Saturday, April 10, 2010

Designer Spotlight: Jane Coslick


See Jane...

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See Jane save tumbledown cottages by the sea on Tybee...

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Jane has relocated, rebuilt and rescued over three dozen cottages on the island to date.
The Tybee Historical Society officially declared her their "soul and inspiration".

Check out some of her incredible interiors...


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The first cottage she saved is called "99 Steps", because of where it sits in relation to the sea...

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The path to the beach starts right in front of the cottage...

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A few steps forward gets you here...

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A few more gets you here...

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And finally, 99 steps later, you're here!

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Jane still owns 99 steps, but she rents it out to vacationers now.

She also owns the cottage she lives in- "Bohemian Cottage".

She invited us over to see it and have supper one night while we were there.
You would not believe how magical her place is.
It felt like we had stumbled inside of a story book!

Sitting at her dining table, sharing stories with her and her boyfriend Joe was definitely a highlight of the night for me...


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(Jane's Dining Room)

Jane was also sweet enough to escort us around the island several of the days we were there. We had a ball shooting footage of some of the cottages she's so lovingly restored and passed on to new owners.

I've always adored "Cottage Fryes" from afar, so I was pumped when she told us it wasn't being rented that day, and that we could see it in person...

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(Photo: JaneCoslick.com)

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(Photo: JaneCoslick.com)

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The bed linens were being washed the day we were there- but the place looked perfectly pretty without them!

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The cottages you're about to see were in rough shape when Jane bought them, but with loads of beadboard paneling, several gallons of white paint, updated light fixtures throughout, and a whole lot of hard work- she loved these old places back to life in no time. When she was done renovating, she found them new owners, and now they're also available for rent.

(Press the arrow button to play the video)



(Thanks to Diane from Mermaid Cottages for letting us snoop around "The Shrimp", and Jim from Tybee Cottages, for allowing us to look at "Cottage Fryes" and "Splash Shack"!)

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• There’s just something about having a piece in a room and knowing you won’t walk into the neighbor’s house and find the same thing, so surround yourself with objects you love. Don’t outfit your house to please the general public. If you would marry it, buy it.

• When you have a small house, everything has to have a function. A small passage next to a bedroom can be converted into a sitting area, showers can move outdoors, and sleeping porches can host coffee and cocktails.

• It’s important not to overdo anything in a small, coastal home. Stick with simple, flowy curtains and Benjamin Moore’s 001 white on the walls. Remember the pink color your neighbor selected to match her beach lily? It can end up looking like Pepto-Bismol in the wrong light. A blank canvas and lots of windows will make your home appear larger, allowing artwork and fabrics to really pop.

• To me, wood floors, walls and ceilings are just about the most important things in a house. It's always good to go with wood, even if your budget only allows it on a single wall.

• The more you know, the less you need!

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I hope you've enjoyed "getting to know" Jane as much as I have!
If you'd like to swing by her blog and say hello- you can find it
HERE.

Her sunny outlook is so refreshing, and I look forward to the grand opening of her online store soon. I got a sneak peek of some of the things she's going to be selling, and lemme tell you- it's going to be one incredible shop!





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For more photos of Jane's work, check out these great books:

Cottages
by Brian D. Coleman and Douglas Keister,
published by Random House, 2007

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The Southern Cottage
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Florida Keys
by Susan Sully, published by Rizzoli April, 2007

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And if you're interested in who paints a lot of the gorgeous paintings featured in some of Jane's cottages, her name is Bellamy Murphy, and you can find her website HERE.

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Check out my e-book!

44 comments:

Samantha2818 said...

Thanks so much for introducing me to Jane Coslick - her style is just gorgeous and your trip to Tybee Island makes me want to visit even though I have no idea where it is!
~Sam

Steph. :) said...

AWESOME!!!!! Thanks for all the sharing. :)

Janna said...

No WAY are those before and afters the same house - WOW!!

And the interiors? Makes me want to redecorate my entire cottage today! Again - WOW!!

Julie B. [Holland] said...

