Interiors: Cottage Design

I’ve been thinking about cottages for years now. I want one. I want to design one. Want. Want. Want. Yes, it’s true. I am back to dreaming about a cottage. These dreams are especially strong after spending the last two weekends at two friends’ cottages in two opposite ends of Ontario. My friends’ cottages are charming and have that cottage smell that I would love, too (not the musty cottage smell…the “come in, relax, take a load off” smell).

With the dreams, naturally, comes the design! Of course! Here’s what’s currently on my cottage design wish list.

The cottage would be small and cozy. It would have rocking chairs on the porch. I’d rock there with a cup of coffee in the morning. I could be lazy since I’d be on cottage time.

The kitchen would have some open shelving for dishes, serving pieces, and art. I’m not normally a fan of open shelving, but I think it’s a good option for a cottage kitchen (or at least part of it).

I would make stacks of pancakes for guests because a stack of pancakes looks so pretty.

The bedroom(s) would be sparse. A bed, a nightstand, and that’s about all.

photo by William Waldron via Elle Decor

The bedroom(s) would have vintage director chairs. There would be extra director chairs in the cottage that would fold neatly for storage, but could come out for extra seating.

Suzanne Dimma’s basement via House & Home

The living room would have couches you could sink in to with slipcovers for easy care.

Cottage Living, photo William Waldron

I don’t think I’d use blue as an accent colour. I’d use shades of white. Maybe grey. Even a touch of black. I’d have rocks in every shade in bowls around the cottage with white and grey paint available for guests to get creative.

Blankets would be in abundance for year-round cottage going.

And there would be a fireplace, too, for winter living.

The bathroom would be minimalist and white, white, white.

Remodelista, photo by Lauren Moore

There would be wicker baskets placed strategically so I could easily grab them to load them up with market purchases or beach necessities.

I would have an outdoor shower because it seems like the best place to wash off sandy feet.

source unknown

I’d also have an outdoor hammock for afternoon naps.

Books and magazines would be piled everywhere.

And I’d end evenings with an outdoor fire.

These are just a few of the design details I’m dreaming up for my future cottage! Do you have a cottage? Do you want one?

The Friday Five: Things on My Mind

1.Netflix. I watched a comedy show earlier this week: Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room. I laughed. She was funny. She’s originally from Sarnia!

2. Movies. Friends have been giving me challenges/suggestions to achieve before and during the next year (I’m turning a big number in just a few weeks!). One of these suggestions was to watch The Godfather series because I have never watched it. So, I took the DVDs out from the library, and over the period of two weeks, I made my way through them. So good! The first was my favourite, but all three were great…as per every review you’ve probably already read! Have you watched them?

3. Books. I’ve been listening to Thomas Friedman’s book Thank you for being late: An optimist’s guide to thriving in the age of accelerations. I am finding it so interesting. He writes about what happens when technology, globalization, and climate change and biodiversity loss are all accelerating at once – as in this current time we’re in. The chapters on higher education are especially interesting because of what I do and see in my own work.

4.Food. Have you ever BBQed an egg? I did. It worked! I cooked it on medium for about 12 minutes, but next time, I’ll do it for about 9 minutes. Learn more on Bon Appétit. Note that I wouldn’t start my BBQ just to grill eggs. I’d only put eggs on the grill while I was grilling something else. It’s much easier to just boil them on a daily basis! Beyond BBQ eggs, I haven’t tried any new recipes lately. Have you?

5. Personality tests. I enjoy doing personality tests. I know my colours. I know my DISC assessment. And now I know my personality signature via Helen Fisher’s personality quiz. All three are consistent. I don’t know the details of all of them, but overall, they all say the same kind of thing. Helen Fisher’s personality quiz was a new one for me. If you enjoy the intersection between personality quizzes and Tinder bios, have a read (and laugh) through this article on Man Repeller.

Design: A Round-Up of Unique Products

In my travels online, I’ve come across some interesting products – or concepts for products – that have caught my attention. The designers of these items have so much talent. I tried to include their websites whenever possible, so you can click through and see what other designs they’ve dreamed up.

ME dinner set – by Moak Studio
bread oven, part of the Bread from Scratch collection – by Mirko Ihrig
bicycle picnic set (attaches to the back rack) – by Morgane Ratton – via Blog Esprit Design
Balena – by Dossofiorito
coin bank storage – by Mai Peishan – via Behance
hourglass by Lihi Svirsky – via Design Break
Exploded chair – by Joyce Lin – via Blog Esprit Design
concept kitchen appliance range – by No Picnic
fan ine – by Simona Hruskova
aventure romantique backpack Vacheron Constantin – by Panter & Tourron

Fashion: Go Go Gingham

Are you a fan of gingham? I have a couple of pieces, but I’m always on the lookout for more. I have a pair of gingham pants that I bought years ago and still love, but I feel like their time has ended, so I’m on the hunt for another light pair for summer. Last year, I went full-on gingham style when I paired the pants with a gingham shirt. The outfit got mixed reviews online and in real life.

Bloggers like Krystin Lee and Grace Atwood have worn gingham beautifully, too.

If you’re like me, and you’re looking to add some gingham to your summer wardrobe, I’ve pulled together a few pieces that I think would be great pieces for summer.

dress with smocking, $39.99USD; skirt, $375USD; jacket, $417USD; swimsuit, $19.99USD; ruffle dress (navy), $242.95CAD; button front skirt, $26CAD; sneakers, $14.99USD; hair tie, $5CAD; tote, $82.80CAD; jumpsuit, $51.20CAD; short dress, $19.99USD