The Cottage Journal Southern Cottage 2020

A Collected Cottage Welcome to a special edition of The Cottage Journal, focused on the Southern cottage. This exceptional issue includes six full home tours, including a Georgian-style beauty featured in “A Colorful Connection” beginning on page 47. The homeowners bring energy to spaces with bold patterns of wallpaper, fabrics, and unique accessories. The unassuming home is situated gracefully within a suburb of Atlanta, but inside is a nod to South Florida with vibrant patterns and colors. Another notable abode is highlighted in “Romantic Country Style” on page 27, and it’s the most charming historic cottage with its intimate porch and vintage details from ceiling accents to collected wall décor. Filled with interesting objects to study, the home is reminiscent of small town living from a bygone era. Whether keepsakes like Limoges…

As varied and as beautiful as the treasures they guard, wooden boxes have been around nearly as long as humans have had the need for storage. But there’s more to these pieces than mere function—from culture to culture, distinct decorating styles have emerged, turning what was meant to be a utilitarian product into something worth collecting in its own right. Practiced in every culture where wood is available and one of the oldest crafts known to mankind, carving is the most obvious way to ornament boxes and other wooden containers—but it’s far from the only technique used. As early as the 12th century in China, turned wooden boxes were covered in layers of lacquer, which, once hardened, were carved with elaborately detailed scenes and patterns. Coloring the lacquer with minerals was…

Originating in Limoges, France, this handcrafted, hand-painted enamelware has been synonymous with the city itself since the 18th century. Limoges porcelain boxes quickly became a status symbol due to their production for royalty. The tiny keepsake boxes were originally used as a place to store various items, from romantic mementos and jewelry to medicines and snuff. Ranging in a myriad of shapes, styles, and sizes, Limoges boxes offer today’s collectors the perfect personal, sentimental treasure. And while Limoges boxes are no longer carried around in one’s pocket as they were centuries ago, collectors like Pam Watts are still enamored with the timeless beauty and outstanding craftsmanship of the delicate yet durable treasures. Pam began collecting these exquisite porcelain boxes in the late 1980s. At that time, she owned a children’s shop on…

Beth Meadows never planned on becoming a collector—but she has always been one. “I don’t recall making a conscious decision to start a collection,” she says. “I did, however, choose and ask to be given silver flatware when I was a teen.” And, thus, a collector was born. Over the years, Beth has added to her silver flatware with the likes of Staffordshire, majolica, and more, and her home is proof. Every room holds at least one timeworn treasure—but, most likely, many more. In her dining room, a set of majolica dishes are on display above a silver bottle chiller that holds horn-handled utensils, and the buffet they sit atop holds even more. Corner cabinets bought at an antiques shop in Savannah, Georgia, display silver that dates back decades. “When my…

With its vintage-style trimwork, porch swing, and white picket fence, this charming cottage may seem like it’s straight out of a storybook, but you’ll find it nestled in the small town of Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. Much like the town it calls home, the tin-roofed cottage is full of history but with an updated twist. Built in 1892, the home’s original craftsmanship is beautifully maintained. Detailed woodwork and arches draw visitors in and give a peek of the unique home through the doors. Homeowner Holly Williams, Nashville singer-songwriter and proprietor of White’s Mercantile, found inspiration not only in Leiper’s Fork but also from her family history and rustic country style. Much like the store, the home displays a variety of timeworn treasures and mementos of days gone by. Entering through the antique-style double front…

It was just before Thanksgiving three years ago when these homeowners moved into their downsized dream abode. Their priorities were a main-level master suite and easily accessible laundry—which, structurally, were easy to achieve. But since much of their former home’s furnishings were too large for the new build, many fresh pieces needed to be purchased. Fortunately, Cameron Mobley of Cameron Mobley Interior Design had a vision for her clients’ transition. And with the repurposing of many beloved elements, plus the infusion of French-country style, the homeowners were soon delighted to discover that their new house had all the comforts of home. Treasured possessions found cozy new spots, from a playful Pinocchio that adds a cheerful twist in the kitchen to a 1920 Steinway piano that was a surprise 15th-anniversary gift. In the…