Innholdsfortegnelse for Holiday Home 2019 i The Cottage Journal

Nine beautiful homes are included in this special issue of Holiday Home from The Cottage Journal. This is the season to share prized holiday ornaments and decorative collections, welcome loved ones for a visit, and make memories that last a lifetime. The homes in this special issue greet all with bountiful wreaths and garlands at each door while lavish trees of every style and size become focal points of joy. From a cottage with a creamy, neutral palette in Savannah, Georgia, to an elegant colonial in blue and white outside Washington, DC, home interiors play a role as the backdrop for our festive holiday celebrations. May you and your family spend time not only hosting but also visiting as we close another year and welcome a new one!…

When Elizabeth and Tom Higgins found a house in an established neighborhood on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, they also found a place where their large family could feel right at home. The original house was built in 1964, but in 2015, with the idea of creating a home their entire family could enjoy together, the Higginses took down the original structure and rebuilt. “We took the bricks from the original house and used them on the front steps, porch, foyer floor, and bar backsplash,” Elizabeth says. “The goal for this house was to ‘build it and they will come.’ We wanted all seven of our adult children—and their spouses, friends, and future children—to have a home where they could blend and all be together as a family.” And that’s…

When building their house in the heart of historic Oxford, Mississippi, Stephanie Tann and her family felt it was important for the home to fit in with the neighborhood. So, the Tanns enlisted the help of residential designer Frank Tindall and constructed a house that completely blends in with its surroundings yet stands out with its beauty. “The house is a new construction built to feel like a home that’s been there for 100 years, like many of its neighbors,” designer Betsey Mosby says. The architecture helped inform the rest of the home’s design. “We mixed lots of neutrals with beautiful old wood pieces and kept it all feeling current with more abstract art and textiles in some places,” Betsey says. The home is neutral and elegant—but not to a…

Entertaining friends and coworkers is a yearly tradition in the classic, warm interiors of this home. Built nearly four years ago and situated within an established 1930s neighborhood, it blends well with the surrounding colonial-style architecture. Sally Hitchcock of RBH Design worked with the owners to establish a comfortable interior style using shades of cream and soft blue. A handmade rug in the foyer is a favorite design and has an eye-catching pattern to welcome guests. Those who visit the lovely home are greeted at the door with a traditional wreath of greenery and red roses, as well as the homeowners’ golden retriever. A bounty of garlands and wreaths are used both inside the home and out, all bearing red ribbons thanks to the help of Leslie Fritz of fritz&gignoux…

Blair and Taylor Smith’s home is a sight to behold any time of year, but Christmas is when the house shines extra bright. Passing through the interior designer’s front double door laden with traditional wreaths tied in red ribbon, guests are greeted by the family’s massive 12-foot tree decked from skirt to topper in glittering spheres and trinkets. “The tree is the biggest job,” Blair says. “It is pre-lit, which helps, but my mother always said, ‘You can’t have enough ornaments.’ I start from the inside out and hang by collection. I’ll be honest—it takes a couple of hours each day for a few days.” The home’s beauty is well-earned, with Blair spending days decorating the entire house. While Taylor helps her with the exterior decorations, the interior is her…

It has taken Leah Bailey years to work out the perfect formula for her Christmas décor, but she’s finally got it down to an art. “Your holiday décor should blend with your house,” says the designer, who is based in Savannah, Georgia. For her, that means finding things that work within her serenely neutral color palette. The result? Boxwood wreaths on every window, a centrally located tree, and an ever-changing landscape of mixed garland. “I think the key to having interest in a neutral palette is to introduce texture, antiques—things that have life, things that have character,” Leah notes. Items like old books, shells, and architectural artifacts add story and character to her home’s design—and find their way into her Christmas décor. “When I’m decorating a banister with greenery, I…

“Red, white, and blue” tends to evoke the Fourth of July, but in this McLean, Virginia, home, it’s all about the Christmas holidays. Erica Burns of Erica Burns Interiors, who had done the first round of home décor for the family, was brought on board to help them deck their newly built center hall house for Christmas. “This is a young family just starting all their holiday traditions together,” Erica says. “They asked us to create an overall space that is festive for the season but also blends with existing décor.” And that existing décor—what Erica calls “traditional, Southern, preppy, and happy”—has a red, white, and blue palette she easily translated into a fun, celebratory holiday color scheme. The approach was to use the colors as a backdrop, pull out…

Decked in Decadence Pages 9–18—Interior designs, floral designs, and construction by Blair Smith, Blair G. Smith Interiors. Page 16—Dog portraits by Donna Chieves, Arceneaux Gallery. Timeless Tradition Pages 19–28—Florals by Ashley Greer, Atelier Ashley Flowers. Full House Pages 29–40—Interior designs by Maggie Griffin, Maggie Griffin Design. Architectural designs by William T. Baker. Built by Richard Padgham Fine Custom Homes. Pages 31–33—Pendant from Circa Lighting. Abstract artwork by Suzanne Johnson. Page 34—Pendants from Circa Lighting. Runner from Looms & Lighting. Pages 35–36—Haruki Sisal wallpaper in Cornflower from Schumacher. Page 36—Ceiling and adjoining cased opening by Willis Everett, Vintage Lumber Sales. Curtains with fabric from Lewis and Sheron Textiles by Maggie Griffin Design. Pages 37–38—Bed from Ballard Designs. Bedding by Annie Selke. Bedside chests from Furniture Classics. Rug from Looms & Lighting.…

When it comes to Christmas décor, the holiday design of this Federal townhouse in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, celebrates the season by keeping with timeless tradition. “Our home is 200 years old, so I stick with that as my holiday decorating inspiration,” says homeowner Brian Branton, who shares the 2400-square-foot house with his partner, Adam Podbielski. “I want the décor to be traditional but also fitting for a much lived-in and beloved home, so that resonates throughout.” Not only is the house filled with family antiques and priceless heirlooms, but its warm color palette of rich, earthy tones—with shades of green, yellow, and blue layered in—lends itself to a traditional Southern Christmas decorating style. “I’ve always loved Christmas,” says Brian, whose own heritage hearkens generations back from North Carolina. “My…

It’s simple to say “the more the merrier,” but to make holiday entertaining look not only enjoyable but even easy—that takes someone special. Enter Phylis Smith, a hostess with the mostest who frequently opens her heart and grand abode for festive fêtes. And with a refined style that makes guests feel both wowed and welcome, it’s easy to see why. Over the years, Phylis has found a few clever shortcuts that simplify the process of setting up for the season. The first comes in the form of a designer-turned-friend, Dana Holcombe of Holcombe Interior Design. Years ago, Dana designed a condominium for the Smiths that included a comprehensive plan for holiday bedecking. “The beauty of Dana’s work was that it was essentially transferable,” explains Phylis, who has since opted to…

For Leslie and Scott Fritz of fritz&gignoux landscape architects, Christmas preparations begin in the spring. “We use layers in our decorating and plan ahead in the garden for the flourishes,” Leslie says. “From year to year, we rotate the plant flourishes with a focus on keeping it simple. We make sure we have the plant material we’ll need for decorating at Thanksgiving and the holidays.” The two grow everything in their garden in Washington, DC, where they created their own patch of the country in the middle of the city. Entering the Arts & Crafts cottage at Christmastime, you can see the fruit of the Fritzes’ labor in subtle touches of fresh greenery and sprigs of red berries complemented with hand-tied velvet bows and hemlock pine cone clusters. “For the…