appreciation for natural wood, stone, linens, chandeliers, pottery, and generally clean lines. Throughout this special issue, you’ll find homes and gardens that exude this timeless style. An interesting feature on decorating with architectural remnants on page 17 is the perfect place to start your…

Unlike any other floral perfume in the plant kingdom, only gardeners know the true aroma of fragrant violets. Gather a nosegay of sweet violets, hold it to your nose, and breathe in. Even for gardeners, that unique signature scent came perilously close to being lost. If you have never sampled the essence of Viola odorata, you owe it to your nostrils to find those elusive flowers. Take one whiff, and you’ll understand the reason for the French love affair with these modest blooms. Violets undoubtedly won the hearts of the French long before Napoleon Bonaparte came on the scene. Some say that violets were the first flower to be grown commercially—documented as an item in Greek marketplaces in 400 B.C. Mentioned in ancient herbals, used medicinally and for their sweet…

“My husband one day drew the floor plan [of our house] on a napkin at a restaurant and said that this would be a perfect family home for us and our three children,” interior designer Julie Ponze says of her elegant yet relaxed New Orleans, Louisiana, home. “After that, we met with an architect, Brian Parr, who made our dream a reality.” Seventeen years later, Julie is still a fan of the classic design choices they made. Though she worked as a school teacher for 20 years, design has always been a passion for Julie. “My mother says I’ve been doing interior design since I was 3 years old when I would rearrange all the shoes in her closet and later all the glasses on the bar,” Julie says with…

Approaching Johnnie Kay and Bob Wolf’s hilltop home feels akin to arriving at a château on the edge of a lovely French village. The front gate, adorned with a pair of gas lanterns, opens to reveal an expertly manicured courtyard leading to the couple’s picturesque abode. The Wolfs fell in love with the clean lines of modernism but also adored the timeless beauty of classical design elements. They looked to Chris Reebals, president of Christopher Architecture & Interiors, to blend their sensibilities into one seamless design. “When it came to the final decision on an architectural style, Bob’s comment to me was ‘I am an orthopedic surgeon. You are an architect. I’ll stick with what I do well and let you do your thing—so, design,’” Chris says. And so he…

When asked to describe the style of her home, the owner responds, “Country French.” And when asked her personal style, she shares, “It’s casual and comfortable.” The intermingling of these two styles has resulted in an inviting home with French influences. As you enter through the arched door, you step into a light-filled hallway. The glass chandelier overhead is an antique thought to be originally from France. The grandfather clock and chest were both purchased years ago in New Orleans, long a source for French antiques. Just off the hall sits the living room. The homeowner explained the room’s color palette was influenced by the colors in the rug. The choice was either to go with dark colors or light, and she chose light. “I’m afraid of color,” she says…

Mallory Smith has been working in the interior design business for almost two decades, but she didn’t take her first trip to France until 15 years ago. With her 2-year-old child in hand, she tagged along with her mother and sister on a buying trip for their antiques shop and ended up buying for clients of Mallory Smith Interiors and, of course, for her own home. Mallory, her husband, and their three children live in a two-story brick house built in 1987. As a busy decorator, Mallory had to put her own home renovations on the back burner while she helped others. But over time, she has worked her magic, creating a romantic French-inspired home. The neutral palette of the foyer is carried throughout the rooms for a calm, relaxed…

Architect Michael Graves once said, “Architecture is not all about the design of the building and nothing else, it is also about the cultural setting and the ambience, the whole affair.” And that may be one reason today’s designers are so interested in collecting remnants of buildings from earlier times. Small pieces of moldings, an old mantel, a balustrade—they introduce a little bit of history and character to our homes. The shop Maison de France Antiques specializes in old architectural remnants from France. Co-owner Ginny Smith says, “It’s like Christmas every time we open a container. I love that every item is original.” And for shoppers, it’s a treasure hunt for a bit of history.…

The porch welcomes friends and family with its vintage wicker furnishings and a settee made from an antique bed. French towels cover pillows and a lampshade for a soft, subtle nod to Gallic culture. Ferns and flowers bring the outdoors right up to the front door. The crystal chandelier is the pièce de résistance in the front room. The white walls provide the perfect backdrop to showcase collections of suitcases, hats, and furniture. The antique mantel displays a grouping of family photos in a variety of silver frames while surrounding bookcases enclosed with glass doors protect favorite reads. An unexpected element is added with a furry covered bench for extra seating. A small butler’s pantry connecting the front room and dining room provides storage for collected china. Another crystal chandelier…

While the Harbin cottage is a new build, the interiors feel anything but new with the help of the cozy comforts of the couple’s well-loved collections. Trying to recall when they developed an affinity for French influence and antiques, Barbara shares that it is something that continues to evolve. Robin’s mother collected and cherished antiques, which played a huge role in his personal style, but it was when the Harbins were first married and moved to Washington, D.C., that they found a true appreciation and fondness for older things. The home’s open floor plan welcomes guests from the outside into the dining room, where the walls are drenched in a beautiful, rich red. The dining room gracefully flows into the living room, which enjoys a palette of soft blue, and…

ADDRESSES Arceneaux Gallery arceneauxgallery.com, 205-802-5800 Ashley Longshore ashleylongshore.com, 504-333-6951 Brooks Interiors 205-595-7621 Christopher Architecture & Interiors christopherai.com, 205-413-8531 Circa Lighting circalighting.com, 877-762-2323 Dynamic Cooking Systems dcsappliances.com, 888-936-7872 Francis A. Bryant & Sons francisbryant.com, 205-601-7800 Hawkins-Israel III Interiors 251-479-6005 Henry Sprott Long & Associates facebook.com/sprottlong, w Julie Neill Designs julieneill.com, 504-899-4201 Julie Ponze Design julieponze1@gmail.com, 504-905-6000 Maison de France Antiques facebook.com/MaisonDeFranceAntiques, 205-699-6330 Mallory Smith Interiors mallorysmithinteriors.com, 205-223-7630 Nall artistnall.com Red Bird Trading Co. redbirdnewburyport.com, 978-462-5566 Restoration Hardware restorationhardware.com, 800-762-1005 Rosalie Gambrill Holman Garden and Design roholman@bellsouth.net, 205-999-4193 Stidco Construction stidco-construction.com, 205-206-4529 Stock & Trade Design Co. stockandtrade.com, 205-783-1350 Sugar Bakers Bakery etsy.com/shop/sugarbakersbakery Welded Wood Specialty Products facebook.com/weldedwood WishBasket 978-465-1515 Email us at ecarswell@hoffmanmedia.com, and tell us your cottage story. Please understand that any submissions you send to us become the property…