Table of contents for Spring/Summer 2021 in BH&G Cottage Style

I was fortunate enough to grow up near the ocean in Cape Town, South Africa. We didn’t live in a quintessential beach cottage—more like a typical suburban ranch—but there was always a faint smell of salt in the air on summer evenings, and our home played subtle homage to its location through its seaside-inspired palette of blues and whites, slipcovered and rattan furnishings, and colorful artwork. Flipping through the pages of this issue, you will find coastal cottages similar to the ones that dotted my hometown landscape, but you will also find wonderful new examples of this perennially popular style—a cozy modern-rustic cabin near Nashville (“Into the Woods,” page 38), a delightful cottage garden with breathtaking views of Puget Sound (“Garden Vista,” page 30 and right), a Catskill Mountains getaway…

Sometimes, with age comes wisdom; other times, it brings a series of questionable facelifts. The Josiah Nickerson House, a circa 1870s Greek Revival located in Chatham, Massachusetts, came with both—plenty of old-world charm and a series of confusing additions. So when a Washington, D.C., couple snapped up the home a few years ago, they looked to Boston architect Patrick Ahearn to remove the grim and restore the great. “It was basically a tenement—there were all these multigenerational additions that compromised its character,” Ahearn says. “We had to get past all that and reimagine the farmhouse for a family of four.” In the planning phase of the design, Ahearn looked to the past. He studied old photos of the property, met with the local historical society, and considered the challenging topography…

kata McCann wasn’t a total design newbie when a phoned and asked if she could work a little decorative magic on the 1980s raised ranch he’d just After all, she’d majored in fine art in college enjoyed a career as a still-life fashion stylist. Even so, her Grey Dove Design was a fledgling firm, founded when photos of her own Connecticut home were published on a popular interior design website and people began calling. “This was really my first major project,” she says, still sounding a bit awed by her quick success. Her friend’s Upstate New York house had enviable mountain views, and its six bedrooms offered ample space for the gatherings of family and friends he envisioned. Unfortunately, it also had all its original features, including a stocky maple…

The cottage was dreary on the outside and dated on the inside, but the location—within walking distance to town and the beach—couldn’t be beat. And there was that big, wraparound porch. After renting on Martha’s Vineyard for five seasons, Jan Rosenfeld had found her forever summer home. “I wanted a place where the whole family could come together and also function independently,” says Jan, who lives in Manhattan Beach, California. “It had me at the porch.” Jan engaged local designer Liane Thomas from Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design (she’s since launched LMT Design) to tweak the layout and lend a dose of much needed polish—but not too much. Jan wanted a gathering place that exuded ease. Thomas fashioned cozy spots to congregate or retreat at every turn: a front porch swing…

WINNING FORMULA PAGES 14–21 Architecture and interior design: Ron DiMauro, AIA NCARB, principal and founder, and Tyler Zagryn, senior project architect, DiMauro Architects, 65 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840; 401/619-7870; dimauroarchitects.com. General contracting: Chartier Building Company, 9 High Meadow Rd., Little Compton, RI 02837; 401/635-8600; chartierbuilding.com. Landscape architect: Tupelo Design Studio, 386 Dry Bridge Rd., North Kingstown, RI 02852; 401/294-9678; tupelodesignstudio.com. VINTAGE REFRESH PAGES 22–29 Architecture: Patrick Ahearn, FAIA, Patrick Ahearn Architect, 160 Commonwealth Ave., Suite L3, Boston, MA 02116; 617/266-1710, Ext. 215;pahearn@patrickahearn.com Builder: Doug Whitla, Whitla Brothers Builders, 419 Main St., Medfield, MA 02052; 508/359-4292; doug@whitlabrothers.com; whitlabrothers.com. Interior design: Jocelyn Chiappone, Digs Design Co., 106 William St., Newport, RI 02840; 401/848-9301; digsdesignco@gmail.com; digsdesignco.com. Landscape design: Copper Moon Landscape & Design Inc., P.O. Box 331, North Chatham, MA 02650; 508/945-1450;…

After college, Robyn and Don McCurren vowed to pursue a life of adventure, accepting new job opportunities around the country. As their family grew to include a son and daughter, they transferred from East Coast to West and decided to put down roots amid abundant sunshine and beaches. They rented a place in Laguna Beach, California, and patiently watched for a home to call their own. “We fell in love with the size of the community and the year-round sunshine that lets us be outside,” Robyn says. “We wanted a place here that we could make our own.” One day, Robyn and her young daughter wandered into Huit, a local home interior store owned by designer Tania Cassill, who picked up the little girl and plopped her into an inviting…

What we suspect about interi or designers turns out to be true. “I can’t be in any space too long without wanting to change it up,” confesses North Carolina designer Beth Barden. That includes the darling bungalow, which has taken almost 12 years to finally finish, that she shares with husband Taylor and three children. “This is version 20 of every room,” Beth says. “I tried every idea I liked on Pinterest, and some were cringeworthy, but it was a really good way to test out what I appreciate stylewise versus what my actual style is. We went through a lot of ugly to get here.” Our favorite takeaway from her years of testing is about taking risks. If you’ve got a bright—but out-there—idea, give it a shot. It may bomb,…

National Retailers Fishs Eddy 212/420-9020 fishseddy.com Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot 800/245-2217 homedepot.com Maine Cottage 866/366-3505 mainecottage.com Padma’s Plantation 800/753-9190 padmasplantation.com Pine Cone Hill, an Annie Selke company 877/586-4771 annieselke.com Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic 800/516-4309 shabbychic.com Tuesday Morning 800/457-0099 tuesdaymorning.com State by State Alabama Hanna Antiques Mall 2424 Seventh Ave. S Birmingham, AL 35233 205/323-6036 hannaantiques.com Alaska The Wagon Wheel Marketplace 701 E. Parks Hwy., Suite 100 Wasilla, AK 99654 907/671-0189 wagonwheelmarketplace.com Arizona Antiquities Warehouse 2025 E. University Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85034 (Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; open to the public) 602/253-6206 antiquitieswarehouse.com Found by Domestic Bliss 7131 W. Ray Rd., Suite 13 Chandler, AZ 85226 480/733-6863 founddesign.co Arkansas 410 Vintage Market 410 N. College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72701 479/521-2444 California Ohmega Salvage 2400 San Pablo…

LIVE IN A HOUSE FOR A WHILE. Before embarking on an overhaul, spend a few months or years in it first. “You need time to see how you’re going to use the house,” Beth says. PERSONALIZE EACH ROOM. It’s the handmade and heirloom touches that elevate decor from dull to distinctive. “It’s important to have those things that really make the house yours,” Beth says. That can mean family or vintage pieces you’ve adopted or Pinterest projects you’ve done yourself. GREENERY GOES WITH EVERYTHING. Mother Nature pairs leafy green with every color of the rainbow, so you know plants and flowers (faux or real) can energize a house and add another layer of life. “I like something green in every room,” Beth says.…