Cottage Hill

My love of thrifting, antiques, and historic homes started subconsciously, as a child living in a sprawling two story Victorian house built by my great-grandfather. In college, I thrifted home decor for the first time- a strange little clock and an antique radio that I still own. In my early twenties, I moved into a small farmhouse built by my husband’s great grandfather, where history was honored as we settled in and made a home.

Around 2014, my social media algorithm started winding its way to cozy cottages adorned in equal parts simplicity, similar to early American farmhouses, and maximalism, reminiscent of Victorian English cottages. I began to notice many of the accounts belonged to “thrifters,” a new-to-me term Around the same time, my sister bought her first home, a rambling cottage with an “introvert porch,” that she proceeded to dress with riots of color, eccentricity, and joy. With those catalysts, an occasional hobby turned into a committed lifestyle of vintage thrifting, that naturally extended to designing interior spaces inspired by what came home with me.

Cottage Hill Farm is where I began to experiment with scale, color, pattern, and texture, while unconventionally problem solving around design features that for whatever reasons couldn’t be altered.  I came to understand mistakes as crucial to the creative process, and discovered the importance of patience and a long-view vision when making a home. I studied not only thrifters, but also designers whose work I could never afford, but from whom I learned about a wide range of interior design styles, the ways various individual elements cohabitate in a well-designed space, and options to consider when preserving a home’s history. I learned the importance of leading with heart rather than certainty or trend, when collecting treasures and designing spaces. I will always treasure my time at Cottage Hill.