Innehållsförteckning för Cottage Style 2019 från Victoria

Don’t Forget For even more inspiration for gracious living, visit our website, victoriamag.com. You’ll find photos, tips, and how-tos on our social media sites, so follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Decorating trends have made it possible for homeowners to capture the spirit of delightful cottages, regardless of the size of a house. Wispy curtains at the windows, soft neutral colors on the walls, a pottery jug filled with lush hydrangeas, and the feeling of coziness created by a family enjoying life to the fullest—I treasure these qualities of bungalow living. Planning a cottage interior offers an opportunity to arrange lavish displays of heirloom pieces and fabulous flea market finds, as evidenced by the homes of several of our favorite design bloggers. With the stroke of a paintbrush…

During the 1980s, Boston interior designer Gregor Cann was searching for a new home in hopes of leaving apartment life behind, but the metropolitan real estate market was very expensive. So when he saw an ad for a property in Ogunquit, Maine, that was a more reasonable price, his curiosity piqued. It was a summer cottage—meaning no insulation and no heat. He and his partner visited the abode, only to find that it was very small, barely 425 square feet, and located on an old logging road. But you could walk to the water, and that was enough to plant the seed that maybe apartment life wouldn’t be intolerable, after all, with a beach house to retreat to. “Ramshackle is how I would describe it,” Gregor says, “but we decided…

From the outside, this brick Cape Cod–style cottage, nestled in the center of a town where there are more apple orchards than stoplights, may seem like any other house on the street. But open the front door, and that illusion quickly vanishes. Former home to Marian Parsons, entrepreneur and author of the Miss Mustard Seed home interiors blog, the dwelling bears her artistic signature in each beautifully appointed room. As her decorating style has evolved, discovering the enduring appeal of a neutral palette has come as a surprise. “To me, white walls meant military housing,” Marian says, “or that you were afraid to paint or make design choices.” But in the last few years, she has come to realize that a snowy backdrop best showcases the carefully curated furnishings that…

Although pencil, drybrush watercolor, gouache, silverpoint, and egg tempera are the media that Linda Funk uses for depicting plants, the poignancy of their portrayal comes from within her heart. The self-taught Maine artist—also an avid gardener and a respected teacher—endeavors to please both the scientist and the untrained lover of flora through a varied portfolio that includes book design and illustration, fine art, and decorative furnishings. Botanical artists, Linda explains, strive for sensitivity and precision—goals best achieved with live specimens. “Subjects are moving and changing ever so slightly moment by moment, testing the eye and hand,” she says. “Petals open and close; stems flex and curve.” Rendering hue, vibrancy, and proportion faithfully presents an exacting challenge that can only be met in natural light. “THE FLOWERING PLANT IS A METAPHOR,…

Below is a list of properties and companies featured in this issue. Items not listed are privately owned and are not for sale. Pricing and availability may vary. Pages 19–26: To learn more about Carolyn Aiken, visit her website, warrengrovegarden.blogspot.com. Pages 27–34: Cann Design, 213-400-8001, gregorcanndesign.com. Pages 35–40: Four Seasons Antiques and Art: Antique metal crown, call for availability; 205-803-4059, 4seasonsantiquesandart.com. Sweet Peas Garden Shop: Assorted clay flowerpots, call for availability; 205-879-3839. Tricia’s Treasures: Antique green shutters, call for availability; 205-871-9779, triciastreasures.us. Pages 43–48: Buettner Brothers Lumber Company, 256-734-4221, bblumber.net. Pages 49–60: To learn more about Marian Parsons, visit missmustardseed.com. Cindy Austin Paintings, 919-619-1054, cindyaustinpaintings.com. Pages 61–66: To learn more about Layla Palmer, visit her website, theletteredcottage.net. Caledonia Stone and Tile, 317-849-6815, caledoniastoneandtile.com. House of Belonging, thehouseofbelonging.com. Ruthie Carlson Fine…

Margot Shaw’s aesthetic appreciation began early and runs deep. Her family lived in Switzerland when she was a child, and she has fond memories of her father taking them for jaunts through Europe in his sporty convertible—touring châteaux, cathedrals, and gardens along the way. “My father was very Hemingway-esque, very much a bon vivant,” Margot adds. “He was always saying, ‘Look at this!’ He was informing my eye, training me to appreciate beauty and good design.” As a result of these excursions, the young girl’s creative side blossomed, and her father’s enthusiasm took root in her soul. Margot’s interest in design took a different form years later, when she worked with noted Birmingham, Alabama, floral designer Sybil Sylvester. Under her masterful tutelage, Margot says she “learned to think outside the…

