Cottage Style

Design inspiration from Michelle Kelly, Cottage Life's managing editor

Weather Watch

June 26, 2009

Well, I've been anxiously checking the weather reports for the Stony Lake area. Art director Kim Zagar and I are supposed to head up there for a photo shoot next week, but everything depends on whether the weather co-operates. To bring you all those beautiful photos of cottage...

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Bookmarks: Alabama Stitch Book

June 22, 2009

My sister turned me on to Alabama Chanin. Steeped in Deep South mythology, the company makes pretty, hand-sewn, quilted and beaded clothing and home accessories, primarily made with recycled cotton jersey. There's something romantic and rustic about the designs, which often...

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Big Thinking for Outdoor Furniture

June 15, 2009

My all-time favourite pastime at the cottage: lounging around doing nothing. It's amazing how many naps you can take when you have little else to do. Nap on the dock; nap on the porch; nap in the sun-filled bedroom with a cooling cross breeze playing across your back... My dream...

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White at the cottage

June 12, 2009

Fresh, breezy, crisp, romantic—however you want to describe it, there is something undeniably alluring about the look of all white. It's not a style that you think of as being terribly practical for the cottage, though. Ice cream cones, muddy paws, sandy feet, wet bathing...

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Moose Menagerie

May 27, 2009

In the June issue of Cottage Life (subscribers should have received their copy by now; non-subscribers will find the issue on newsstands come Monday) you'll find my story "Moose on the Loose," which showcases a lot of fun home accessories with a moose motif. I had a blast...

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Hooked Rugs by Micheline Mann

May 22, 2009

Had a lovely chat recently with Micheline Mann, a rug hooker up near Port Elgin. For the past four years she’s been creating what she calls “modern day heirlooms” using the traditional crafting method. Her cottage series of hooked rugs are inspired by the landscape...

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Vintage doorknob coat rack

April 30, 2009

Magazines tend to stick around here at Cottage Life – you never know where you'll find inspiration. For example, senior designer Steven Balaban was flipping through an old issue of This Old House and found a great piece on vintage metal doorknobs, which included some history on...

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Easy-care Ultrasuede goes green

April 22, 2009

Durability and easy cleanability are very important in cottage sofas and chairs. Upholstery has to stand up to sandy paws and spilt lemonade, and it can't be too hard to clean up after them. Ultrasuede fits the bill, and now it even gets bonus points for being more earth...

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Trompe l’oeil barbeque covers

April 21, 2009

Barbeque covers are usually as bland and ugly as the barbeques they protect, but this one from PC Home is delightfully amusing – a faux pile of logs. The cover also comes in a shrub pattern, and runs from $9.99 for a small to $49.99 for an extra-large size.

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Poor man’s crystal

April 3, 2009

My mother has a beautiful iris-patterned pressed glass pitcher that I've had my eye on for years. Some day I hope to convince her that I should have it, but until then, I may just have to pick up a few vintage-inspired pieces of my own, like these goblets ($3 each) from...

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