Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2016 i The Cottage Journal

From brightly colored leaves to blue skies and magnificent sunsets, it’s as though Mother Nature is revamping her personal style for the season. This issue follows her lead and is filled with homes and gardens that reflect the personal panache of the owners. We have an artist’s cottage, a mountain retreat, a farm with geese, as well as great ideas to help you make your surroundings reflect your taste. Furnishing your home in an authentic style is never more evident than in the story, “Living with the Things We Love,” on page 35. The couple have a “moveable feast” of treasured collectibles that can be enjoyed no matter where they are placed in the home. In the classic mountain cottage featured in “At Home in Box Canyon” on page 43,…

It’s always enlightening to see how top design experts–those who are in the business of offering their know-how on the latest home trends and decorating tips–live themselves. Designer Sarah Richardson certainly ranks high within this category. As a key fixture in the Canadian design world since the mid-1990s, Sarah has shared her refreshing, timeless style by being both an author and a familiar face on lifestyle television, such as HGTV. So, when she and her husband bought a 19th-century, run-down farmhouse in rural Ontario, it was time for her to draw upon all the expertise she had diligently brought to others over the years. For starters, the rustic structure not only required a full makeover, but also an expansion that proved to make the home more suited to Sarah’s energetic…

The land that is now Lonesome Valley was purchased by E.H. Jennings in 1895, and it has remained in the Jennings family for four generations. Today, Lonesome Valley is a private, gated community just north of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Lonesome Valley is committed to simplicity, family, and the preservation of nature, with responsible deed restrictions and thoughtful architectural guidelines that ensure the Jennings’ legacy will be protected for future generations. Canyon Kitchen, under Chef Adam Hayes’ guidance, has been recognized with an Open Table Diner’s Choice Award for the Top 100 Scenic View Restaurants in America. The relaxed setting hosts special culinary events and wine dinners featuring products from local sources, as well as the restaurant’s own herb and vegetable gardens. For more information on Lonesome Valley, visit www.lonesomevalley.com.…

There’s nothing better than coming together with family and friends to share a meal and make memories. From a fall supper club to Thanksgiving dinner, the season of get-togethers has begun. Lay the typical orange pumpkins aside and incorporate the neutral shades of autumn into a seasonal tablescape to achieve an elegant, yet welcoming atmosphere. Decorate an understated wooden table with muted white roses in earth-tone pitchers, mix-and-match silver or pewter accents, and fall gourds in shades ranging from off-white to pale orange. A solid napkin in a darker tone and off-white plates tie the scene together, creating a natural and effortlessly chic table presentation. Veg out Root vegetables are an often-overlooked source of autumn style. We love the addition of white pumpkins, radishes, and orange cauliflower throughout this tablescape.…

Fall was once labeled “the forgotten season.” It was the time when gardeners packed up their tools and tearfully kissed growing things goodbye. But that’s no longer the case. Given some savvy footwork with flowering cabbages and kales, plus a smattering of asters, mums and similar fall performers, you can liberate this formerly neglected interlude in the gardening calendar. Putting autumn on the map might take a little research into the end-of-season foliage hues when making tree selections. You might need to check into bloom times, and purchase perennials accordingly. But putting the glitz into autumn can make the difference between a sad end and a sparky extension of your garden’s moment to shine. BUYING FOR AN AUTUMN GARDEN Growers have become our ally for endowing autumn with pizzazz. Keep…

Since ancient times, botanicals have been preserved for their beauty and cataloged to identify different specimens. In Victorians days, slipping petals and leaves into a book was a way to remember a special person or occasion. Today, framed botanical collections are found hanging on walls as decorative art in cottages across the country. One artist known for her works with leaves and flowers is Lauren Lachance. For years she traveled with her inks and watercolors around the world to document plants. But, she shares, “when I discovered that delicately pressing can illustrate the essence and vitality of a plant, it became my passion.” Lauren explains that the herbier, whereby the plants are dried and pressed, is a centuries-old method of identifying plants to study and classify. “I lovingly evolved this…

Before he begins a painting, artist David Arms must be inspired. From that inspiration comes the “soul” of his work. The same approach describes his decorating—inspiration and an organic style of living with what you love. David shares a home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two daughters that features many family heirlooms, but is decorated with mostly antiques store and flea market finds. As David puts it, “We tend not to think about trends. We just think about what we love and what kind of home we want to live in. By doing this, we don’t tire of it. I can truly say that it is authentic to who we are and what we love.” Early in his professional life, David made a name for himself orchestrating high-profile…

