The Browns’ Cottage Novella

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Name: Jess, Erio, Stella & Tiger Brown (& Shorty the dog)
Location: West Petaluma — CA
Size: 1300 square feet
Years lived in: 7 — Owned

While some peoples homes speak pages about them, the Browns’ home is a vintage encyclopedia set. A set that is hued in the colors of the Sahara desert at sunset, with well worn tea stained pages that only the passage of time and care can create. Their charming cottage is filled with family antiques, vintages pieces found through many years of flea marketing, with a few modern pieces thrown into the plot.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

The Browns are a family of collectors and artists. Jess Brown, the matriarch, hand stitches cloth dolls that softly whisper their stories to you when gazed upon and are adored by little ones all over the world. Her workspace glows with delicate swatches of fabric and bundles of thread, strewn about in artful abandon.

Stella, 12, collects antique Japanese Kokeshi dolls. Stella’s bedroom, in true storybook fashion, features a three tiered, vintage built-in loft, with birch tree branches that rise from the ground floor and reach into each balcony. A miniature sewing room graces the upper balcony, there’s a sitting area on the mezzanine and the ground floor hosts her sleeping quarters.

Tiger, 8, collects vintage pirate ships, in formation on the rooftop of his antique armoire. His room is the hippest 8 year old boy’s room I have ever seen. One of his favorite things is an original piece of artwork of Barack Obama as Luke Skywalker, bartered from a local gallery.

Last, but not least, Erio, the patriach, brings a collection of horseshoes from his hometown, to bring good luck into the household.

Each nook of their home tells a story…a vintage Vesace chair here, antique Chinese wooden mailboxes there, handmade fabric love notes here, woolen animals there, but as with all lovely stories, the more you turn the pages, the more you happily discover. A definite “must read”.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Global flea market style- with influence from Japan, France and India.

Inspiration: Antique textiles.

Favorite Element: That it’s old and feels lived in.

Biggest Challenge: That it’s old and needs constant attention.

What Friends Say: They like the way it “feels”.

Biggest Embarrassment: The kitchen floor! It’s an awful linoleum fake marble.

Proudest DIY: The back yard garden…it had been a gravel lot!

Biggest Indulgence: Antiques and our sofa.

Best Advice: Buy only what you love…if you love it than everything somehow works together.

Dream Sources: Open markets in India and France

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

ENTRY/SEWING ROOM

LIVING ROOM

OFFICE

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

GARDEN

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Thanks, Jess, Erio, Stella, Tiger & Shorty!

Images: Alisha Peterson-Irwin

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