Innehållsförteckning för Christmas 2017 från The Cottage Journal

Warm greetings to you as we welcome the Christmas season! ’Tis the time to give gifts and spread joy to others. We have assembled an issue that we think will make your days merry, and also provide you with holiday decorating ideas for your home. “Tidewater Traditions,” on page 47, shares a view of the Chesapeake Bay for a charitable cause with a seasonal home tour. Decorated with nautical touches, the homeowners say, “It was a great way to give back while enjoying one of our favorite holidays.” In “Country Christmas,” page 37, a modern farmhouse becomes a hub of activity once the annual Christmas parade is celebrated in Middleburg, Virginia. The homeowners foraged dried hydrangeas and magnolia seedpods from their property to trim the tree, making memories for their…

The holiday season begins in the fall and ends with the promise of a new year. With multiple months of celebrations, you don’t have to break the bank to create a home that feels reflective of the seaon. With a little scoop of creativity, you can easily transition your autumn wares to Christmas delights. Check out these quick tips to help ease the stress as you prepare your home for the holidays. One thing I like to keep in mind is that if you are building new traditions or pulling old collections from the attic, remember that tradition is a choice, so choose how you really want to celebrate. Add to or edit existing traditions to fit your time and budget. Use festive elements that transition from one celebration…

Taking cues from her neutral palette panache, Mary Elaine Jolly’s French-casual interiors are only enhanced during the holiday season. “I like to decorate with greenery, silver, and gold,” she says, which adds a rich layer that doesn’t distract from her everyday décor. This year marks Mary Elaine and her husband Robert’s 12th Christmas in the spacious cottage they built together. When designing the home, they clearly kept Christmas in mind as the open-concept floor plan combines the elegant living space and charming kitchen—which makes the holidays especially sweet as they prep, cook, and celebrate with family in a space big enough for everyone. “It makes Christmas really fun,” Mary Elaine shares of her well-designed rooms. “Having the kitchen and living room connected was definitely something we wanted.” The inviting living…

When you walk into the Jackson home, you’re sure to find a handful of friends or family at their built-in banquette. They not only enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner here, but they also share their days, their dreams, and perhaps a bottle of wine. More than a stylish focal point off the foyer, this beloved space was Patrick and Jenn Jackson’s first vision for their new house as the couple settled on a property for their custom build. “So much of this home was crafted with gathering in mind—Where would homework happen? Where would we entertain?” Jenn recalls. What started with a banquette grew into a carefully curated cottage that’s open and cozy, sunlit and warm. “We wanted this home to feel like ours, not like a store showroom,” says…

Holiday Sugar Cookies Makes about 36 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1¼ cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 large eggs 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda Meringue Powder Icing (recipe follows) Assorted nonpareils, sanding sugar for decoration 1. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and extracts with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. 3. Preheat oven to…

Wisconsin-based calligrapher Lindsay Sherbondy has been dreaming up creative works for as long as she can remember. From branding her last name to the back of homemade Christmas cards as a child to hand-lettering school and church certificates, Lindsay has always found ways to pen her creative expressions. She took the skills she learned as a child and pursued those talents in college. “It was then that I fell deeply in love with typography and fonts of all kinds,” Lindsay says, noting that whenever she couldn’t find the right font for something she was designing, she would simply handwrite it and scan it in. “That idea was revolutionary at the time!” Over the years, her love and applications for lettering have morphed from invitation design and branding to now creating…

Cover Throw blanket from Harlow Henry. Classic Christmas Style Pages 13-16—Home décor accents from Gabby. Country Christmas Pages 37–46—Reconstructed by Tim Clites, Clites Architects and SNL Construction. Interior designs by Anne Marie Hauer, Choux Designs. Tidewater Traditions Pages 47–56—Interior designs by Jamie Merida and Carol Wheeler, Bountiful Interiors. Natural Holiday Warmth Pages 57–62—Interior designs by Honey Miller, Honey Miller Inc. Holiday décor by Shelayne Thompson, Shelayne’s Botanicals & Holiday Décor. Page 57—Paintings by Vicki Denaburg. Classically Christmas Pages 75–84—Interior designs by Julia Overton, Kathryn Ivey Interiors. A Purposeful Panache Pages 85–90—Interior designs by Alison Smith Interiors. Pages 85–86—Lamp from Richard Tubb Interiors. Table from Gabby. Ottoman by Alison Smith Interiors. Painting by Vicki Denaburg. Sconces from Restoration Hardware. Poinsettias to support The Bell Center. Page 87–88—Lighting from Troy Lighting. Stools…

SEASON OF RED For a contemporary twist on a Christmas classic, deck your evergreen in a coat of solid red. Add ribbons and bows of varying widths, patterns, and textures, then fill in the gaps with berries, balls, and ornaments of your choosing—all in a palette of red. The result is a striking statement that sings with Christmas charm. SERENE NEUTRALS For an understated yet elegant approach to the season, a selection of white string lights and neutral hues give an air of sophistication. Soft metallics and cream-colored ornamenation can easily blend with most cottage décor while creating a festive holiday focal point. GOING GREEN Don’t forget the table! A holiday tabletop doesn’t have to be laden with Santas and snow. With a handful of fresh or faux greenery, pinecones,…

