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Cottages and Gardens - The Cottage Road
Cottages and Gardens Magazine TABLE OF CONTENTS    COVER
Decorating

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Holly Gregor
Cottage Advisor
Holly Gregor is a freelance writer living in Louisville, Kentucky.  Gregor writes only on interior design, a passion she acquired after buying their first home.  Married with a young son, Gregor grew up in Austin, Texas and lived in Orange County, California for 11 years working as a television reporter.  After having their son, she pursued freelance writing, a more flexible career, allowing her to stay home. What Gregor loves about interior design is the combination of creativity and personal expression reflecting ones personality and lifestyle.  Direct questions or comments to HollyGregor@CottagesandGardens.com
An Unexpected Move Toward The Traditional

Now that she is in her new home, Cook has started collecting antiques, which she had grown up with.  Now that they are better financially positioned, Debbie and Don Cook have added some very fine pieces to their collection.  "I want this house to have an English 18th Century feeling," says Cook.  Over the seven years they have lived in the house, Cook has worked with several interior designers.  She believes each designer has his or her own style, and she has learned something different from each one.  Interior designer Don Harris taught her that things don't have to be so structured.  "I'm a very structured person," she says, "and he opened up my eyes to not be afraid."   For instance, instead of matching every color, Cook now creates a more interesting room by combining colors that blend well but don't necessarily match.  Another example of trying something different is to leave a picture sitting on top of a chest of drawers and leaning it against the wall instead of hanging it on the wall.  This gives the room a casual element along with a European flair.  However, even though you can find such techniques in European design books, it is not always accepted. Debbie's mother still asks, "Aren't you going to hang that?"

Family Room
"I wanted this room to look like an English pub. This is where we like to have drinks before dinner when we have friends over," says Debbie Cook of the family room. A touch of elegance was added by gilding the dental pieces and relief work of the crown molding, a process that took three weeks to do. A combination of old and new accessories fill this room. Some of the new pieces that look old are from interior designer Don Harris: the candlelit chandelier and the painting above the wrought iron table. The iron table is a Drexel Heritage piece from Cherry House. The rug is old, also from Don Harris. Other antique accessories that bring an authenticity to the room are the Italian 17th or 18th century architectural pieces hanging above the door along with the window-box framed hand beaded Victorian panels flanking either side of the large painting. Both from Steve Tipton Antiques. The final touch of warmth are the portraits of their two children.


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Photos © 2001 James Moses
 
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