7294 Cottage Way...

 

This gorgeous house belongs to my dear friend Tracey from 7294 Cottage Way!  I met her when we were both newlywed babies.  My hubby and I got married in 1996 and moved straight away to Wilmore, KY so that he could attend Asbury Theological Seminary for his Master of Divinity degree.  Not long after we landed in Maybury Wilmore, we met Tim and Tracey, who were both there getting their degrees for ministry.  I can't tell you what a God-send she was in my life...what a God-send they were in our lives. 

Never did I think it would be possible 13 years after we first met that we would be living in the same city..in the same state..doing life together again.  Except this time, we have 5 kids between us  and a couple of dogs!  We started out so long ago learning how to be married, and now...we are learning how to be married and have children and have animals and be in full time ministry all while decorating our houses together! 

She has a real gift for making her home a place that people want to sit and stay a while...I know we sure do.  often.  

They've done a lot of work to their kitchen.  They've added the subway tile backsplash and butcher block counter tops and the most beautiful farm sink.   She also painted her kitchen cabinets, and hey look so much better than the builder grade cabinets that were there when they bought the house.  She has this beautiful collection of scriptureware  beautifully displayed on this perfectly cottage style shelf that she and her husband created recently.  I love the old chippy white wooden toolbox on top of the sideboard.  Do you see those nice  snacks on top of it with the granola, nuts and chocolate chips?  These are the same jars that she also housed those evil Reese's peanut butter eggs in at Easter that got the best of me!!  Tracey was made to be next to the Sea so she has shells in sweet places all over her house.

Her kitchen and family room are completely open to one another.  Don't you love her new pillows made from that gorgeous Pottery Barn fabric?  She picked up that old antique wooden tool box to store magazines next to her sofa for easy reading.  Above her sofa, she has that perfect old chippy door that she got from Renningers Antique Extravaganza in Mt. Dora, Florida, and on the other side of the sofa sits that gorgeous glass filled with shells and that happy little bird.  She completely refinished her beautiful armoir, which she picked up from Craig's List.  She tried several pieces before she was convinced by me,myself, and I to purchase her armoir!  It was originally one of those Old World wooden armoires that Pier 1 sold around 20 years ago.  I love her turquoise barrel next to it...it adds the perfect finishing touch to that side of the room. 

Did you see her swan?  I die over this swan every.single.time. I walk through her front door.  It also came from Renninger's, which is one of those antique shows that features hundreds of booths!  Okay, back to her house.  When you walk in her front door, you see a sitting area that features this coffee table and the family picture wall.  She's great at the details...and to me, this bird's nest on her coffee table is proof! 

 Her master bedroom is so calming.   When I said earlier that we are having a blast decorating our houses together, I wasn't kidding!  I'm gonna give myself a shout out for finding those a.m.a.z.i.n.g. lamps.  I was in TJMaxx and saw 2 of those lamps sitting side by side, and I knew that someone that I loved had to have them!  It was one of those times when I couldn't justify spending one more dime for our home, but I'm so glad that I can look at them every time I visit hers! 

I hope you'll head over and meet Tracey ...you are sure to love her!!  Her friendship is such a gift to me, and I'm choosing to unwrap it with Emily over at Chatting at the Sky today.