Layla and Kevin,
I would like to just say thanks so much for all this info you have given to us. Your pictures and words , its almost like being there. Looks like you had a wonderful time. I came everyday looking for new pictures .
They all turned out so well...
Thanks again and welcome home,
Julie in Holland ;)

Jennifer said...

What fun and delightful places to stay! I have the "Southern Cottages", so I have seen Jane's work before. She has wonderful talent! Thanks for sharing more of her spaces.

Have a wonderful weekend.

geri said...

Oh Layla!
I am so wanting to get gallons of Benjamin Moore 001 White.
Not sure if it is strong enough or magic enough to go poof and have my rooms look like any of Janes, the cottages she has restored, or yours. hehe
I'm not sure what says "come sit a spell" and "come spend time with an old friend" as much as the beautiful, peacefilled, yet exciting photos you shared.
Lordy I love all you & Jane shared. Thank you. geri.

Unknown said...

I have followed Jane for a while now and just love her style. You are one lucky duck to be in her home and see her creations.
I'm jealous but in a good way.
Enjoy your weekend and thank you for the great tour.

Carriage House Antiques said...

Thank you SO much for taking us on the trip to Tybee with you...how wonderful is your blog!!!I have posted a link to it from mine..although I am a newbee :)
thanks again
Natalie (Canada)

angela walker jewelry said...

What a wonderful post! I was hoping that your internet would be up and running again so we could read all about your trip! I LOVE the cottages and glad we got to see more of Jane's work!
Health and happiness,
Angela
http://angelawalkerjewelry.blogspot.com/

Deb said...

Thanks for the awesome tour guys! I am a HUGE fan of Jane's work, makes me want to paint my whole house white! So excited to check out her blog and her shop! Have a super weekend!

nannykim said...

Thanks for sharing this/ I so enjoyed it!

nannykim from http://spindlecottage.blogspot.com

lupismore said...

all that color is amazing...!! thanks for sharing

TSL said...

Grew up in that area, so I was immediately taken with all the images, inside and out! Fun and beautiful!

Amber said...

I love the last exterior shot--that little trellis is beautiful with all those dripping flowers. And the hammock--I'm so jealous! My grandfather and I used to nap in his when I was about 3 or 4 and I loved swaying in the breeze while the sun kept us warm.

Rie said...

I've seen her work several times now in different books/magazines. Love everything she touches. What an honor to feature her!

Karena said...

Layla, so amazing, and I love to see the before and afters. Jane is a dream come true to the rescue!!

I will have a fascianting interview up tomorrow.

Karena
Art by Karena

Cottage Dreamers said...

Whew. I've watched the video twice so far and I'm speachless. I love everything about her style. The way she has figured out how to use color without it being too much is just amazing. She's my favorite! Thanks for sharing her with us!
☺ Celeste

Ashley@The Vanilla Tulip said...

So dreamy!! Thanks so much for this post! I absolutely LOVE her cottages!

Tales From My Empty Nest said...

Jane is certainly a very talented lady. Her cottages are adorable! I could move into any one of them and feel right at home. They all just make you "feel good", don't they? Layla, you and Kevin got some wonderful pictures. I won't to check out those cottage books that you shared with us. They look neat! Glad you had a nice visit to Tybee. Love & blessings from NC!

Tracy Watier said...

Beautiful post, Layla. I used the same pic of the view out the window to the clothesline in my recent spring reading post. Jane Coslick was featured in the March 2009 issue of La Vie Claire but I didn't realize she was the same person you had previously mentioned til I saw your photos. How fun that you got to visit some of her cottages in person! She does such fantastic work and I can see how you two would become fast friends. How lucky for you both.

Karla@TheClassyWoman said...

Thanks for all of the beautiful photos, it is my goal and dream to one day live by the sea. :)

I love beach houses and cottages and really enjoyed all of these photos, Jane is clearly very talented!

Hope you had a blast on your trip!

Anonymous said...

Layla,

So happy you got your internet back up! Thank you for introducing Jane to us. What an inspiration she is!

Deborah

Tracey Johnson said...

I am stuck in OFF mode, totally mesmerized by the video you and Kevin took on Tybee. I just love the island and until you started telling about it, I'd never heard of it. I can't wait to visit that island and see some of those quaint cottages myself.

