The Cottage : Home

“When I think of homeI think of a place where there’s love overflowing”
”Home” From “The Wiz” / Songwriters: Richard Louis Simmonds / Stephen Christopher Jones

Welcome. This is my home. My 950 square foot cottage. It is beautiful and broken...a lot like me, I think. It’s lots of fun and I just redecorated. I grew up in a home where Mom did not believe in redecorating. She picked a sofa in 1975 and still has it... It’s 2021…That kind of upbringing has paralyzed my decision making over the years. I am not ready to make a 47-year commitment to a yellow brocade sofa. So, how do I choose anything? That’s a lot of pressure.

I came to this house in the woods after raising three children alone. I worked a big job and was constantly tired. I dreamed of a place to retreat. I dreamed of a place to learn to forgive, to love, to heal. I dreamed of home. What I did not dream of was a major renovation and a tiny budget. I am going to be very honest here and tell you, the real challenge was the second job I took in town at a cafe. Much of the renovation was a surprise to me and I had to take on more work to pay for it. I always say the egg salad tasted so good there because I salted it with my tears.

Another surprise was the lesson that came with the cafe job that helped build home of heart and soil. It taught me to honor the ingredients I cook with. Take a moment and realize where things come from and cook with intention and love. That has found its way into all my design work. That became how I choose, and commitment became easy. 

The house herself... well she is a bit of a diva. She wants what she wants and lets you know when you are wrong. It is a series of L shapes, so it is tricky. My vision has always been to create a magical little spot in the woods. Miss Honey’s cottage so to speak. That is if Miss Honey was a little bit rock and roll.

So welcome to my home. It only seems fitting to add the actual house to our website as we continue to explore the broken and beautiful lives we lead and where they take us.