Indholdsfortegnelse for Holiday Home 2020 i The Cottage Journal

HOLIDAY GREETINGS We are pleased to present 10 lovely homes in this special issue of Holiday Home from The Cottage Journal. With each charming style, you are invited to leisurely page through and enjoy fabulous photography of rooms overflowing with seasonal panache. From professionally styled homes to those adorned with collected, sentimental décor, each feature shares many ideas for both traditional and contemporary accents of the season. From festive front entrances to engaging garden patios, treasures of the holidays welcome you home with tables set with finery, mantels of fresh greenery, gifts under the tree, and stockings hung with care. You’ll also find plenty of twinkling trees bedazzled for many holiday design aesthetics, varying from bright, traditional colors of red and green to dream-like, sophisticated palettes of silver and gold.…

Christmas in the Lerner home is an all-out affair. “My husband jokes that this is ‘the Christmas house,’” homeowner and interior designer Ashley Lerner admits. She starts her decorating in October and has no shame about celebrating her favorite time of year early. The Lerners moved into their current home nearly three years ago, and holiday celebrations transformed into what Ashley had always dreamed of in the new space. “I always wanted a large foyer where we could fit a tall tree, and this year we were able to do that,” she says. The colorful tree is visible from outside the home through the front doors, and it holds special sentimental value for Ashley. Based on The Nutcracker ballet, the tree is a representation of traditions from Ashley’s childhood that…

The Stanfas’ home is a work of art, in more ways than one. And this couldn’t be truer than it is at Christmastime. With five trees, coordinating color palettes, and even a whimsical ski lift, this holiday home is extravagantly decked in seasonal spirit. Throughout the Stanfas’ home, guests are sure to notice their extensive art collection. From sculptures to paintings to handcrafted home accents, the collection is a testament to the couple’s love of the arts and is a driving force behind their holiday décor. Each tree, garland, wreath, and ribbon is selected to complement not only the hues shared in the room but also the works of art displayed in the space. For example, the sitting room tree contains baubles of gold that act as a nod to…

Decorating a home in a way that incorporates the homeowners’ personal tastes, honors the spirit of the space, and captures the magic of the Christmas season is no easy task, but it’s one decorator Shelayne Thompson is no stranger to. So, in 2016, when her regular clients moved from their previous home into a 1929 Greek Revival, they didn’t hesitate to call her to help prepare their new space for the season. “It called for a little bit of a different look,” Shelayne says, noting that the historic home was suited for something elegant but not overwhelming. On the home’s exterior, that translated to traditional boxwood wreaths hung with bright red ribbon—a choice that only serves to heighten the classic beauty of dark shutters and two-story columns. It’s the front…

As soon as Thanksgiving passes, these homeowners are eager to begin their annual traditions for decking their home for the holidays. They start by picking out a live tree together, and upon returning home, they retrieve their many boxes of special holiday baubles and sentimental décor from the attic. “I put on some Christmas music, and we spend two to three days putting up a few things each day until it looks just right,” the homeowner says. “I love using fresh greens in a variety of textures combined with traditional Christmas colors of red, gold, ivory, and various shades of green.” Holiday guests are greeted on the wide front porch with a welcoming gray-green front door, dressed for the season with a large evergreen wreath and draped in fresh garlands…

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Phyllis Hoffman DePiano EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Cindy Smith Cooper MANAGING EDITOR Katie Ellis ASSOCIATE EDITOR Bethany Adams ASSISTANT EDITOR Hannah Jones EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Holly Seng SENIOR COPY EDITOR Rhonda Lee Lother COPY EDITOR Adrienne Davis CREATIVE DIRECTOR/PHOTOGRAPHY Mac Jamieson SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER John O’Hagan PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Bathie, William Dickey, Stephanie Welbourne Steele GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR Deanna Rippy Gardner ART DIRECTOR Jodi Rankin Daniels SENIOR STYLIST Sidney Bragiel CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS Kim Chiselko, Amy Wilson SENIOR DIGITAL IMAGING SPECIALIST Delisa McDaniel DIGITAL IMAGING SPECIALIST Clark Densmore DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR Kristy Harrison MARKETING COORDINATOR Hannah Crowe DIGITAL DESIGNER Stephanie Lambert ADMINISTRATIVE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Judy Brown Lazenby IT DIRECTOR Matthew Scott Holt DEALER PROGRAM MANAGER Janice Ritter ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/EDITORIAL Alex Kolar INTEGRATED MARKETING SOLUTIONS ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Hagan Media/Katie Hagan [AL, FL, TN] Kathy Gross [FL, GA, KY,…

