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WANT MORE COTTAGE STYLE? Sign up for our FREE newsletter today at thecottagejournal.com. ALL IS CALM Let the stress of the year fall away and join us as we indulge in the cozy enchantment that only comes at Christmas. While the season brings its own hustle and bustle, we encourage you to appreciate the moments of peace it offers: savoring that peppermint latte, lighting a fire as you wrap gifts for family, or pausing to enjoy a favorite carol on the radio. In this issue, it’s our pleasure to share homes and spaces that embody a peaceful holiday spirit. Sparkling small-town cottages are prepped for family gatherings, well-set tables prioritize laid-back hospitality, and a glittering greenhouse shines against a serene woodland setting. (Notice especially the homes of two dear friends…
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When interior designer Corinne Back of Corinne Victoria Design first moved into this house with her husband, Al, she instantly felt at home. “I love traditional homes with a sense of history,” she says. “I crave the feel of a cozy library with the fire burning, and I want a space to feel well-traveled with unique items that spark conversation.” To keep things fresh, Corinne layers this approach with elements she describes as modern and eclectic. When it comes to decorating for Christmas, this historic house is a natural fit, and starting after Thanksgiving, Corinne likes to enhance its moody greens, blues, reds, and browns with traditional touches of holiday décor. The antiqued silver and brass accessories displayed throughout also add festive sparkle. “I don’t like super kitschy holiday things…
For Ashley Kay Johnson, a fresh start in a new house meant endless potential for expressing her one-of-a-kind style. The wife, mom, and entrepreneur has plenty to fill her schedule, but that didn’t keep her from renovating and decorating the house that she says originally had little character. “It was built in 1984, but I knew I could turn it into the European cottage that I had always wanted,” she says. The character that did exist included features such as 16-foot ceilings, tongue-and-groove panels, and charming woodwork—the perfect groundwork for Ashley and her husband to build onto. “I try not to go with trends, because trends always go out,” says Ashley, who tried out a few styles before finding the one that brought her joy. “When we walk into our…
By the time Lisa Shaddix reached fifty, she had already experienced a rewarding career in education, where she rose from the classroom to the principal’s office—earning her master’s degree, her National Board Certification, and an administrative credential along the way. Though she had first pursued fashion merchandising and modeling to channel her creative instincts, her heart ultimately led her to teaching. In the later years as an administrator, Lisa was asked to guide the design of a new primary school, selecting colors, themes, and furnishings. She didn’t know it then, but the project sowed the seeds of her next calling, reigniting a lasting passion for creativity and design. After turning the page on education, Lisa embraced retirement and stepped into full-time grandparenting with the arrival of her first grandchild. Just…
During a recent call, Jeannie Sexton’s youngest grandson confided that he wished he were at her house. “They love it here,” Jeannie says of her grandchildren. Naturally, a visit to grandmother’s house always entails special perks. But come Christmas, bright trimmings and sweet traditions make a stay even more memorable. Built in the late 1980s on a spacious lot just outside Perry, Georgia, the classic Southern Colonial-style home of Jeannie and Mayo Sexton exudes the same welcoming air as its owners. White railing frames an inviting porch that stretches the length of the front exterior. “We sit out there in the evening and wave to everybody going by,” Jeannie says. A cheery shade of yellow adorns the front door, made merrier with a large evergreen wreath embellished by a bright…
