East Coast Cottage Living

Good morning, Everyone!

A little snow here this morning and very cool again.  Winter may linger a while longer.

Perhaps that's why I still have cottage living on my mind - I am definitely thinking pink and warmer climes.

Today's cottage is by east coast designer, Tracey Rapisardi......I've seen her work before and I really like her light, colorful touch.

And this cottage epitomizes casual, summer and cottage living with beadboard, rattan, painted furniture, quilts - it has it all!

Hope you enjoy!

All images via BHG

Quilt Decor

As mentioned yesterday, here are several ideas for displaying your beloved quilts......all are beautiful and it doesn't matter if you have a quilted pillow or you are a collector of many full sized quilts......put them out there for all to enjoy!

Drapes - Wendy Valliere

Upholstery

Cabinets

On walls

Tablecloths

On chairs

More upholstery

Draped over an ottoman

Another quilt on an ottoman

(Mary Douglas Drysdale)

In baskets

Pillows

Over chairs

(Have loved this room by Justine Cushing since I

first laid eyes on it years ago!)

And on bannisters!

Image 1 Lux Interior Designs, Image 2 BHG,

Image 3 Pinterest (southernsavvygirl), Images 4, 9 & 13 Traditional Home

Image 5 Judi Boisson, Image 6 Unknown,

Image 7 Diamond & Baratta, Image 8 BHG,

Images 10 & 11 Victoria, Image 12 House Beautiful

Quilt Comfort

What could be more comforting than a warm quilt during these long, cold days of winter? 

Except for Image 2, all of these quilts have shades of pink and red - two of the warmest colors in the palette! 

In any color, though, a quilt often offers more than just comfort - if vintage, they could very well be a treasure inherited through the family, perhaps lovingly quilted by a mother, aunt or grandmother which also offers memories of another time and place.

Sometimes, quilts are used for decorative purposes only and hung on walls or draped across furniture and used for furniture upholstery, for effect. 

Whether used for comfort, color, effect or as a collection, a quilt in any room adds a certain sense of charm and hominess!

Tomorrow, I will offer ways of decorating with quilts!

Enjoy!

Click on each image for larger detail

Image 1 Veranda, Image 2 100 Ideas, Images 3 & 5 Bedroom & Bath

Image 4 (Betsy Speert) & 7 Traditional Home, Image 6 Better Homes & Gardens

Image 8 BHG, Image 9 Bedroom and Bath

Gorgeous Garret Getaways

I've had an affinity for attics since I was a little girl.......what other room in a house could be so out of the way, so invisible and yet, hold such treasures?  I spent many a day in the attics of a friend and cousins dressing up in their mother's old dresses and high heels and wrapping myself in an old mink stole with the head on one end and the tail tossed casually over my shoulder!  What a glamorous life I could lead in those attics!

Then, as a teenager, my parents bought a farmhouse and it, too, had an attic......and, once again, I was drawn to it as a complete and private getaway.  It was completely unfinished, mind you, with nothing more than a window, an old victrola and a brass bed with stairs leading down to the kitchen.  But, what a retreat to read a book in, or just to be alone and dream about it's possibilities. 

Yes, even then at 14, I was dreaming of interior decorating and even though I had completely redecorated my own bedroom in our new (old) house with blue and white striped wallpaper, floor length blue drapes that I had sewn myself, blue bedspread, painted wood floor and antique furniture with a white faux fur area rug on the floor with pictures symmetrically arranged on the walls and lamps in all the appropriate places.......I still escaped to the attic.  When I think back to that time, I had a Laura Ashley like bedroom, but it was only 1964 and I hadn't really heard about British interior designer Laura Ashley in small town Nova Scotia......we didn't really find out about her until the late 70s or early 80s.  (In fact, in 1964 Laura Ashley was still experimenting on her kitchen table with silkscreened dish towels!)  This was completely my idea of how I wanted my room to look......all that was missing was the chintz.....I hadn't discovered that yet!

So, when I came upon the rooms below, they brought back memories of good times, coziness, comfort and possibilities!  A place to dream.........!

Love the dog art theme going on in the last four rooms

All photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Canadian Coastal Chic

For those of you who may have missed Canadian designer Sarah Richardson's personal cottage reno on HGTV last year, here is a run down of her project.

She took a dark, dreary rustic cottage to new heights by adding an extension on one end, which became the new living room, and installing large windows throughout, painting all the interiors white, painting floors, buying old furniture and re-painting it, recycling old painted wood in parts of the kitchen, and embellishing it all with wonderfully bright, fresh fabrics, old quilts, lots of pillows, candles and fresh flowers.......a winning combination!

All photos courtesy of Country Living