Tabla de contenidos para Winter 2020 en The Cottage Journal

Inspiring beauty in your home is our goal for each issue, so when planning our featured stories, we love to include seasonal touches that make home a special place to return to at the end of the day. In the pages that follow, you’re sure to discover captivatingstories and charming style ideas as we celebrate abodes that reflect the personalities of the owners who love them. In “An Artist’s Retreat” on page 61, a historic home in Alabama is filled with art from all over the world, and the resident’s collection has grown to include her own works of art. From the front entrance to the master bedroom, angelic paintings, serene wall colors, and natural textures seem to wrap you in the warmth of a neutral, comfortable interior. Beginning with…

When interior designer Abbe Fenimore and her husband, Dru, moved into their home nearly three years ago, the circumstances were nothing short of destiny—putting them in the right place at the right time. Just two days before they were supposed to close on a new home in Dallas, Texas, the deal fell through, and the couple was back on the hunt for a house. Much to their surprise, they found a perfect home in a coveted, established neighborhood, and as only fate could have it, they moved in just a week later. At that time, they began a six-month renovation project, all while living in the 20-square-foot finished garage with their two bird dogs. “We’ve always loved this neighborhood,” Abbe says. “But we never thought we’d move over here because…

A Marriage of Style Pages 29–38—Interior designs by Abbe Fenimore, Studio Ten 25. Architectural designs by Todd Hamilton. Pages 29–31—Sofa from Duralee. Lounge chairs from West Elm. Ottoman from Anthropologie. Leather fringe pillows by Kanju Interiors. Page 32—Dining table and chairs from Four Hands. Buffet from Z Gallerie. Paintings by Luke Jervis. Pages 33–34—Barstools from Bernhardt. Pages 35–36—Desk from Target. Madame Butterfly wallpaper in Peony from Designers Guild. Chairs from Arteriors. Art by Ashley Longshore. Page 37—Headboard from Dwell. Nightstands from Z Gallerie. Peacock pillows from Duralee. Page 38—Bed from Duralee. Nightstands and chair from Worlds Away. Cole & Son Nuvolette wallpaper in Black/White from Lee Jofa. Marianne wallpaper in Fuchsia from Designers Guild. Home Building Pages 39–48—Interior designs by Cameron Mobley Interior Design. Cottage Transformation Pages 49–60—Interior designs by…

As varied and as beautiful as the treasures they guard, wooden boxes have been around nearly as long as humans have had the need for storage. But there’s more to these pieces than mere function—from culture to culture, distinct decorating styles have emerged, turning what was meant to be a utilitarian product into something worth collecting in its own right. Practiced in every culture where wood is available and one of the oldest crafts known to mankind, carving is the most obvious way to ornament boxes and other wooden containers—but it’s far from the only technique used. As early as the 12th century in China, turned wooden boxes were covered in layers of lacquer, which, once hardened, were carved with elaborately detailed scenes and patterns. Coloring the lacquer with minerals…

It was just before Thanksgiving three years ago when these homeowners moved into their downsized dream abode. Their priorities were a main-level master suite and easily accessible laundry—which, structurally, were easy to achieve. But since much of their former home’s furnishings were too large for the new build, many fresh pieces needed to be purchased. Fortunately, Cameron Mobley of Cameron Mobley Interior Design had a vision for her clients’ transition. And with the repurposing of many beloved elements, plus the infusion of French country style, the homeowners were soon delighted to discover that their new house had all the comforts of home. Treasured possessions found cozy new spots, from a playful Pinocchio that adds a cheerful twist in the kitchen to a 1920 Steinway piano that was a surprise 15th-anniversary…

Beth Meadows never planned on becoming a collector—but she has always been one. “I don’t recall making a conscious decision to start a collection,” she says. “I did, however, choose and ask to be given silver flatware when I was a teen.” And, thus, a collector was born. Over the years, Beth has added to her silver flatware with the likes of Staffordshire, majolica, and more, and her home is proof. Every room holds at least one timeworn treasure—but, most likely, many more. In her dining room, a set of majolica dishes are on display above a silver bottle chiller that holds horn-handled utensils, and the buffet they sit atop holds even more. Corner cabinets bought at an antiques shop in Savannah, Georgia, display silver that dates back decades. “When…

As winter’s chill sets in and nature’s bounty becomes brittle and snow-covered, add life to your interiors with plants for a seemingly simple solution. There’s a special feeling you get when you step inside a room thriving with plant life. The challenges when decorating with plants come with knowing where certain plants do best, the best way to care for each, and how to style them in a way that adds softness and warmth to a space. Longtime friends Alana Langan and Jacqui Vidal share a passion for design and plants that led them to cofound a botanical wares studio and, more recently, co-author Plant Style: How to Greenify Your Space, giving you solutions to that very challenge. With more than 150 pages of beautifully photographed spaces, the authors demonstrate…

Antiques are another way of traveling. They transport you to other times, other places, other ways of thinking. In French, the word souvenir means “memory,” and for me, antiques are the ultimate souvenir. Whether a cherished family possession handed down from one generation to the next or a purchase picked up at a Paris flea market while traveling abroad, antiques create conversation points in your home for telling your story. I’ve always believed your home should represent who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. Your home is uniquely you and should tell your story. When decorating with antiques, use them as punctuation in your home—the exclamation points and question marks. They give a certain je ne sais quoi, adding that little something extra to your home, making…

If you are a book lover, you have to appreciate the work of Gray Zeitz of Larkspur Press, located in Monterey, Kentucky. He is a man who loves great paper and handsome typefaces, which he sets by hand, bringing each precious page to life on a letterpress printer. The presses in the shop are more than 100 years old and require time and expertise passed down over the generations of handpress history. Gray says it is an art that captured his attention while he was attending the University of Kentucky, wandering in the library’s press area. He was taken by the print shop’s ability to actually take words and create books that would be useful and handsome as an art form. For each book, it takes two to three months…