Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2019 i 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…

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…

There isn’t a room in Kim Corretti’s home that doesn’t bear the touch of a friend or family member. In fact, the home was built three years ago by Kim’s father, a retired builder who also helped to inspire the love of French style that can be encountered inside. Featuring an open-concept layout that creates a flow from the kitchen to living area and onto the patio, the home combines antique warmth with a modern flair—all wrapped up in memories. “In my [previous] home, I had several antiques,” Kim says, “and I wanted to mix my antiques with some things that were more stylish.” Working with interior designer Dana Holcombe of Holcombe Interior Design, Kim mixed her collection of antiques with pieces that provide a touch of updated style and…

The 300-year-old cottage that Robin and Dan Sears bought boasted many quaint characteristics, but a garden was not on its “lovable list” at the time of purchase. “Overgrown yews pretty much summed it up,” recalls Robin. The home’s brown exterior was also not the scene’s shining feature. All of that changed dramatically in 2001 when Robin—an artist and avid gardener—adopted the ¾-acre property on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts, whipped out her favorite exterior paint (Benjamin Moore’s “Yellow Lotus”), and put her planting spade into action. As far as she could tell, a garden was never in residence, and the clean slate was actually somewhat liberating—she was not constricted by previous flowery episodes. Being community-oriented, Robin wanted to produce a spectacle that would thrill the whole neighborhood. So, rather…

Growing up in Colorado, Brooke Hoerner Knippa always had time to explore. She worked nights at her dad’s restaurant, explored during the day, and went home with her pockets full of found objects that would eventually make their way into her art. “I was just always really inspired, and I was always taking pictures of the colors and patterns that the moss and lichen created on the rock,” she says. So, when she moved to Maine seven years ago, she wasted no time in buying a surfboard and diving into the fresh inspiration of the coastline. A pottery class at a local art studio sparked a new passion, and a job at a restaurant opened an unexpected door. “I met a local artist who was designing some pottery for the…

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…

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.…

Original cabinetry, a quaint kitchen dining nook, authentic chair rails—living in a historic home comes with its fair share of charming perks, something Marie Lloyd knows well. Her 1926 South Hollywood bungalow might not be considered old for some parts of the country, but for Los Angeles, it’s a piece of history in every sense of the word. In fact, when Marie bought the home two years ago, she got it from the original owner’s granddaughter—it had been in the hands of just one family for nearly a century. With that being said, the cottage had quite a few renovations to be done. “When I bought it, it had pink walls and needed some work,” Marie recalls. But she preferred it that way so she could keep every little detail…

Chattanooga, Tennessee, homeowner Lanis Littlefield jokes that after being involved in the political scene for 30 years with her husband, Ron, his “payback” upon retirement would be building her a potting shed. “When he retired, I decided that he was going to have to pay me back,” Lanis says with a hearty laugh. And in April 2013, he was happy to oblige. For years, Lanis, an avid gardener, longed for a creative space where all her tools and seeds could be organized for her horticulturist pastime. Luckily, the Littlefields had an existing unused room by the side of their garage that had been a maid’s quarters at one time but was in terrible condition. Lanis shares, “I had been collecting pictures of potting sheds all this time. And I told…