The Cottage Journal features decorating ideas, style tips, creative inspiration, and delicious recipes - and now you can enjoy every single page on the tablet! Create a warmer, more magical home with the beauty of nature and The Cottage Journal!
Welcome spring! With the arrival of a new season, we invite you into this issue that truly captures the essence of home and is packed with cottage-style ideas for relaxed living. From charming gardens to comfy indoor spaces, we have you covered for fresh and inviting designs this season. The sunny California home in “Living in a Piece of History” on page 65 will have you lingering over bursts of color and flowery inspiration. The outdoor table, laden with a row of vases and pretty blossoms, is simple but stunning—perfect for entertaining outdoors in the garden. And this petite 1926 home just happens to be a South Hollywood bungalow with a bit of its own history. Fresh paint, fewer walls, and wider doorways were exactly what the 1960s home in…
No one knows how the flower frog got its name. While it’s assumed that the moniker arose from a physical resemblance and the fact that they can often be found in water, their amphibious features end there. Despite their unassuming appearance, these tiny treasures—once a popular tool for florists—are now a favorite among collectors. Also known as flower blocks, flower bricks, flower holders, and flower arrangers, the pieces are typically placed in water at the bottom of a vase or other container and allow for the accurate and precise placement of each and every flower. And whereas alternatives like floral foam often need to be disguised, flower frogs are easy to conceal within the container—or, in some cases, are incorporated into the design. According to some sources, the use of…
Whether you grew up by the coast or you make it a point to visit the beach as often as possible, everyone has that longing for the water. For Tracey Rapisardi, the calming attributes of the sea led to a design aesthetic shaped by the ocean. As a self-taught artist and designer, Tracey uses her talents and creativity to bring her love for all things coastal into the homes she designs. In her book, Simply by the Sea, she shares the magic and charms of living on the water. Comfortable interiors welcome family and friends from Maine to Florida as Tracey’s designs complement the natural beauty of coastal living at its best. With 164 pages of gorgeous photography in cottage, classic, modern, and country styles, you’re sure to be inspired…
When Lesley McRae purchased her 1960s ranch, there were a few things she was certain of: the floor plan should be opened, the kitchen and bathroom needed updates, and the avocado green had to go. What she perhaps didn’t anticipate was how healing the process of infusing her signature style into this cozy cottage could be. Seeking a fresh beginning for her family following the loss of her husband, Lesley desired a happy and bright haven to make new memories. “With any home project—a client’s or your own—you must first see what the architecture is asking for,” says the owner of Lesley McRae Design, who studied architecture at Princeton University and continued her training at Parsons School of Design. For this home, that meant a few initial adjustments to enhance…
When sketching out plans for Bobbi and Dan Oswald’s Tennessee lake house, designer Lauren Elder knew what they wanted was far from your average austere, all-wood space. “They wanted the house to feel very cozy and clean,” she recalls. “They kept telling me, ‘Please do not make this a traditional lake house.’” With that in mind, Lauren got to work creating an original space with authentic touches that are true to the couple and welcoming to their many visiting family members. With a clean and neutral color palette, Lauren was able to play around with textures to add rustic vibes to the space, like bamboo shades, quartz countertops, and natural wood in every room. With so much wood in the form of flooring, end tables, dressers, and more, it would…
After working for a local interior design firm for five years, Lauren followed her dream and opened her own shop and firm, dubbed Rosemary Home, in charming Hermitage, Tennessee. Fondly named after Lauren’s grandmother, the quaint storefront opened its doors in the fall of 2017. Designing with simple color palettes, Lauren uses texture and vintage and unique pieces and furnishings to create drama in her rooms. Whether it be a light and bright lake house like this or a chic all-black offi ce space, Lauren puts her stylish stamp on every space she steps into.…
