Cottage Inspiration

When I look at my vacation pictures, I’m always surprised by how many cottages and architectural details there are.  Apparently, I’ve been collecting ideas for this house all my life. 

I’ve always had a love of cottages.  As a child I was always more interested in the witch’s cottage then the castle in my storybooks.  That’s not to say there isn’t a little bit of princess in me (more about that later), but I like half timbering , peaked roofs, and little paned windows more than drawbridges and grand ballrooms.  Some of my favorite books growing up were the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem.  Those little mice lived in the coziest cottages imaginable, with lots of beautiful natural elements incorporated into the designs.   I was so enamored of those books, that instead of a doll house, my parents built me a Mouse House, complete with tiny dolls of the characters so that I could act out my favorite scenes.  I’m trying to use lots of nature motifs, such as leaves and stars, and many of my colors are taken from the nearby oak trees, so that my cottage will feel like it just grew under the oaks like a mushroom.

I also have a great love of Harry Potter.  I would like nothing more than for my house to look like something out of J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.  The roofline of my cottage design resembles a pair of witch hats, which is not coincidental.  I sell costume hats on Etsy, mostly witch and pirate hats, the proceeds of which are paying for this cottage.  My bachelor’s degree is in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on costuming, and I can’t believe that I am lucky enough to be making my living doing something creative that I love.  Of course I still have a part-time day job so I can get health insurance, but I’m hoping that it won’t be forever.  I learned a lot in my theatre classes, and the set building and construction experience is coming in handy now.  I sometimes use unorthodox materials or methods to achieve the vision I’m trying to create, and to some it might look like I’m living in a stage set, but it’s my own little wonderland, so why not?  🙂