Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2022 i The Cottage Journal

Designer Kelcey Huff recently revamped the Kensington, Maryland, home she shares with her husband, Joe Sliman, a retired naval surgeon, and their teenage sons. For the renovation, Kelcey collaborated with family-owned businesses, partnering with Michael Thiede of Bethesda Contracting and Leon Smucker of Legacy Cabinetry & Design. And, of course, she also welcomed input from her sister, Tracy Schlegel, who co-owns their design firm, Waterlily Interiors. The house had originally been remodeled in 2005 as a spec property and felt like a dated builder-grade home in desperate need of a face-lift. “I just wanted to elevate all the finishes without starting from scratch,” says Kelcey. “We started with paint, eliminating the peanut butter-colored walls and brightening the palette throughout with lighter contemporary tones.” As the palette went from blah and…

When Molly and Jeremy Bolton discovered they were expecting their second child, they set out to find a more spacious home with the potential to put their mark on it. A quaint cottage in the Cahaba Heights area of Birmingham, Alabama, fit the bill. “The house was charming, full of character, and there was great opportunity to make it our own,” says Molly, the baker, recipe developer, and photographer behind The Nostalgic Crumb. She had particular plans in mind for their kitchen, and, teaming up with River Brook Design & Construction, transformed the standard space into a utilitarian dream with utmost visual appeal. “As cliché as it sounds, the kitchen really is the heart of our home,” Molly says. “From my baking to fixing breakfast for my babies to hosting…

Business savvy and a passion for textiles have always gone hand in hand for Daria Knowles, founder of Hot Skwash, an Oregon-based company known for its high-end handmade tabletop accents. As a figure skater in high school, she used her artistic abilities to knit mittens and sweaters to sell to other skaters and their mothers. Years later, as a stay-at-home mother, Daria continued to make use of her profitable creative outlet. In 2007, inspiration for a new project hit while she was shopping one afternoon and happened upon a gingham cloth pumpkin featuring a natural stem. Sourcing stems from local grocery stores, Daria set out to create her own design with fall’s favorite fruit as her muse. Incorporating specialty fabrics, hand-beaded accessories, and crystal embellishments, these couture creations elevate any…

With her two daughters grown, Rebecca Baggesen was ready to move on to a smaller space out of the suburbs and closer to the hustle and bustle of Richmond, Virginia. A 1950s cottage in a charming, walkable West End village offered the ideal location, as well as a unique foundation that, with some fine-tuning by designer Blaine McDermott of MCD Interior Design and Wyndi and John Carnes of Carnes Home Builders, became a fitting base for a layered look that blends antique furnishings with modern fixtures, textural neutrals with bold patterns, and vintage accents with contemporary counterparts. “The owner wanted to start fresh only using the pieces she really loved … to turn this home into a tranquil and soothing extension of her personal style,” says Blaine. “This home was…

When Reggie Harrison, George Newsome, and Sebastian Correa teamed up to start Artisan Leaf, offering handcrafted tobacco leaf surfaces, they were a trio unlikely to break into the furniture business. With backgrounds spanning the tobacco industry and the army, and connections going back as far as their childhoods, they united in a shared vision that reimagined tobacco as a decorative element that could enhance everything from furnishings to architectural components and interior accents. It all began in 2012 when George was remodeling the office of his tobacco brokerage. “The idea came up to try and make a bar top using natural leaf tobacco with the surface coated in epoxy resin,” Reggie says. “The attempt was successful, looked beautiful, and generated a lot of conversation and appreciation.” Launched in 2014 in…

From special holidays to backyard get-togethers, Kathryn Crisp Greeley’s Chestnut Cottage is the perfect gathering place to host friends and family. In her book, The Collected Cottage: Gardening, Gatherings, and Collecting at Chestnut Cottage, Kathryn celebrates every season spent in her 1920s cottage, inviting readers to explore the joys of welcoming guests in to experience all Chestnut Cottage has to offer. After buying Chestnut Cottage from its first owners in 1987, Kathryn spent six years transforming the modest Waynesville, North Carolina, bungalow to its original state and turning it into her forever home. Throughout The Collected Cottage’s 362 pages, Kathryn shares a glimpse of a year at the cottage. In spring, her daffodils and peonies take center stage while she hosts Easter luncheons and Mother’s Day celebrations. Come summer, herbs…

Since 2002, Sweet Peas Garden Shop has provided residents of Homewood, Alabama, with excellent local products and a fun and funky storefront curb appeal. Area gardeners turn to the trusted staff for advice on everything from annuals and perennials to vegetables, herbs, and much more. Sarah Smith took over the business in January 2020 from the original owner, Jon Culver. “I had been working there part-time and left to do some landscaping design,” says Sarah. “I told Jon if he ever wanted to sell that I would take over.” Since taking ownership, Sarah has maintained Jon’s vision and preserved details that capture the heart of Sweet Peas, like the mural painted by a local artist and the peace signs hanging on the exterior. “It’s quirky and fun,” she says of…

The changing autumn leaves aren’t nature’s only red-hued marvels to enjoy this season. Seated just over 100 miles south of the Grand Canyon, a unique red rock paradise is waiting to be discovered. Sedona, Arizona, is known for its brilliant towers of stone and sculpted cliffs that create a dramatic skyline like no other. With nearly two million acres of national forest and 300 miles of networked trails for hiking and biking, this Southwestern city is primed for adventure. Whether you opt to book one of the many guided tours available to observe the incredible landscape or venture out on your own, you’re sure to be struck with inspiration as you explore your way through the red rocks and contrasting evergreen vegetation. For those looking for a more relaxed getaway…