The Cottage Journal

I can still recall the first time my parents took me and my siblings away for a long-weekend retreat to a cabin in the mountains. The vacation rental was a log home and smelled of cinnamon and pine. It was furnished with rustic, comfortable décor and

During the process of updating this family cottage, designer Ashley Montgomery had no shortage of inspiration. “The piece of land the house sits on is really beautiful,” says the Ontario-based designer. “It’s on the lake, so we’ve got lots of color c

Architect Wade Weissmann has spent more than 25 years designing classically inspired estates around the world. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his firm, Wade Weissmann Architecture, has been praised for its attention to craftsmanship and design detail

In designing this guest cottage in Jackson, Wyoming, the team at WRJ Design—along with Northworks Architects + Planners and OSM Construction—were tasked with meeting their clients’ needs while working within a 1,000-square-foot limitation. “They are

When Margaret and Jeff Rickard set out to build a vacation home that would perfectly suit their family’s needs, they didn’t want it to be a typical lake house. “I wanted it to have more of a rustic elegance,” Margaret says, noting that she tends towa

Barbara Tickle and her husband, Charlie, have enjoyed weekend escapes to the mountains for more than 40 years. Finally, they decided it was time to put roots down in their favorite vacation oasis and build an incredible dream cabin in the hills of No

It’s no secret that Doug Sutton loves life on the lake. After renting a cabin on Lake Martin in eastern Alabama for years, he and his partner, Andrew Nix, finally decided it was time to purchase their own—but it wasn’t as easy as they thought. “We ha

“Everyone needs a place to retreat, to rest, to recharge,” says homeowner Jim Edwards. “For me, that place is Old Town in South Dallas County, Alabama. When I unlock the gate, I immediately relax and enter my retreat.” Jim and his wife, Beth, live an

Illinois-based interior designer Elizabeth Drake is renowned for her colorful, layered, and luxurious interiors. Naturally, she was the perfect match to help give this cottage-style stunner on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, an elevated, family-focused desig

Pages 11–12—Adirondack chairs from Warren Family Garden Center. Vintage tobacco basket from Chelsea Antiques. Featured location at Mathews Manor in Springville, Alabama. Pages 13–20—Interior designs by Ashley Montgomery, Ashley Montgomery Design. Pag