While driving to North Carolina for their annual fall getaway, Clay Birchfield suggested to his wife, Patti, they stop in the small town of Mentone, Alabama, to just check it out. They fell in love with the artsy village and never made it to North Carolina that year. Nor have they since. With Mentone so much closer to their home, the Birchfields decided to explore buying a place. A contractor showing the couple a sample of his work helped seal the deal. Arriving at a home he built, Clay and Patti stepped onto the deck and found themselves on top of the brow gazing south at Shinbone Valley. They were smitten. The view convinced them to purchase the lot next door. Designing a home for themselves wasn’t a typical affair…

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” —ALBERT CAMUS In the brief window between warm weeks and chilly days, Mother Nature shows off her painterly skills in the changing colors of leaves. This lovely display is perhaps at its most striking along the scenic byways of Vermont. Three-quarters of this northern state is covered in forests, providing plenty of canvas for the palette of autumn to come to life. Offering routes that vary in length from 41 to 210 miles, Vermont’s roads are the perfect destination for a one-day trip or multi-day leaf-viewing venture. You’ll need a break to stretch your legs while taking in the sights, so plan a few stops along your route at one of the state’s many pick-your-own farms and orchards, historic…

“My mantra is ‘style and play, every day,’” —EMILY HENDERSON Don’t play by the rules—the design rules, that is. This is the message of Emily Henderson’s Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves. As a stylist, TV personality, and blogger, Emily foregoes the structured guidelines of the interior design world and encourages readers to do the same. Rather than building a room from the paint color up, she starts with a client’s favorite pieces—a chair, a handbag, a decorative vase—and works every detail around them until the room bursts with personality. During her time styling for photo shoots, Emily learned that even the smallest adjustments could take a room from so-so to magazine worthy. She explains how to use accents and pops of color to bring life into…

A mother of two with a million irons in the fire and a dad who is a chef and restaurant owner are the definition of the busy modern couple. So when they are home together that’s what they want—to be together. Autumn and Patrick Hankins found their cottage while still under construction in a picturesque village of cottages. Since it was not complete, Autumn was able to add her unique style. A successful search for rustic ceiling beams, vintage doors, and even a zinc sink are the one-of-a-kind of touches that Autumn relishes. Originally from New Orleans, Autumn wanted to make sure the cottage was ready for entertaining family and friends who might visit from the Bayou State. A stone fireplace is the focus in the light-filled living room with…

A firm foundation for house and family were the key to the renovation of this 1950s home. The house had a basement built into bedrock, ceilings crafted from hollow concrete beams, and a soaring stone fireplace, while the family gained close proximity to church and school. It was the perfect place for three girls to grow up. For Don and Janice Hendry, purchasing their 1958 home signed them up for a good deal of work—replacing old metal windows, gutting the kitchen, and updating the exterior. But the strong construction also conveyed a sense of security, Janice says. “The home was built by an architect who was the son of one of Birmingham’s most prominent architects.” Built to commercial code, which is usually more stringent than residential construction, the house’s solid…

Having spent her entire life in New Orleans, and coming from a long line of Louisianians, Nita Duhe knows no other place to call home. Her love and appreciation for New Orleans food and culture began when she and her grandmother would scour the city in search of any bit of culinary excitement. Whether that was sharing a muffaletta at Central Grocery, eating at Camellia Grill, or grabbing beignets at Café Du Monde, a young Nita was surrounded by an enormous abundance of local flavor and fun, which eventually inspired her passion for cooking and entertaining. Nita always wanted to go into the restaurant business as far back as she can remember. Her father owned a few restaurants and she learned a great deal cooking with her grandfather. The kitchen…

SOUTH VERMONT LOOP Distance: 104 miles Where to stop: Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester svac.org, 802-362-1405 Robert Frost Stone House Museum, Shaftsbury frostfriends.org, 802-447-6200 MOUNT SNOW LOOP Distance: 100 miles Where to stop: Honora Winery and Tasting Room, Jacksonville honorawinery.com, 802-368-2226 Wilmington Antique & Flea Market, Wilmington 802-464-3345 NORTHERN GREEN MOUNTAINS Distance: 175 miles Where to stop: Church Street Marketplace, Burlington Churchstmarketplace.com, 802-863-1648 Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Shelburne vermontteddybear.com, 800-829-2327 or 802-985-3001, ext. 1700 ADDISON COUNTY FARMS Distance: 41 miles Where to stop: Maple Landmark Woodcraft, Middlebury maplelandmark.com, 800-421-4223 Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, Ripton alltrails.com For more scenic route and foliage information, please visit vermontvacation.com.…