The Cottage Journal Winter 2018

Welcome 2018 with a cup of cheer and our newest issue of The Cottage Journal. What could be more comforting in your home than your bedroom? Our cover features a dreamy white and blush setting, which we fell in love with! I will admit, for a moment, I gave my shades-of-blue bedroom a second thought. The charm of this rose-colored trend is carried over into dinnerware, throws, rugs, wallpaper, and every home usage you can currently imagine. We have included several ideas, which you will find to be both beautiful and affordable, in “Market Finds” on page 25. Using old things is a love of one cottage homeowner, and her story on page 83, “Carriage House Charm,” details her love of family collectibles. Using the second home, the couple has…

The daughter of country music legend Hank Williams Jr. and a musician herself, Holly Williams does it all—much like her general store, White’s Mercantile. Holly originally aimed to follow in her father’s footsteps, but a car accident inspired her to pursue her dream of opening a retail store. She dipped her toes into the retail world with her clothing store, H. Audrey, before opening White’s in 2013. Named after her maternal grandparents, the charming store was inspired by her great-grandfather’s general store in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, and is a way of paying homage to him. She looked back to his little shop when opening her own, adding a personal nostalgia to the business. Behind the storefront of vintage white doors, you’ll find an eclectic mix of rustic furnishings that run…

It’s really no mystery why the American Dream conjures up images of a cozy cottage with a shady front porch, all surrounded by a white picket fence. Such sentimental visions represent cherished ideas—like home, family, security, and the ability to claim a plot of land—that are near and dear to our hearts. With this said, modesty and quaintness have always been hallmarks of the cottage style. Historically, these meager homes contained few, if any, frills. Instead, they provided the basic essentials of shelter for European peasant farmers known as cottars (hence the origin of “cottage”). In time, the diminutive dwellings expanded their roles to include vacation houses and lakefront cabins that didn’t require the year-round accoutrements of a primary residence. Even today, cottages are generally smaller in scale and appearance…

Regardless of age or style, there is a print for every person—and behind each original antique print is a story. In years past, prints served as a way for scholars to transcribe anything from maps to architectural sketches to botanical diagrams. Every print is a time capsule of history. “Prints were done primarily to document and disseminate information,” says Helen Stewart, print collector and director of Rare Prints Gallery in Franklin, Tennessee. “There was a purpose behind creating these pieces.” That purpose didn’t die with the original owners. Antique prints now offer homeowners a chance to exhibit their interests by displaying images like a map of the family’s country of origin or a sketch of a building with a fond memory. Many collectors find prints with similar themes, such as…

“What cold, snowy winter landscapes may lack in outdoor perfume they certainly make up for in exotic and delicious aromas filling the kitchen this time of the year.” —MARTE MARIE FORSBERG, excerpted from The Cottage Kitchen: Cozy Cooking in the English Countryside Looking for a dreamy cookbook filled with winter comforts? Pick up a copy of The Cottage Kitchen: Cozy Cooking in the English Countryside (Clarkson Potter, 2017) by chef and photographer Marte Marie Forsberg. Filled with 100 recipes and divided by seasons, this cookbook is a staple no matter what time of year it is. While enticing readers with the most delectable dishes—making you feel like you’re cooking right in the quaint country villages of England—and stunning photography that brings her recipes to life, Marie invites you to sit…

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