Innholdsfortegnelse for Southern Cottage 2018 i The Cottage Journal

Inside you’ll find: • Decorating with family treasures makes a house feel like home while giving heirlooms a fresh perspective.• The dinner table, particularly a farm-style table, ensures a place for everyone; after all, welcoming family and friends is the essence of Southern hospitality.• Indoor and outdoor spaces like porches and sunrooms provide extra living area for small homes—rooms that allow for enjoying wonderful weather with a larger group or a special spot to relax alone.• Collections from a favorite vacation spot or a memorable journey make a beautiful display.• An unfettered use of French doors welcomes the outside in and encourages a flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. The dream of every Southern homeowner is to have a porch as a refuge to read, relax with family, and visit…

Nestled on the bluffs of the Mississippi River lies a home steeped in rich Southern history. Built in the early 1800s, the charming white Italianate is a place where both homeowners Cindy and Joe Meng share childhood memories, though they never imagined they would one day call it home. Created in two distinct stages, the house began as a one-and-a-half story frame cottage with a full-width gallery and gable roof with well-detailed dormers. In 1858, the house changed ownership and with it came a new name, “Wigwam,” due to the Native American artifacts found during the renovation. With new owners also came a massive renovation—an expansion from the original cottage to the picturesque Italianate seen today, complete with matching wings on the front, arched triple windows, the bracketed cornice doorway,…

Painting often requires artists to focus on light as much or even more than the subject, and the same approach rings true in this charming cottage. Laura Blackstock, a painter, and her architect husband, Joel, bought their 1940s cottage from the daughter of its original owners more than 20 years ago and have since carefully crafted a serene home. “It’s small; it’s a very simple house. I think of it like a little farmhouse or lake house,” Laura says. “It’s very simple, but the windows and the light are just spectacular.” That farmhouse simplicity feels enchanting in the space. Joel appreciates clean lines while the blending of antiques and rich textures appeals to Laura, and in this cottage all those elements come together to create a home that is simultaneously…

When Brooke and Andrew Bell hosted their final supper club before moving from their 1940s cottage, the couple pulled long tables outside, lining them up in a farmhouse fashion for a beautiful evening of memory making under the stars. With 10 people around the table, the meal was delicious, the laughter was contagious, and the setup, Brooke reflects, was symbolic of the couple’s cottage lifestyle. “We were always looking for ways to make the most of a small space, and that’s where creativity came into play,” she says. Brooke, a magazine editor, also lives in an edited, uncluttered way, taking great joy in solving how to best use her space. Take, for example, the Bells’ living area, a long rectangular expanse that positions the dining space on one end and…

“Our house is all about being transitional and very functional.”—Denise Jones “When we moved in six years ago, everything was an oak color,” Denise Jones says of her home in Nashville, Tennessee. “It was a beautiful oak, but it was just too much for me. I need things to be bit lighter and have a feeling of airiness.” But with two teenage boys, finding the balance of her desired aesthetic and practical spaces for her family posed a bit of a challenge. Denise enlisted the help of designer Brad Ramsey to create a space that was functional for her and her husband, Stu, as well as their teenage sons. “For us it’s not so much about style, it’s just about what works for our family,” Denise says. “I want it…

This charming, function-focused home was originally designed for a busy family whose young, active children filled the house with their friends and schoolmates, while the grown-ups kept a busy schedule of their own with church, work, and social gatherings. In addition to the daily hustle and bustle, the house also needed to be able to accommodate lots of out-of-town family members who gathered for holiday celebrations and special occasions. The plan was to create a place that was spacious enough to comfortably handle their busy lifestyle, but still feel snug when it was time to kick back and relax with the family. Keenly aware of their immediate needs, the homeowners wisely planned with the future in mind. The result was a lovely open concept with cozy rooms perfectly suited for…

You would think that a home located in a city like New Orleans would already possess so much character that it wouldn’t require much embellishment. And while you’re right, these homeowners have taken things a step further by filling their charming Southern residence with furniture, accessories, and artwork collected and inspired from places around the world. After nearly 40 years of marriage and traveling, this couple can relive their adventures by merely looking at all the mementos around them. “Over time, we’ve accumulated everything from Mississippi Shearwater Pottery pirates, lamps from Italy, and regional folk paintings to textiles from the Amazon and hand-decorated wooden hangers from Kenya,” the homeowner says. “As a result, most everything we own has a unique story behind it.” For example, an imposing and beautifully painted…

