Garden Pavilion at Sunset

Taking you back to Raleigh for this post as I wanted to share with you a great use of an out building on our property there.  It is one of our favorite areas for an outside beverage and lunch. I even sometimes use it for work meetings!   I included some photos below when it was highlighted in Country Living Magazine and how it looks now since I updated the seating and cushions outside.  

Garden Pavilion - view from the house

Charles & Clara Belle enjoying the new cushions and seating

Before
Country Living Magazine

After
Country Living Magazine

Great area for lunch
Country Living Magazine

Gardening home base with potting table
Country Living Magazine

More seating & storage inside
Country Living Magazine

Inside artwork
Country Living Magazine

Hello Yellow... our home in Raleigh

Many of you have inquired about where we call home when not at Lowfields. Well, we have a lovely "city" cottage in beautiful Raleigh, NC.  Our escape to the city after being on the farm is a cheery one as you will see - my signature color for our city home is bright yellow!


How does one pick a "signature" color for a home?  I know it sounds weird but I always let the house itself tell me what it wants with the light, the style and the vision I am trying to create.   When I walked into this cottage 7 years ago, it was screaming at me to brighten it up and give it life. I felt like sunny yellow was only appropriate for this task!


As many of you know, I typically take things to extreme measures.  This is no different when I pick a signature color for a home.  I put it in EVERY room, even if it's a small detail.  I think it brings the entire home together and provides a much calmer atmosphere to live in.   We were fortunate enough to have our home in Raleigh showcased in Country Living Magazine. Some of those pictures are below, along with a few other ones that show the detail of my color theme madness!    Hope you enjoy a sneak peak into our city living...

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine

One of my signature design moves - lyrics on the walls

When I decided on yellow, I picked up everything I could find...

Yellow pencils...

Yellow purse with bumble bee keychain...

Even yellow on the porch accessories! 

And you wouldn't think there were yellow tools - THERE ARE! 

And don't count out a yellow garden hose!  

Whimsey

The original lay out always called for a little guesthouse since Cold Comfort only had one bedroom.  So we decided to build Whimsey to allow us to have guests most especially Sister who spends the summers and holidays with us. 

Whimsey

Whereas Cold Comfort and the farm buildings were all Black and white, Whimsey interiors were lime green and turquoise matching the Nicholson tartan. I was also determined to cut all that color with a painted wood floor, white of course.  Looking back, I realize that white as a wood floor color is not great at a farm due to the dirt you gain as you work all day.


Country Living Magazine shot 2 stories on Whimsey and we made the cover for their February 2005 issue!  This issue also showed my editor Rebecca Thienes and I shopping and restoring lots of junk.  

Cold Comfort Cottage

Since there was no habitable place on the farm we ended up renting a cottage with some friends 30 minutes away. We knew we needed a house - the old house was a huge huge money and time pit and what we needed first was a small quick cottage.

We chose a bluff above the James River and proceeded to clear and clear and clear…

Future site of Cold Comfort Cottage

When the bluff was cleared the eventual lay out of house and outbuldings came to me in a dream (or hallucination). Below is the actual sketch I did with what I envisioned... 

The Vision

This is exactly what we ended up building over the next few years...(details on other buildings - Whimsey & School House - in upcoming posts!)

Final front view of Cold Comfort Cottage

As a designer, I have had several photo shoots with national magazines. I partnered with Country Living Magazine for a story on what would be Cold Comfort Cottage.  I have posted some pictures below from the shoot they for their November 2003 Thanksgiving issue. This started a wonderful association with incredibly talented people - Rebecca Thienes, Stanley Hura and Keith Scott Morton.   

Kitchen

Laundry Room

Wood burning stove

Bathroom

Desk in Main Living Area

Cold Comfort Cottage was all about recycling.  It had old doors, sinks, columns and other architectural items that I have found along the way at flea markets, etc.   It also continued the theme I started by having a very basic and graphic color story - the two most basic colors - black and white.