Welcome. I am so happy that you stopped by. I generally share my garden and the inspirations for my paintings with you. This year I was so honored that Cottages and Bungalows magazine shared my home in their Easy Seaside Style issue and have requests from some of their readers to have a peek inside my cottage to see how I decorate for Christmas with my art. So . . . . . I decided to re-post and update a previous Christmas home tour. My front door is always open for you to come in and sip a cup of tea while I share with you my painted cottage.
This year the wreath on the door has one of my little snowmen paintings on the wreath.
My Studio Assistant, Bentley is eagerly waiting for you at the front door.
Directly past the entrance is the dining room. I collect blue and white china and you will see it throughout my home. It reminds me of my childhood summers spent at the family beach cottage at Wrightsville Beach, N.C - the charming cottage was filled with my Grandmother's mismatched blue and white china, old quilts, white wicker, and flowers - all the things that I love to paint.
The painted blue table is on of my favorites and displays a little Christmas painting of my red front door and Bentley. The mirror behind the table reflects the outdoors.
Bentley loves to "photo bomb" my photos!
I like to keep Christmas decoration simple using greens, berries and seas shells in keeping with my coastal cottage style of decorating. I collect vintage table cloths and have several lovely ones with reds that I save to use at Christmas time.
The living room is to the right of the dining room. It is a large room filled with wonderful natural light and is hard to photograph due to the light. The next two photos photos were taken from the dining room looking into the living room. I switch out the throw pillows according to the seasons and use the red and white check indoor/outdoor pillows for Christmas and Fourth of July.
The painting over the mantel was sold to one of the magazine readers and has been replaced by this painting.
The flag painting in the dining room recently sold and was replaced by this one.
Bentley in the dining room looking into the living room.
The mirror is opposite the fire place and I love the way it reflects my art.
Christmas ribbons are tied around shore birds for festive look.
Decorations are natural and simple with sea shells, nests and greens.
I tuck my small whimsical painting in among seas shells and plants where I can find room for them!
I bought the blue cupboard at a garage sale -it was used for tool storage and had a vice bolted on top - it has wheels and I paid $25.00 for it and wheeled it down the street to my house!!
We have a living Christmas tree that lives in the garden during the year - it is especially meaningful this year as it survived our terrible drought in Southern California. We decorate the tree with flags and sea shells and keep decorations to a minimum. A star fish tops the tree.
The staircase has a lovely landing with a tall window that lets in lots of light and is a great place to grow ferns and Christmas plants as well as hang one of my large paintings of a California vineyard.
The landing is also one of Bentley's favorite places to hang out. Simple green garlands with red berries and sea shells are wrapped around the banisters.
My office and bedrooms are upstairs. The large Flower Shoppe painting hangs in my office that is a loft room over looking the living room and side garden. I like to mix old painted furniture with primitive wood antiques as the unpainted wood tends to anchor the room.
Another California vineyard painting of our beautiful central coast vineyards.
Our guests love staying in this room and always comment that they feel like they are in a beach cottage. It has another one of my large paintings of a local scene and porch overlooking our beautiful Newport Bay.
The painting over the bed was sold to another of the magazine readers and was replaced by this one.
Little Christmas paintings are left out for guests to take home.
Let's go back downstairs. The kitchen is to the right of the dining room. It is very sunny and has a large window, greenhouse window and French doors leading to the kitchen patio where I grow herbs and some vegetables in containers.
Two of my little Rooster paintings are on the wall. I have fun painting my personal art to match my decor! Roosters rule in my kitchen thus the Rooster art! The blue chair is a favorite place to sit and read with a cup of tea as it gets the morning sun.
Herbs thrive in the kitchen window.
Bentley loves to hang out in the kitchen waiting for a taste of Christmas baking.
The jelly cupboard and plate rack are beside the French doors overlooking the kitchen patio.
This shot has another of my small Rooster paintings.
Thank you for stopping by my painted cottage. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for visiting my blog, leaving me lovely comments, e-mails and those following my blog.
Wishing you and your family a Merry and Blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I will see you again in January 2018. Blessings, Erin
" When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding joy." Matthew 2:10
