Sunday, June 22, 2014

How I Found My Style Sundays- Cottage at the Crossroads

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-Cottage at the Crossroads

Jane from Cottage at the Crossroads


Thank you, Pamela, for inviting me over to share how I found my style with your readers. Hi, I'm Jane from Cottage at the Crossroads.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-Cottage at the Crossroads


My husband and I live in a small country cottage in South Carolina so there is no doubt what my style is. It's definitely Southern country cottage with leanings toward an English country cottage style. Which is really appropriate because our house was built by my husband's grandfather on land that has been in his family since the 1700s. The land was a grant from the King of England to encourage settlement in this region. And my husband's family has been here ever since. The South is dotted with numerous houses very similar to ours, but sadly, most of them are in disrepair or have been abandoned. We're preserving ours.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-Cottage at the Crossroads


The front of our house has a screened-in porch, and you can see that the cottage style starts here with repurposed items and painted furniture. The shutters are actually bifold closet doors that someone was going to throw away. We rescued them to add a sense of privacy to our porch and make it feel more like a room.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-front porch | Cottage at the Crossroads


And the red ticking, checks, and ruffles all say "cottage" along with the furniture that has an emphasis on comfort.

  From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-Patriotic door decoration | Cottage at the Crossroads


The front door is sporting a new patriotic door hanger. I love to decorate for the seasons and holidays, and July 4th is no different. I'm a retired school teacher and my husband says that sometimes he feels like he's living in a giant bulletin board! Ha! But for the summer, my decorating inside the house is simple. 

  From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-sweetgrass baskets | Cottage at the Crossroads


When you enter our home, you will see a display of sweetgrass baskets. My husband Leo and I lived in Mt. Pleasant, SC for many years, and sweetgrass baskets are a traditional art form and found only in Mt. Pleasant and just a few places in Charleston, SC. Most of these were gifts to me by special people or students who I taught. The baskets are very durable and are made from native sweetgrass and pine needles sewn with strips of palmetto leaf. The art of weaving them is handed down in families from generation to generation. 

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-sweetgrass baskets | Cottage at the Crossroads


If you collect something, I think it's important to group your items for greater impact. And this collection shows people a little bit about us when folks enter our front door. The pine piece is unique and tucks into this corner well. I have a great love of English pine pieces, but most of what I have are reproductions.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-living room | Cottage at the Crossroads

One hallmark of cottage decor is painted furniture, and you can see that I'm not afraid to paint something. To the left is a music cabinet that I painted last summer, and the little rustic coffee table was used on our back porch in our previous home. To get that cottage look, just mix the old with the new.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-chair and ottoman | Cottage at the Crossroads

This floral print on my chair and ottoman reminded me of bark cloth when I purchased it years ago. It definitely has that retro, cottagy look.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-vintage dresser scarf | Cottage at the Crossroads

I placed this vintage dresser scarf that I've had forever on our sofa table under the dough bowl. Simple and summery.

  From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-dining room | Cottage at the Crossroads

We have a large farmhouse table in our dining room. Nothing makes me happier than having every seat filled with family around the table.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-collection of jugs | Cottage at the Crossroads

And there's a grouping of jugs on top of the corner cabinet. I used to have them spread out throughout the house, but they have a greater impact when placed together. A few of them look like they could have held some moonshine in them, don't they!

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-hydrangeas | Cottage at the Crossroads

You'll never find a cottage without some fresh flowers in it and these came from our yard. Nothing adds more life to a room than fresh flowers.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-ivy | Cottage at the Crossroads

And real plants, of course! My favorite is English ivy, but do you see those fern fronds in the candle holders? Psst! Don't tell anyone, but they're artificial!

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-faux succulents | Cottage at the Crossroads

And so are these succulents! I'm not big on using artificial plants in decorating, but they are making some now that are really hard to tell that they're faux.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-beach painting | Cottage at the Crossroads

I recently hung this beach painting for the summer. It's an original, and I got it along with another item for $15 at the auction that I attend. Flea markets and garage sales are also wonderful resources for finding items to complete a cottage look. 

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-milk glass in cupboard | Cottage at the Crossroads

In the cupboard in the dining room, I have displayed some milk glass that I've started collecting. Pieces of milk glass are usually very inexpensive and easily found.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-beadboard in bathroom | Cottage at the Crossroads

Nothing says cottage more than beadboard so we clad the walls in the bathroom with it when we were modernizing it. And we added some in our kitchen, too. If you're on a budget, you can use beadboard wallpaper to get the cottage look for less. You'd never know it wasn't real beadboard unless you touched it.

  From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-pie safe | Cottage at the Crossroads

Pamela asked me to share a treasured find, and this is my grandmother's pie safe. I can remember going to her house when I was a little girl and seeing freshly baked pies sitting on its shelves. She gave it to me in the 198os and I've treasured it ever since.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-pie safe | Cottage at the Crossroads

Not a valuable antique but a family treasure, for sure. Now I use it as a bookcase.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-butter mold and egg basket | Cottage at the Crossroads

This butter mold and egg basket also belonged to her, and I have many memories of her associated with these items. Putting out old, family pieces help to tell your story when you're decorating.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-church pew | Cottage at the Crossroads

Just how did I develop my cottage style? Well, I've always loved old things even when I was young. And I used checks in decorating several decades ago. In between, I've decorated with 18th century furniture, but it was a little fancy for me. So I switched to a more rustic country style during the 80s when it was at its height of popularity. Since then, I've developed my own style by choosing things that fall somewhere in between those styles.

