The Cottage Journal Country Cottage Christmas 2020

Each year, our readers inspire us and joyfully invite us into their homes all dressed for the holidays and many celebrations of the season. We are very excited to share this issue of The Cottage Journal featuring several examples of country styles that evoke a perfect blend of warmth and joy. This special issue shares the cozy, more casual elements of vintage décor, and it’s filled with personal stories and stunning looks that capture a truly warm holiday at home. Page after page, you’ll visit homeowners who have perfected a collected cottage style with various Christmas themes that will hopefully spark ideas just for you! From rustic abodes to shiny new cottages, the featured homes were photographed with you in mind so that you might try a fresh idea or start…

Christmas is a passion for Susan Hughes. From collecting to decorating to cooking and everything in between, Susan adores the holidays and makes sure that everyone knows. Come December, you can find her charming farmhouse decked to the nines for Christmastime. Susan especially loves incorporating vintage pieces into her Christmas decorations, blending her interest in antiques and the holidays together. “When I was in my 20s, my sister-in-law, Judy, introduced me to the joy of collecting handmade Santas,” Susan recalls. “From [that time], I would go to antiques stores and look for other unusual creations.” Over the years, her collection has expanded to include chalkware figurines and pieces made by artists like Lynn Haney and Judie Tasch. One of her favorites is one that Judy gave to her—an antique Santa made…

When Cheryl “Cece” Krecsy built her new home in British Columbia, Canada, she had already discovered her love for white but had yet to take the full leap. “I found that I could feel calmer and more organized in my home without a lot of color and distraction,” she says. “It was an environment that suited my personality.” So, she took advantage of the opportunity and went all in, creating a home that captures the spirit of a snowy scene but with all the coziness and warmth of a haven in the countryside. It’s a spirit that is only heightened at Christmas, when carefully selected greenery softens mantels and tables, creating a textured backdrop for the vintage touches Cece loves to incorporate. “Sometimes, I go total vintage, and I use faux-aged white…