Christmas was the furthest thing from the minds of homeowners Sharon O’Connell and Tracy Gammell when they relocated from the Washington, D.C., area and built a 2,500-square-foot cottage in Easton, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay. Their first priority was furnishings—and then, it was time for Christmas. “We’d always lived in condos before and had never fully decorated for Christmas,” says Sharon. “This was the first time we could go all out and deck our home for the season.” The other motivator was that the couple’s interior designers—Jamie Merida of Easton’s Bountiful Interiors and his colleague Carol Wheeler—had called them to share that the Talbot Hospice was looking for houses to feature on its annual Christmas home tour, which raises funds for the local charity. “It was a great way to…

Ernie and Jarinda Wiechman moved into their 1940s cottage 11 years ago and quickly filled their 2,500-square-foot abode with personality—and five delightful granddaughters. While their three-bedroom cottage is quite cozy and charm-filled year-round, it’s during the Christmas season that the home’s everyday décor and color palette simply shine. As an interior designer, Jarinda has an appreciation for all decorating styles, but when it comes to her own space, she gravitates toward a warmer, homey, traditional style. “I’m pretty traditional,” she says with a laugh. “In jest, I tell people it’s kind of ‘granny chic.’ I just love old things.” That love for aged wares is translated into her holiday décor in a scheme Jarinda says is both personal and nostalgic. Special memories are the cornerstone in the Wiechmans’ holiday home…

It’s always a treat when beautiful houses become even more eye-catching once they’re decorated for the holidays. Just to see a lovely front door or bay of windows accented with garland and bows creates an enchanting, almost fairytale quality that’s so evocative of the season. And when it’s the home of Philip and Jeri Anthony, such lively touches perfectly reflect the graciousness and refinement found within. The Anthonys’ Alabama abode already commands a stand-out presence among the other stately residences that occupy their historic neighborhood. Built in 1923 during what’s known as the Eclectic Movement in residential design, the couple’s neo-Georgian Colonial home is a delight to behold, particularly when Jeri goes into full decorating mode. Yet before these homeowners could move in, they faced a far greater undertaking than…

There is a brief interlude just before the holidays when nothing is stirring at Pettengill Farm. Located in coastal Salisbury, Massachusetts, the farm is typically bustling throughout spring, summer, and autumn. But as the holidays approach, there is a hiatus when the greenhouses are emptied of inventory. Most nurseries use the slow juncture for a much-needed vacation, but not Pettengill Farm owner Jan Richenburg. Last year, she gathered her perpetual energy to seize that idle moment and create magic for her community: How about filling those empty greenhouses with sparkling glitter for a special sales event to ignite the neighborhood with holiday spirit? What if the halls were swathed with boughs of everything bountiful? What if the space was decked with dangling ornaments, framed botanical prints, sculpted candles, sleigh bells,…

As a former CPA and the mother to three grown children, Juanita Walker found herself blessed with spare time on her hands. Longing to fill her days, she joined a ceramic arts group as a simple pastime while living in Arizona, though it wasn’t long before her creative hobby became much more. As she fell in love with the process of working with clay, Juanita continued to foster her talent. Soon after, an interior designer happened to see some of her work and commissioned Juanita to create one-of-a-kind pieces. The rest, as they say, is history. Juanita now resides in Alabama, where her current studio provides ample space to work on each stage of a design—from slab to bisque-firing to glazing. Over time, Juanita has become recognized for producing beautiful…

Most families have a special treasure box of magical ornaments resting in the basement or attic, waiting for Christmas to arrive. Once opened, the baubles inside will be used to decorate a beautiful holiday tree from top to bottom. Some ornaments may be childhood projects from school days while others may be shiny store-bought gifts from loved ones. No matter the source, each ornament represents a holiday memory. Vintage ornament collectors Jim and Donna Cox were particularly drawn to the German pieces, especially those crafted before World War II. “It’s brought great joy to us,” says Donna, who notes that they collect festive examples from other countries as well. But it was the German glassmakers of the mid-19th century who were the first to create glass balls that were meant…

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Christmas cheer appears to reside year-round in the vibrant red, green, and gold palette of Julia and Bruce Overton’s three-bedroom, 2,100-square-foot cottage located in the heart of Arlington, Virginia. “For the holidays, I simply take advantage of all that red and green,” muses Julia, who is a senior interior designer at Kathryn Ivey Interiors. Architecturally speaking, the Sears, Roebuck & Co. 1918 house is in the Arts-and-Crafts style, but Julia, who has lived there with her family for 20 years, had different ideas when it came to décor. “I’m not fond of Arts-and-Crafts furniture,” she says. “The house has a wonderful garden, so I decided to go for the garden cottage-feel when it came to decorating. For the living room curtains, I picked this lovely large-scale botanical print in red,…