Atumbled mix of leftover stone and assorted old bricks proved just the right building materials for the simple square structure, where the owners plan their garden, start seeds under grow lights, and store all manner of terra-cotta pots and horticulturerelated implements. The charm of French-enameled flower buckets, dried hydrangeas in a weathered market basket, and collectibles such as blue-glass Mason jars complement the functionality of the generously sized shed. Tucked beneath the shelter of a towering oak tree, designed with windows on three sides, and equipped with a Dutch door, the little building keeps the interior pleasantly cool. And for those sultry summer days, a ceiling fan is suspended from a crossbeam to stir the air. Thus, the resident gardeners can comfortably mix potting soil and transplant tender shoots at…

Seven years before Layla and Kevin Palmer moved into their lakeside cottage in the country, Kevin drove through the neighborhood and instantly fell in love with its classic architecture and idyllic allure. When he returned home, he said to Layla, “You’ve got to see this place.” Surveying the pastoral setting, nestled between sprawling cotton fields and a gorgeous, sparkling lakefront, the couple knew they had found their dream home. Unfortunately, though, at that time, their aspiration was out of reach. Nearly a decade passed, but the pair never stopped hoping. When the housing market dipped, they found their dream home in foreclosure. It was a sign. In fact, the two-story charmer with a gracious front porch had sat vacant the whole time—as if it were waiting just for the Palmers.…

Cottage style is warm and welcoming, often with an eclectic twist—precisely the look that Trissy Holladay has achieved in her dwelling. With her eye for design, she has created artwork from utilitarian materials that many people would discard. Days spent foraging through flea markets, antiques stores, and junk shops from New York to Florida have provided her with hours of entertainment and inspiration. As a result of her travels, Trissy’s back porch displays a cache of imaginative treasures. For example, in a pair of large corbels that had been stored in her mother’s basement, she saw ideal supports for a new buffet. A 7-foot section of iron fencing became the back, and Trissy ordered a piece of zinc for the top. With the help of a local craftsman, these disparate…

“I WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE IT WAS ALWAYS JUNE.”—Lucy Maud Montgomery As Carolyn Aiken takes an early morning stroll through her garden in the idyllic Canadian community of Warren Grove, the cheerful lilt of birdsong and the staccato whir of darting dragonflies blend in a stirring symphony that accompanies her steps. There is a hushed serenity here among the magnolias and peonies that harks to an earlier, less-hurried way of life. “I find gardening relaxing,” says Carolyn, as she dons a broad-brimmed hat to shield the sun’s rays. “I love being out here surrounded by beauty and all the sights, sounds, and fragrances of natur e.” The 100-year-old farmhouse—where she and her husband, Andrew, raised their seven children—sits amid 10 peaceful acres,…

Tucked away from the Florida sun, this shady Seagrove cottage welcomes loved ones for peaceful afternoons of repose in a seaside escape. The quaint abode’s crisp white exterior shines bright against its vibrant red double doors, which open to an airy and inviting screened porch that boasts a rich family history. Lucy Armour says she and her husband, Jim, love decorating with inherited treasures. Stepping onto the spacious front porch, the familial love is obvious, as the majority of the furnishings have been passed down from relatives. The couple not only furnished the space with heirlooms, but they designed it as a special tribute to decades of beloved summertime traditions. “Jim’s grandparents had a house in this same spot,” Lucy explains. “We had to tear it down, but when we…

When Wendy Morrison purchased her North Carolina cottage in 2012, she could see past its decade of renter neglect. Mustard yellow walls, a leaking roof, and worn floors didn’t dissuade her. Instead, she found motivation in imagining her abode’s first family, embracing the energy of their 1920s middle-class life. “From the start, my focus was preserving the integrity of this home’s history,” Wendy recalls. Her neighborhood is decidedly bohemian, with eclectic boutiques, creative cafés, and a trend toward architectural restoration. So when it came time to revive her 1927 cottage, Wendy wanted to blend many of the home’s original features into an inviting, livable space for her own busy family. The kitchen became her first project. When she moved in, a 36-inch stove with no ventilation dominated the 9x9-foot space,…

Quilting together layers of fabric using her sewing machine, Judith Reilly of Brandon, Vermont, renders freeform designs with the practiced ease of an illustrator sketching on paper. The renowned fiber artist’s winsome depictions are executed in an exuberant style she describes as “catawampus and quirky.” Many of her projects evoke cherished pastoral scenes from childhood. Judith was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Hudson Valley of New York State—an upbringing she credits with cultivating a strong work ethic, a deep appreciation for simplicity, and an independent spirit. “I absorbed the unaffectedly wholesome and spiritual lessons lived by all those around me,” she reminisces. “I was embraced by the rhythms and cycles of farm life, and the nurturing environment of family, agriculture, church, community, and nature.” Tending animals…