The Cottage Journal French Cottage 2024 #2

UNMATCHED ROMANCE What comes to mind when you think of France? For some, it’s the sweet aroma of lavender and the rolling green hills of Provence. For others, it’s the gilded glamor of Paris and open-air brocantes filled with one-of-a-kind antiques. Regardless, there’s a reason so many homeowners call themselves Francophiles—and if this issue caught your eye, you’re likely among them. In the pages that follow, you’ll be introduced to homeowners and designers who share your affinity for the elegance of European design and who have translated that spirit into their own homes and creative projects. From an extensive personal collection on display in a historic Texas home to a functional family cottage that pairs storied antiques with practicality, the spaces that follow demonstrate the timeless versatility of French style.…

Leave it to the French to come up with an exquisite name for a mundane carrying case. Thanks to artful design and skillful construction, bonbonnières—pocket-size boxes for medicine or pastilles—have evolved from mere storage containers into elegant tabletop décor and cherished collectibles. As early as the 1500s, “it became fashionable for gentlemen and ladies to carry a variety of items inside of their bonbonnières, from medicines to peppermints and candies,” says Patrick Dunne, director of Lucullus Antiques in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aristocratic European men generally used plain bonbonnières to protect their tobacco, which was stored in small linen bags, while women often stowed rouge, jewelry, and confections in more ornate receptacles. The desire for stylish designs blossomed in the 1700s, but the materials available at the time, such as ivory,…

Antique Aubusson tapestry cartoons, now a rare and precious find, are the original stencils used to create the beautiful tapestries from centuries ago. The woven works covered furniture or hung as artwork, primarily in churches or the homes of nobility and royalty. Dating back as early as the 17th century, Aubusson tapestry cartoons were painted with oil on canvas or gouache on paper by local artists. Then weavers would dye threads to match the paint colors and use the cartoon as a guide behind the warp threads of the loom to create the designs. In the mid-1700s, a school was erected in the central France town of Aubusson for the sole purpose of teaching painters who specialized in tapestry work, ensuring these cartoons would always be called “Aubusson” tapestry cartoons.…

Scott Renshaw never expected his career to take the turn it did. But when the COVID-19 pandemic compelled him to turn his fully staffed hair salon into a one-man operation, the situation presented an interesting opportunity. “I just introduced antiques into the business,” he says, “and that’s where it started.” “It” was a new endeavor that would turn into a flourishing antiques business—one that eventually moved into the space it now occupies in the Cahaba Heights neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. “We specialize in 18th- to 19th-century European antiques,” says Scott, who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, for 12 years and formed connections with dealers in the area. The shop, dubbed Postmark Paris Antiques, boasts a curated collection that mingles classic pieces with local art for a unique experience from the…

Melissa Sturdivant Smith can trace her fascination for French style’s unparalleled beauty back to childhood, where her dreams of European travels spent exploring extravagant castles and châteaux took root. Now, as creative director of lifestyle for internationally distributed magazines, those romantic visions are becoming her reality. Newly acquired antiques sourced from her latest excursions find their home amongst cherished pieces procured over the past 20 years from her favorite antiques stores. “I think that the inside of the home should be a reflection of who the owners are on the inside,” Melissa says. “It should be a way of communicating who you are, where you have traveled, and what you are inspired by.” Step inside Melissa’s English Tudor-style home, and you’ll quickly discover her affinity for antiques with ornate, hand-carved…

While interior designer Sarah Moore of Sarah Catherine Designs is used to working with a wide range of clients, being asked to help her childhood friend update a 1940s cottage into a livable home for her young family was an exciting prospect. “It was really fun to jump in and work on that project for a close friend,” she says, explaining that she already had an understanding of homeowner Mary Lynn Shadix’s style. “That made it really fun and made the process really smooth.” When Mary Lynn and her husband, David, purchased the home in 2017, they knew it would need a few significant updates to make it work for their growing family—so, with the help of Mary Lynn’s father, they gutted it to the studs and started fresh. With…