The Appeal

• In our childhood we built small places - forts, play houses - indoors and outdoors.
• These spaces fulfilled a need to be safe and gave a feeling of coziness.
• The cottage holds the same appeal to us as adults; it is a place of calm retreat.
• It can be located at the beach, in the mountains, in the woods or in a field.
• As opposed to the castle or mansion, the cottage is easy to live in and easy to maintain.

• Modest size (less than 2000 square feet) but with a sense of spaciousness
• A human-scale entry that welcomes and entices you into the home
• An unpretentious and intimate interior often centered around a hearth
• Indigenous exterior materials such as shingle siding, shake roofing and stone
• Well-crafted, yet sometimes quirky architectural details
• Thick-sashed, multiple-paned, diminutive sized windows that emphasize the human scale
• Thoughtful site orientation, informal landscaping and exterior rooms (porch, patio)

• External design integrates the home and site and gives a feeling of coziness and charm.
• Cottages appear to have “grown” out of their site rather than having been erected.
• A cottage’s design into its setting engages it into its natural surroundings.
• The small size is resource efficient and monies can be diverted to artful details.
• Cottages are sometimes rectangular, but more often not symmetrical with jigs and jogs.
• A proliferation of external corners is interesting and allows for clever built-ins.
• Scaled-down proportions and openings make you feel bigger-than-life (like Disneyland).
• While there is some quirkiness, there are balanced proportions and placement of openings.
• High-pitched roofs offer the feeling of being well sheltered and cozy.
• Typically knee-walled rooms are under the roof, rarely are there full second story walls.
• Overhangs give defining shadow lines and shelter from the rain and summer sun.
• A variety of dormer styles (doghouse, shed and eyebrow) will breakup monolithic roofs.
• Dormers are kept away from the roof edges to avoid diminishing the roof’s impact.
• Ornamental trim binds home proportions together and makes details more substantial.

• Interior design integrates small size, spacious feel, intimate spaces and charm.
• An entry with a degree of openness gives visual clues of the remainder of the house.
• A great room brings spaciousness and light into the layout.
• A cathedral ceiling promotes spaciousness and low ceilings coziness.
• Differentiate the great room with archways, peninsula cabinets and varying floor heights.
• Long sight lines within the house promote the feeling of spaciousness.
• If possible bring light into each room with windows from two directions.
• Vertical shaped windows bring in more light than horizontal.
• Small paned windows give a feeling of enclosure while relating with the surroundings.
• Placing first and second floor windows low to view the ground offers a feeling of comfort.
• Filtered light through partial curtained windows or trellised vines adds coziness.
• Cozy nooks (window seat, a loft or alcove) create intimate spaces within.
• Built-in bookcases, seating and cabinets efficiently provide space for other furnishings.
• Adding curved features (to archways, built-ins, etc.) adds a link to the natural world.
• Natural wood softens the look but if overdone, the house becomes too rustic.
• Lower grades of wood (like flooring) can help the feeling of unpretentious comfort.

• Exterior spaces extend the interior space and can create the characteristic cottage charm.
• Large vegetation close to the home reduces its perceived size and blends it with the site.
• Climbing vines on the house, a picket fence and garden create the classic cottage charm.
• A cottage garden shows participation in nature and is often wild, unkept and informal.
• Fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers are handiest located just outside the kitchen door.
• Outside “rooms” such as porches, decks and terraces extend the footprint of the home.
• A sheltered porch deep enough for furnishings extends interior space.
• Adding storm windows and screens to the porch extends a porch’s use in each season.