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!
COLOR & CHARM With the changing season upon us, we joyfully usher in warmer days and cheerful hues—both inside and outside our homes. Pretty pinks, vibrant greens, and sunny yellows can be seen bursting forth in nature, and they often influence our spring décor. One of my favorite things to enjoy following a long, cozy winter indoors is the opportunity for more time in the garden, especially as the flowers begin to bloom and the weather allows for casual meals alfresco. It doesn’t require any extensive travels or extravagance—in fact, there are few things I anticipate more than a simple backyard picnic on the first warm day of spring. My neighborhood has a few small lakes within walking distance from my home, and I’m eagerly counting down the days until…
“I’ve always loved color,” says milk glass enthusiast and vintage collector Lauren Sakalarios. Step into her living room—affectionately referred to as the “Lady Lounge”—and it won’t take long for you to believe it. Sparked by of a pair of candlesticks gifted to her in 2007, her current collection of vibrant vintage milk glass now comprises over 200 pieces—a number that only continues to grow. “It was a set of blue milk glass candlesticks that my grandmother bought me,” she explains. “We were at an antiques store together, and I saw them and was instantly attracted to the blue color.” For a while, that was the end of it—but around 2015, Lauren began to seek out more pieces online, and she quickly realized that, in addition to a wide range of…
From pastels and pinks to florals and chinoiserie, Caitlin Wilson’s grandmillenial and traditional styles embrace all things feminine to create a home that feels like her own. As an acclaimed interior and product designer, Caitlin launched her textile collection in 2011, focusing only on pillows and fabrics. Now, her brand has grown into rugs, wallpaper, furniture, and more. In her debut book, Return to Pretty: Giving New Life to Traditional Style, Caitlin teaches readers how to imbue their homes with beauty. Her iconic products can be seen featured throughout the book’s 256 pages, from real-life applications in clients’ homes to stacks and shelves within her Dallas, Texas, flagship store. Caitlin’s love of her grandmother’s and mother’s well-decorated homes is what influences her designs today. “Pretty is more than a look—it’s…
Seventeen years ago, when interior designer Maggie York and her family moved into the farmhouse in Illinois they now call home, they were no strangers to the property. “This has been in [my husband’s] family for years and years,” says Maggie, who notes that they purchased the house from his grandmother and spent the next few years updating it to fit their needs as a young family. From removing walls, opening doorways, and converting the original dining room into the primary suite to taking their time selecting furniture and paint colors, the Yorks brought the home into its next phase while defining “farmhouse” style in a fresh, fun way. “A lot of the wallpaper and things came into play probably in the last six or seven years,” Maggie says. “I…
When Monica and John Jacobsen purchased a 1940s Colonial-style home in Bethesda, Maryland, they planned on a redo to suit their family’s needs. “Like many other families during [the pandemic], we found our former home cramped and were looking for more space and better storage,” says Monica, “but we also welcomed the opportunity to put a personal touch on our new home.” The couple enlisted the help of interior designer Sarah Hayes, who consulted with Brian Arnold Design Build on the main level’s remodel and later designed and furnished the home’s interiors. When it came to décor, a predominantly blue palette became the driving force behind the design. “They definitely wanted a relaxed, family-friendly home with neutrals and splashes of blue,” says Sarah. “The blues really help the spaces flow…
With plans for a growing family in mind, homeowners Bailey and William Ward knew to accommodate a second child they’d either need to add on to their current cottage, break ground on a new build, or make a move to a larger home. At the height of the pandemic, both building and house-hunting presented their own unique challenges. However, a little over a year into the process, the couple discovered a charming midcentury ranch-style abode nestled on a wooded lot that offered sizable front and back yards. After the Wards purchased the home, Bailey spent the next few months making it their own, finishing on Christmas Eve—just three days before welcoming their newest bundle of joy. “My biggest inspiration or direction was taking [the design] back to something that was…
