Hi, Friends.  How is your spring going so far?  Some of you are just now getting a taste of the season.  Isn’t s p r i n g wonderful?!

I think I may have mentioned, I’ve been paring down.  Mr. B. and I are trying to weed out items that we no longer use, neither family or friends want, and just generally getting rid of stuff we often wonder why we purchased it in the first place.  {Does that ever happen to you, or am I the only compulsive buyer out there?} 🙂 Our home is more cottage than castle and we love it, but it has been stretched to it’s limit storage-wise so it makes sense to create a little more space through elimination.

Even when I realize that storage is critical to an organized life, I lean towards liliputin sized spaces.  A tucked away corner brightened by family heirlooms and a bouquet.

I used to attend the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design.  The event provides funding for community music programs.  Often the homes were historic mansions, and they were beautiful, but invariably, when one existed, I fell in love with the carriage house.

The romantic in me imagines living in a cottage the likes of which you might see in England or other historic European or U.S. locations.  I wonder if I’ve pared down enough for one of these beauties…

Parts of Carmel, California offer cottage lovers a community of pure and simple cottage-paradise.  One of my favorite areas in this seaside village is the Comstock Historic District.  The wavy roof shingles provide a thatched roof feel and I absolutely love the charm they provide the cottage.

{The Grant Wallace Cottage}

Another treasure in the picturesque village of Carmel is the Tuck Box.  I could live in this cottage.  It was designed and built by Hugh Comstock, famous of his cottage structures. It is believed he used the Tuck Box as either his office or home (or both) when it was completed in 1927.  It is now a garden and gift shop has been in commercial operation since 1930.

{Tuck Box, Hugh Comstock}

Before we leave the west coast, the final cottage from Carmel is the ‘Hansel’ designed and built by Hugh Comstock.  This was his first cottage.  You can read more about it HERE.  The half timber, slightly crooked, stone fireplace is charm in itself.

{Hansel, Hugh Comstock – Carmel, California}

I’m moving on…The Holiday cottage, rom-com enthusiasts will recognize.  This isn’t even a real cottage but a shell made for the 2008 movie.  I don’t care! It embodies the image of an old cottage somewhere in the U.K. (where it snows a bit for the holidays) and is equipped with 2 fireplaces, who could ask for anything more?

{The Holiday – Kate Winslet’s cottage}

This English storybook cottage seems, from the exterior, roomier than most cottages.  Ivy on brick is wonderful and the cottage garden is icing on the cake for me.

{English Storybook Cottage}

Thatched roof, rose covered walls, leaded pane windows…do you think this might be too small?  Maybe, but how cute is this?  I’ve heard it used to belong to 7 dwarves. 🙂

{Fairytale Cottage}

{Cottage Garden}

I believe I could be happy on the east coast of the U.S.  Jeffrey Bilhuber, designer, found (or rather it found him) this charming cottage on Nantucket (as a summer retreat for himself) as a result of an interview with Architectural Digest.  Picket fence, shingled facade, and more rose covered walls…swoon.

 {The Rose Cottage – Jeffrey Bilhuber – Architectural Digest}

The barndoor on this sweet cottage in Siasconset, Nantucket would be very inviting.

{Summer Cottages – photo by Thisisbossi}

Here are a few rooms I can imagine within any of the cottages above. The plaster walls and the rustic ceiling make this living area seem like it could be part of a cottage.

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A cozy corner of a room where you can pen a note or sip a drink.

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A small, but well planned kitchen with a dine in space.

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Could you live in a cottage?

If cottages capture your heart, like they do mine, visit Once upon a time…tales from Carmel by the Sea, you won’t be disappointed.