You and Kevin always seem to enjoy each others' company. I like that.

Mary Lou said...

Certainly not Plain Jane. She's wonderful at what she does. I'm so happy to find her. thanks

Shaunna said...

Very cool post. Love her brilliant pops of color against all that white. Thanks so much for sharing so much of your trip with us! -shaunna (will probably be emailing you guys soon regarding advertising)

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

Layla, I can see why she is your favorite designer. Love her work, too!

BaseballSmith said...

Wonderful!! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

Loui♥ said...

Layla..
so enjoyed the visit to Tybee..
and thanks to Jane for graciously allowing us to tour the cottages she has loved back to life, as well as her personal abode..LOVED IT ALL!
such inspiration..
thanks from the bottom of my heart!!
warmest hugs, laughing smiles..
Loui♥

Holly Mathis Interiors said...

so thrilled for you that yall got to do this..she seems absolutely delightful..just like you! ELotn and I loveeee savannah so now i want to go back even more and stay in one of her houses!!!!!

Anonymous said...

It was the longest week with you all gone but "sooo" worth the wait....thanks for all the hard work!!! I know fun too.

Claire DeRosa said...

How wonderful! Now I want to redo my house! I live by the Jersey Shore and love blues, greens, tans, whites.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post! Thanks for showing us Jane's work. I love her cottage's name, 99 Steps. So cute!

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

I've seen her work before in magazines and she is one talented lady! So lucky that you were able to hang out with her! Hoping your weekend is wonderful!
Take care
Kristin

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Bravo, It takes a special person to take on the rehab of these worn-down cottages. She has done a fantastic job and her efforts will allow these cottages to stand for many more years.

"Cottage By The Sea" said...

I am speechless. From the floors to the ceilings Jane's decor is fabulous and inspiring. Thanks for sharing. My next vacation (and they're few and far between) is going to be to Tybee Island. You should be a travel guide Layla. I'm going back to laze over your whole blog today.

TWT said...

Layla I love absolutely everything about your blog. You are a breath of fresh air. I anxiously wake up each morning to see where you'll take me or what you'll show me. I have fallen in love with Tybee Island (I think their tourism board should give you a big fat pay cheque)-- so much so that my husband and I are planning our summer vacation here. Our only dilemma? Which one of these gorgeous cottages should we choose to rent. You are such an incredibly talented lady -- keep up the great work (hubby too). TWT

Love the Decor! said...

Her work is amazing !!
Would love to see all those cottages in person

Lemonade Makin' Mama said...

Miss Layla! I just wanted to share my post link with you because you totally inspired me to finish up my bedroom project, and I loved your starfish clippy idea. Thanks!!

If you'd like check it out, it's here-

http://www.lemonademakinmama.com/2010/04/bedroom-finally.html

Maevy said...

Thank you for sharing all these great images with us. I simply love your video, it really gives me the feel of these cottages and of Tybee Island. I've only discovered your blog a few weeks ago but I am totally hooked!
- Sylvie

Dorm Bedding said...

Such adorable homes - too cute for words!

justbeachyontybee said...

Layla, what a wonderful opportunity! The Enlisted Men's Mess Hall is a true piece of Tybee history and has huge potential. We are thrilled to hear that the house is going to be renovated and are especially excited that you and Kevin are going to be doing the redesign. We can't wait to see what all you have in store for this cottage. We also look forward to seeing you on Tybee this summer.

Laurie and Jimmy

Leen said...

I love, love, love those beachy cottages. It's amazing to see how she saved them!

Here at Topsail, the little cottages are slowly disappearing and huge homes are replacing them. It's so sad!

Liz said...

I'm so excited about Trust Company's new CD coming out :) I have both their other albums and had NO idea that Kevin was THE Kevin Palmer from TC. How cool is that?!

Liz

Anonymous said...

Wow, those colors are gorgeous! I live in Miami, land of art deco galore, and I see a lot of brightly colored beach-front property - but none of it has the charm that those do! I love that she can make rooms look fresh and airy, AND use color. I'll definitely be checking out more of her stuff!