Cottage Inspiration | My Love for Stripes

What is it about Cottages that make us so easily swoon.  While the world is constantly telling us that more is more, bigger is better, we all go gaga over cottages.  Is it that we crave simplicity and the slowing down that surely happens inside this picket fence?  I imagine the grass is very green inside this cottage's garden gate.

So simple and lovely.  I wonder how they live without a basement full of junk they don't need? ; )  When I look at homes like these, I automatically think about the lifestyle that would go with a home like this.  I'm sure their kids don't want an iPad or LOL dolls (if you know what that is, then you are the mother of a 5-8 year old girl like me!).

These charming cottages and all of the feels I get from them have inspired my Summer Collection.  When I'm creating a new collection, I compile inspiration photos like the ones above and below, and visualize the rest of the picture.  What do I think hope the rest of home looks like?  

I also created this Pinterest Board of the collection and inspiration where you can find resources for these photos.  I've been getting back to Pinterest lately.  I find it so much more productive to look at than Instagram!  It is so inspiring on every level.   In this post, I've combined photos of exteriors and interiors that I would like to see inside of these homes and how I've designed my new products to feel the same way - all featuring simple ticking stripes.  

Cottage Stripe Collection

Pillow Covers, Napkins, Table Runner & Tea Towels

About ten years ago when Mike and I were decorating our first home, I remember a designer at a local home store bringing me fabric samples of toile and busy florals to "add some interest and excitement" (in her words) to my oatmeal linen and cream color palette.  I told her - "I'm not really going for "interesting" or "exciting" this is our home.  I'm going for classic, cozy and comfy."  

I still feel that way about interiors.  I really have little interest in "interesting" or designer trends.  But stripes?  I have always loved the sensibility and the charm of stripes.  They are so classically clean and smart.  

Here are some of my favorite interior stripes inspiration + cottage photos:

Pinterest Board

This photo was taken on a trip to East Hampton a couple of years ago.  The proportions are lovely.

Pinterest Board

East Hampton 

Tessa's Office

East Hampton

Pinterest Board

Ok, so this one isn't so much a cottage, but still : )

This is our "cottage" aka house.  It is not on Nantucket, but it is in a darling little neighborhood that we love.  While we expanded our house three years ago (so I'm not sure it fits in the category anymore!), and we tried to make it feel as cozy and quaint as possible.  There is no sea salt misty air to silver our shakes, but the midwest humidity and relentless sun is doing the job : )

Now I'll show you how I've taken my inspiration photos and brought them into our home through my new Summer Collection.

This photo was taken just before dusk at our house.  The hydrangea are starting to fill in and the window boxes are taking off.  I love how the houses looks when lit up from inside.  It feels so warm and cozy.

Cottage Stripe Cushion Cover Collection :

22" Large Square, $46
20" Medium Square, $42
25x15" Rectangle, $38

Our Bedroom : 22" Large Square Covers, $46 on our all white bedding.  Whale Prints ($3-8) framed by the bedside.

Large-scale Cottage Stripe Table Runner mixed with Green Fleur Block Print Napkins.

Cottage Stripe Tea Towel, $10

The Cottage Stripe fabric is made of a medium blue center stripe surrounded by smaller grayish blue stripes.

Cottage Stripe Napkins, Set of 4, $32

Cottage Stripe Tea Towel (or a single napkin could be used) combined with my Blue Bicycle Stationery... oozing charm! ; )

Cottage Stripe Pillows Outdoor on our new patio furniture.

Shop the entire Summer Collection >

The Pillow Guide | Sofa Design Boards

Since we've found our new textile manufacturing partners (Rightfully Sewn), I've been excited to expand my custom pillow options.  I'll continue to add more each season and I look forward to it being a big focus of each collection moving forward.  

I get a lot of questions about what size pillows to use and how to arrange them.  I put together three design boards based on three different color sofa that I think are pretty popular - Cream (like my hearth room), Beige/Oatmeal (like our formal living room) and Grey (which I don't have, but my sister does...).

