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Cottage Interior Design Preview

Now that the cottage at the Garden Home Retreat has walls and a roof it's time to shift my focus from the landscape to interior design. In my efforts to create garden homes I've more often focused on expanding living spaces outdoors, so I'm looking forward to putting together an interior design that reflects the spirit of the garden. I've found that many of the principles I use to create a garden can be applied indoors as well. I was so eager to get started that I actually began selecting furniture back when the cottage was just a large hole in the ground.

When it comes to furniture I really have a thing for antiques. I like to think of it as another form of recycling as these pieces have often been transferred from one household to another through generations. I am especially fond of American Empire pieces, a style that was popular in the early to mid-19th century. And while this style is perfect for the Greek Revival architecture of the cottage, I don't want the interior spaces to be too traditional or unobtainable. So I'm going to use a few key American Empire pieces blended with new furnishings. The result is a fresh, up-to-date twist on a classic style and it's a look that anyone can duplicate.

Being a natural born shopper, picking out furnishings for the cottage has been a real treat. I don't have a lot of modern furniture in my own home, so it's been fun to see all the great options that are available. What's really fantastic is that there are so many companies that are producing furniture with a focus on eco-consciousness, which fits in with the green theme of the Garden Home Retreat.

Just a few weeks ago I toured a few of the manufacturing facilities of some of the companies whose furniture I selected. It was an opportunity to experience for myself the processes they use to making their products.

Laneventure
Having grown up in the South, a porch is very important to me. More than just a transition between indoors and out, a porch is a living space. I like to outfit porches just as I would a living room or family den. Thanks to furniture makers like Laneventure it's now possible to furnish any outdoor living area with pieces that are comfortable, stylish and durable. The pieces in their WeatherMaster line look good enough to use indoors and are exceptionally weather resistant. They have made such good use of materials and finishes that allow us to literally move entire rooms of the house outdoors.
Learn more about LaneVenture in my Product Guide.

LEE Furniture
This company produces a line of green furniture called NaturalLEE, which features a flexible polyurethane foam derived from soybeans, wood frames constructed from engineered panels bonded with soy-based resins (formerly formaldehyde-based resins), back and throw pillows made of 100% recycled fibers from bottles, water based wood finishes, and upholstery fabrics woven from organic fibers and chemical free cotton. It's a top-to-bottom commitment to creating an eco-friendly products that I'm really excited about. Plus the pieces are customizable with a wide range of fabrics and finishes to choose from. My plan is to use weather resistant finishes and fabrics so that I can use their pieces on porches at the Garden Home Retreat as well as indoors.

Learn more about LEE in my Product Guide.

Hickory Chair
I was delighted to discover that American craftsmanship is alive and well at Hickory Chair. They build the furniture at their North Carolina factory by hand and no two pieces are exactly alike. I've selected the Thomas O'Brien Lakehouse Bed for the guest bedroom and I was able to see just how it was built and stained. As part of their eco-friendly campaign, Hickory Chair uses sawdust produced at the factory to fuel their burners.

Because real people build the pieces, rather than automated machinery, Hickory Chair is able to customize the furniture you select with fabric, finishes and hardware. You can even send them your own pulls for armoires, desks and dressers and they will use them in creating your one-of-a-kind piece.

Learn more about Hickory Chair in my Product Guide.