13 Nov Cozy in a cottage
Being a former reporter, I love a good story. And let’s face it. Everybody has one. And this is a such a sweet one about two kids who were childhood friends, then married, and have lived in a quaint cottage that was familiar to both of them for the last forty years.
I wish it would have been a sunny day when I took pictures of this house, but it’s still photogenic.
Bitsy and Woody Husband grew up around the corner from each other in Nashville. In fact, their grade school teacher lived here. When Bitsy would go to Woody’s house just down the street for class parties, she always loved the home and wanted to live there. Dreams do come true.
They’ve built a life here on this charming dead end street with huge trees and old stone walls.
And what I love too, is that they haven’t added on to their home but kept it the way it was when they first fell in love with it, and filled it with family treasures.
You know the saying, “you had me at hello?!?” Well, this kitchen had me when I saw the fireplace. I absolutely am crazy about a fireplace in the kitchen. Let’s face it. This is where everybody hangs out when you have them over. And Bitsy is so creative. For example, she used a pipe to hang the piece over the mantle!!! And the butcher block island. It’s an odd size. She had told a friend she wanted one that was oblong. To her surprise, he found it and surprised them by shipping it to them from Tupelo! It was waiting for the Husbands on their front porch one day. Can you imagine?!?
Then there’s the copper hood that another friend made for them. Bitsy painted the piece under it. Everywhere you look, there’s something with a story.
Our family did this too. My parents would mark our height each year on a closet door. I would insist my mom save that door for me if she ever sold the house. I know that’s silly, but if you’re sentimental, it’s not.
The dining room is traditional with what’s known as a foot bath on the dining room table that Bitsy always fills with some kind of plant or flowers, depending on the season. As you can see, she’s already put out her holiday decorations!!! I’m a huge fan of using magnolia leaves in containers and on mantles which she has done.
She chose the wallpaper because it had the background color she was using in her living room. She says the inspiration for the color came from a tiny picture of a potting shed in Tuscany she had seen.
Here’s the living room painted that color. Sunbeige tint is the color no longer made by Porter Paint. She says it glows when the sun pours into the living room. That’s hard to come by in November in Nashville!
The living room fireplace mantle is beautiful, and the Paris vases are always filled with seasonal flowers. These vases can be seen in an old family photo with Bitsy’s mother holding her when she was a baby.
And there’s a third fireplace in the cottage, this one in their “great room,” Bitsy jokes!
It’s the epitome of a cozy family room, filled with art and a cool old pine chest she bought when they first got married at what was a hardware store that carried furniture in Nashville.
The only space besides the bedrooms and dining room that doesn’t have a fireplace is a sitting room with a view of their pool in the back yard. A friend painted the floor in an interesting design so it would be more durable when people walked in wet from swimming since they don’t have a pool house.
The house has a very wide hallway that runs the length of the house.
It’s simply as charming as you can get.
Woody’s family started Nashville Tent and Awning in Nashville back in 1884 so the family ties run deep in the city and this neighborhood. I’m so glad my sister-in-law told me about their house. It was a pleasure to see their retreat.
Thanks so much to the Husbands for sharing their home with Stylish Retreats. Please be sure to subscribe to the blog so you’ll receive my monthly enewsletter with sourcing info., recipes, and other tidbits!
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