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-guest bedroom | Cottage at the Crossroads

What advice do I have for decorating? Well, you don't want things to be all matchy and look like you bought everything at one store! Take time to acquire things you really love. Put out your personal collections to create a unique home. And paint can be your best friend!

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays-iron bed | Cottage at the Crossroads

And remember, people are not really going to care what things you have. It's how you make them FEEL when they come to visit you. That's the important thing!  

From My Front Porch To Yours-How I Found My Style Sundays
Jane you and Leo have such a special home and it is truly blessed to have such loving owners who understand its importance! I love the history behind your home and I am sure it will always be a treasure for many generations to come. Thank you so much for stopping by today and sharing not only the history of your home but your decorating style and tips.

29 comments:

  1. Jane's cottage is so charming and welcoming. Love the stories behind some of her pieces. Their screened in porch is adorable ~ I would love to sit out there and enjoy some relaxing time!

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    1. Hi JoAnne, we spend as much time as we can on the screened porch with the exception of this past week. It's been almost 100 degrees for several days! Luckily, it rained and cooled things off today!

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  2. I just adore Jane and Leo's cottage and the whole feel of their blog. Great share today. :)

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  3. Jane and Leo's home warms my heart.....especially since she is a true South Carolinian. I am a transplant via Kentucky via New York and landing in South Carolina.
    Their home is gorgeous! I love how she displayed her sweet grass baskets. It is awesome to watch how the baskets are made.

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    1. Susan, I've always been intrigued by the basket makers' skills. Some of their creations are very artistic and one of a kind.

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  4. I love Jane and Leo, they are such a fun couple and so knowledgeable. It looks like they always have great fun together. I am honored to call them blogging friends :)

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    1. Aww, that's so sweet, Dawn! Proud to have you as a friend, too! :)

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  5. Pamela I am so glad I found your blog. I am now following you. Your home is gorgeous, I love your cottage look. It is nice to meet true South Carolinian's. I loved reading the history of your home. I love how you displayed your sweet grass baskets. Unless you have seen these baskets made , or read their history, you really can not appreciate the art work of these fine people.
    I live in the Myrtle Beach area and have been to Mt. Pleasant many times.

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    1. Susan, we live about an hour away from Myrtle Beach and thank you for following.

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  6. I don't know how I didn't realize that Jane lived in South Carolina as well!! Beautiful cottage and wonderful style! Thanks Pamela for sharing Jane with us! ~Sonya

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    1. Sonya, I grew up in the upstate, lived in the Columbia area many years, moved to Mt. Pleasant about 20 years ago, and now we live near Florence. A real Carolina girl!

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  7. So good to learn more about sweet Jane and her cottage. What great family treasures and especially living on a family homestead. I would love to hang out on that screened porch with her except maybe when it isn't so hot. :)

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  8. What an awesome guest blogger, thank you, Pam. I enjoyed that very much and going to go over to her blog and read a little more. : - )

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  9. I LOVE Jane's cottage! And I keep thinking I'm going to visit her if we move to SC. Or maybe if I go on vacation. I'm not sure--but she seems like she would be fun to visit.

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  10. Love your place! I collect milkglass too ;)

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  11. What a wonderful history behind Jane and her husband's home! It is just so comfortably and beautifully decorated. I especially love the porch! Such a wonderful post and tour. Thanks for sharing Jane and her home with us, Pamela!

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  12. What a charming home. I love her screened porch. xo Laura

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  13. Jane love your charming cottage and I love the history behind it. So sweet you have had that property in your family for generations. That is just so heart warming to read. I love your screened in porch very sweet and pretty.
    Kris

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  14. I love your cottage, AND the history of your things. And living on original family land is something few can say. I have a few relatives living in another part of KY and their farms are on the original land grant....family on that land sense just before 1800. I know you must walk a little slower and breathe a little deeper knowing you are walking where your ancestors were. I have a love affair with my Kentucky land and history. I love south carolina...as we vacationed with our children there for about twenty years. We love your state.

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  15. Thank you for the tour Jane, your home is so homey and warm! I love your screened in porch and the doors used as privacy screens, I could so sit out there with a glass of lemonade on a hot day!

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  16. I had so smile at the big bulletin board analogy. I can just hear Leo saying that and as a fellow former teacher, I can relate!

    Seeing your home just motivates me more to get up there!

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  17. So much charm! Love the Sweetgrass basket and milk glass collections, I have collected a few of the baskets also during our trips to Georgetown SC in the Spring. Just love Jane's home!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  18. What a beautiful and sweet home! I love your little enclosed porch, it looks so cottagey and charming!!

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  19. I love Jane and Leo....I love Jane's style and so nice to read more about it....I am swooning over her sweetgrass baskets!...I do not think that I have noticed them on her blog before...there are so many wonderful treasures of hers and her family.....They are the sweetest couple!!!...Such a great feature here today Pamela....Jane's home is so beautiful and very special !!!

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  20. it doesn't surprise me that Jane and Leos home feels so warm, inviting and full of love. They are great people and so is there home. thanks for sharing cottage at the crossroads with us today.

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  21. It is always fun getting a tour of Jane's home, both outside and in. She is really rockin' the "country style!"

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  22. I would love to spend 2 weeks at your lovely cottage Jane…no internet, no phones…just the family & animals. I love it! Great job with all of it! XO

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  23. I the beauty in a home not only lies in the outward appearance, its the stories behind each piece that bring the true beauty alive, such beauty here, the sweet grass basket collection is amazing, I think I can smell them from here!!!

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I love when ya stop by so leave me a comment if ya have some time! I always try and respond but sadly enough sometimes I am unable to return the love due to noreply blogger status.