The most important size for me is the Large 22" Squares that anchor each side of the sofa.  In my (humble, wink) opinion, a 20" squares are too small to be on a sofa by themselves.  They need the larger pillows to fill it out.  I use the 20" as accents with the 22", or use the 20" in a chair by itself.  

In the arrangement above, as seen below in real photos of our Hearth Room, I used two 22" Large Squares on each side, then a 20" Square + a Rectangle as an accent.  To simplify, you could also just do a 20" OR a Rectangle, you don't have to have both.

Lake Check Pillow Collection

Green Fleur Pillow Collection

Spa Check Pillow Collection

I use Ikea inserts for all of the Cushion Covers in my store.  So, you can invest in the inserts from Ikea (inexpensive!!) once, and then switch out covers from my store each season like I do.

Ikea 26" Insert  ($9.99) for my 22" Pillow Covers

Ikea 20" Insert ($5.99) for my 20" Pillow Covers

Ikea Rectangle 26x16" Insert ($6.99) for my Rectangle Pillow Cover

This design is based on a grey sofa.  I chose two large 22" to anchor the corners, then a Rectangle Spa Check Pillow in the center.  This arrangement is a more formal, neutral look perfect for those who have a streamlined style.

Green Fleur Pillow Collection

Spa Check Pillow Collection

This sofa is like the one in our more formal living room.  It is an Oatmeal Linen sofa and the walls and trim are Ben Moore Carrington Beige.  It is a very warm feeling room, so adding the blues and touches of green feel country and charming for summer.  As you can see in the hearth room at the beginning of this post, the same colors look brighter and cleaner on the white/cream sofa.

Lake Check Pillow Collection

Navy Hydrangea Pillow Collection

Green Fleur Pillow Collection

Textile Swatch Collections

I've added a "Shop by Swatch" page to the online store to make it easier to see the textiles unclose and personal.  When you click on a swatch, you can see each item that is available in that print - pillow covers, tea towels, napkins and table runners.  We are also offering physical swatches of my designs.  I'll be adding those to the store next week.  They will include free shipping!

Shop by Swatch Page, here >

 Navy Hydrangea Pillow Collection & Green Fleur Pillow Collection

 Lake Check Collection & Classic Cream Check

 Light Blue Berry & Spa Check Pillow Collection

Green Fleur Pillow Collection, $38-46

 Lake Check Collection, $38-46

The Green Fleur Block Print

Last Fall, I let you in to my process of creating my custom block print textiles.  The newest to the collection is the the Fleur.  It was actually called the "Small Berry Stem" (by me) but so many of you kept referring to it as the Fleur, that I followed suit.  And the name suits it, I think.  It is delicate and small, graphic and when it was printed by the wood blocks, reminiscent of a fleur de lis.

It is available in both a green and light blue right now.  I've ordered it in a deep blue and a gold color for later collections.  Are there other colors you'd like to see it in?  Maybe a grey?

The Green Fleur is so lovely and truly seasonless.  I am using it now with my blue check and block print pillows, and it will still look great with richer tones come in this Fall.  And of course, it will look perfect for the holidays.  I tend to stick to natural greens and golds for the holidays an accent with a little bit of red. 

All of my custom linens are available in : 

3 sizes of Cushion Covers, Napkins & Runners, and Tea Towels

To read more about the actual block print process, read my post, here>

The following Cushion Covers are available in the Green Fleur Print.

Large 22" Square Pillow Cover (needs 24" insert), $46

Medium 20" Square Pillow Cover (needs 22" insert), $42

25" x 15" Rectangle Pillow Cover (26x16" insert), $38

Napkins, set of 4, $34

Tea Towel, $10

25" x 15" Rectangle Pillow Cover (26x16" insert), $38

Left to Right : 22" Lake Check, 20" Green Fleur, 20" Lake Check, 22" Blue Hydrangea

The Green Fleur is especially nice for Summer Entertaining.  The green color adds life and lushness to the table... and always matches the outdoors : )

Napkins, set of 4, $34

As I mentioned, the Fleur also comes in a lovely Light Blue Block Print.  I still have it available in Napkins and Cushion Covers.  Shop here >

The Light Blue Berry/Fleur made our bedroom so light and airy - love the softness.

 Shop the entire Garden Home Collection >