It’s no surprise that floral designer Shea Ford’s holiday décor centers around greenery. From the garland-laden front entrance to the small tree in the master suite to the decorated French-style mirror, the Fords’ home is covered in greenery of all different kinds. Pine, cedar, boxwood, and even magnolia cuttings grace multiple surfaces within their home. Thanks to her love of sprigs and twigs, Shea’s home at holiday time is understated but festive. The simple greenery reminds guests of the season and sparks joy without losing the home interior’s casual elegance. That relaxed style is evident from the first step onto the Fords’ Opelika, Alabama, property. A sweet Southern porch with classic brick pavers hearkens back to simpler days while a life-size Santa Claus figure welcomes friends and family. Shea layered…

Thanks to the home’s crisp white walls and neutral furnishings, Christmas décor takes center stage in this welcoming holiday living room. The whitewashed fireplace commands attention with a mantel decked in a festive garland. Layered garland is festooned with mercury glass baubles that reflect a warm glow and bright red and green ribbons that offer a rich pop of color. The sparkle is enhanced even further by the matching star-shaped sconces that create a special twinkle in the room. And in one corner, a narrow tree sets the room aglow and is decorated with a collection of ornaments and ribbons. Light green accents—like the featured artwork above the fireplace and the throw pillows—help to tie in the homeowner’s everyday décor with her holiday favorites. The woven garlands of greenery continue…

The Cornays’ home in Birmingham, Alabama, sits on a street that has held a special meaning for the family for decades, even though they only moved there recently. “My wife, Elizabeth, and I actually had our first date at a Fourth of July party right across the street,” Dr. Billy Cornay explains. So, when the last lot on the prestigious road became available, the couple jumped at the opportunity to build their dream home there. Downsizing from a 12,000-square-foot home where they raised their two children, the Cornays designed a new home that is a unique mix of contemporary elements and antique finds all rooted in Billy’s French heritage. In fact, their many vintage pieces and antiques were acquired on their annual visits to his ancestral home of Loudun, France.…

With years of experience and a passion for the fundamentals of interior design, Sandra Lucas and Sarah Eilers share their book, Expressive Interiors: Designing an Inviting Home, which tackles the challenge of creating a welcoming space that also tells the story of those who call it home. The design duo met during their formal training and worked together for 15 years before starting their Houston-based boutique firm, Lucas/Eilers Design Associates. Their Third Coast approach to design blends the entrepreneurial grit of the West with Southern grace for a distinct style, communicating both ease and elegance. Organized into three sections, this book’s 240 pages include the foundation of design, five full home tours, and a peek into the designers’ own homes. Captivating images capture the classic interiors interwoven with lively and…

In the middle of November, Anna and Brian Barnes get to work. They lay out their ornaments, rearrange furniture, and make sure the home is ready to welcome the coming Christmas cheer. But that’s only the beginning—the prep-work paving the way for decorator Shelayne Thompson and her team to work their magic. “I love Christmas; my children love Christmas,” Anna says. “So, we go what most people would say is overboard.” She notes that, from start to finish, the process takes about a week for them to complete. When they do, the home holds endless swags of garland and six full-size trees—the tallest of which is a twelve-foot beauty in the foyer. Clusters of ribbon on the banister of the scrollwork staircase welcome visitors with a “Merry Christmas” message, and…

For the Shirah family, there’s often a bit of magic involved in the Christmas season. In November, while the family of four is on vacation, interior designer Lisa Lester is hard at work transforming their home into a wonderland of greenery, lights, and ribbon—from the front door to the back porch. “They’ll usually go on a trip and come back when it’s done,” says Lisa, who started working with the Shirahs shortly after they moved into the home in 2015. Krystie and Stirling Shirah brought much of their furniture from their previous home, but when they approached the decorating process for their first Christmas in the new space, Lisa says they mostly started from scratch. Incorporating a handful of collected items—like Krystie’s Santa figurines—Lisa layered new pieces together with carefully…

As the weather cools and the time comes to deck the halls, homeowner Suzanne Perkins turns first to her home’s exterior. “I typically start outside and then work my way in,” she says, noting her affinity for fresh garland and wreaths. The lush decorations highlight the eye-catching elements of the architecture, from each of the tall, black-encased windows to the door designed to let in as much natural light as possible. The details are the result of a collaboration with architect Richard Long, who focused on helping the cottage reach its full potential. “We moved into the home about six years ago,” Suzanne says, explaining that it was their love of the neighborhood that prompted them to opt for a renovation. With all new windows, an expanded home office for…