Homeowners Kathryn and Will McCraney knew they loved their 1921 Mississippi cottage before they even moved in. “When we were still in graduate school, I walked by the house and told the people who lived there, ‘If you ever sell your house, call me,’” Kathryn says. “They called two days later!” The McCraneys have since created an inviting home with charming curb appeal that is carried throughout the cottage’s interior. Layered in a crisp palette of white, the McCraney home offers a family-friendly environment by pulling in cherished heirlooms and handmade pieces that add loads of warmth and a personal touch. “I think if you love your house, you can put your personality into it, and my personality is a little bit old and a little bit new,” Kathryn says.…

Once upon a time in the not-so-distant past, we eagerly awaited the arrival of the mail in hopes of receiving a handwritten letter. Precious correspondence, whether from friend or lover, was opened with at least a slight degree of reverence, and possibly, a letter opener. The letter opener, a small knife-like tool, precedes the modern postal service as it was around even in medieval times. Made of everything from animal bone to bronze, some openers appeared to be miniature swords while others depicted crawling reptiles. In more recent times, jewelry designers from firms such as Tiffany & Co., Sheffield Silver Co., and Georg Jensen created sterling and silver plate openers with handles duplicating patterns used for their silverware. The letter opener even has an infamous place in American history. In…

The majestic beauty of the mountains of North Carolina had lured this family for 30 years before they decided to build their own dream home in the Cashiers area, a collaborative effort the homeowner says feels so right. For years, the family had shared a small home with another family, but as the children grew and had children of their own, more space was needed to enjoy the hiking trails, gorgeous views, trout fishing, and fun activities that initially attracted them to the area. They also needed space to spread out a board game or curl up with a good book. A team of two North Carolina firms was formed for the initial architectural plans with architect Sam Edgens to design the home and builder Sadlon & Associates to construct…

As the couple prayed about the right place to raise a family after medical school, they were ultimately led back home, where their young boys could fish and swim and have a good place to grow up surrounded by family. “It was the best move we ever made,” Averee Hicks says. Before this last move, they had lived in several houses that weren’t suitable for their lifestyle. They figured they could design their dream home if somebody would help with the specifications. “We knew we wanted to build a house that would sustain us through children, empty nesting, grandchildren, and old age,” Averee shares. “And we actually did it!” More than 20 years have passed and the Hickses now have grandchildren, but they still live all throughout the house, enjoying…

There’s no doubt Joanie Hartson knows what she likes. In fact, when “Mama Joanie” purchased her late-1800s New Orleans cottage in 2011, there was no question what her first order of business would be: painting it pink! “I went through a blue phase in high school, but I switched to pink and never went back,” the New Orleans native explains. “I love that it’s soft, it’s feminine, and it’s most certainly ‘me.’” Joanie, an extraordinary hostess who lived many years in a large home on St. Charles Avenue, was deciding how to downsize when she stumbled across her “little bitty” home. “I loved that it reminded me of my in-laws’ cottage and adored the high ceilings, but what really sold me was the fact that my beautiful breakfront fit in…

Comforts of Home Pages 25–34—Designed by Brad Ramsey, Brad Ramsey Interiors. Painting by Shannon Haas, Shannon Haas Fine Art. Rugs, coffee table, and footstool from Pottery Barn. Page 33—Arnold Palmer dining room set by Lexington Home Brands. Kitchen pendant lights from World Market. Painted mirror from Original Round Top Antiques Fair. Paint by Sherwin-Williams. At Home in Box Canyon Pages 35–46—Architectural design by Sam Edgens, Edgens Herzog Architects. Built by Sadlon & Associates, Inc. Interiors by Margaret Bosbyshell, Margaux Interiors Limited. Blend of Old and New Pages 105–111—Interiors by Lynn Myers, Lynn Myers Designs. CONTACTS Brad Ramsey Interiors bradramseyinteriors.com, 615-746-7364 Brodeur Gallery & Studio 508-579-3571 Edgens Herzog Architects edgensherzog.com, 828-526-2413 Integrity Worldwide Integrityworldwide.org, 334-322-1201 Lexington Home Brands lexington.com Lonesome Valley lonesomevalley.com, 828-743-7696 Lynn Myers Designs lynnmyersdesigns.com, 601-941-8265 Margaux Interiors Limited…