British Cottage126 Shrewsbury Avenue   Red Bank, New Jersey

 British Cottage News

February 2013

The only good thing about February is it seems to be our familys' birthday month.  Keith's Dad, my Mom, (although they are hopefully in heaven) our daughter and grandson, aunts and uncles.  We could eat cake nearly every day!  But otherwise there is not too much going for it.  I'm tired of the weather, I'm tired of the way my house looks; I was tired of everything until I treated myself to nine--yes nine coffee table decorating books by every one from Sister Parish to crazy Kathryn Ireland of Million Dollar Decorating fame--now I am inspired.

My books should keep me busy until February 19th when my friend and riding instructor, Andrea Loprete, and I go to sell our Cavalry Blankets at the Winter Eqestrian Festival that takes place every year at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida.  The Cavalry Blanket was born out of necessity; Keith and I planned to bring our British Cottage bed at The New York International Gift Fair and wanted to sell our own bedding, something other than the sloppy linen duvet covers we saw everywhere, when I remembered the fabulous wool blankets we had as children, so tailored and so warm.  With the addition of a little trim and some monogramming an instant classic was born.  Since than we've sold dozens and believe they will be a huge hit in Wellington; equestrians have to love the Cavalry Blanket!  We can make blankets to match their barn colors, their bedroom decor or college teams.  You name it.  Of course it doesn't hurt that we'll be going south...I can't wait to be warm again.

British Cottage News

After the Storm

Friday, November 16.  We're almost cleaned up at home; except for the odd yacht or two.  It has been a busy couple of weeks since the storm.  We live on the Shrewsbury River opposite Sea Bright, New Jersey a narrow sandspit that serves as a town and acts as a buffer between us and the Atlantic Ocean.  High winds and a 12 - 14 foot surge over the high tide level was predicted and sadly, for once, it happened.  The good news is we thought our elevation was 11' when it was actually 13' so our house did not flood.  The bad news is we were left with a staggering amount of debris.

  Fortunately we were able to move the pile while many of my neighbors are still dealing with removing sheetrock and floors.   I'm not sure why all the floors have to go--there are some houses in my neighborhood that flood fairly regularly and they don't replace the floorboards--but I guess the thought is better safe than sorry.  Nothing like having new sheetrock and insulation installed, your furniture put back and then your floors start to buckle. 

     Speaking of furniture, if it is all wood (by that I mean not veneer over plywood) there is a possibility you can save it.  Wipe it off with vinegar and water outside and a mild bleach and water solution inside (if you can open doors and drawers) and let it dry out.  I would especially advise doing this if you have a home in an area where access is limited when you are allowed in.  Clean it off and let it sit in a sunny spot.  It doesn't hurt to try.

Before the Storm

       Saturday, October 27.  I've just finished up putting the outdoor pots away and attempting a general tidy up of outside the store, chores I've delayed doing primarily because it has been such a mild autumn in the northeast.  I still have petunias that are blooming!  And as usual, in my experience, it was a lovely day because it was before the storm.

     Like my little squirrel stalker, yes the cheeky bugger lies in wait behind the backdoor here and then dashes in for a quick lap around the store when I leave the back door open for barely a second, we have gathered up provisions--to tide us over for the next couple of days while we wait to see what exactly is going on with the weather.  Surprisingly it was a busy day at British Cottage.  This is the time of year people buy their dining room tables and we have a fabulous selection in stock ready to go, so in they came.

The sun is finally shining and clearly everyone is madly preparing for the holiday weekend. It feels good to be warm wearing nothing but a frock and flip flops; although all too soon I'm sure we'll be cranking up the air conditioning and moaning about the humidity.

      Keith and I were in England in April and bought our first whole container (albeit a small one) of actual antiques from GB in years. That is due to arrive the first week in June. Immediately following will be a shipment of custom made pine furniture from Hungary along with a number of antique pieces we bought there. As usual the challenge will be where to put everything. The store is far from empty but too much stuff is not a bad problem to have.

      Here are some highlights of our English trip.

Here's a beautiful kitchen sized antique pine table in original paint.

This is a sweet little cricket table--love that green base.

This sud bucket is enormous. I have no idea what is was originally meant to be, but Keith is convinced it will make a fabulous planter.

Not an actual antique but we could not resist buying this clock;hopefully we'll find someone to make it tick.

British Cottage News

December 2011

Like many of you we are so over the crass commercialization that has taken over this holiday season. But we love presents. Getting them, giving them, even wrapping them. We love the warmth of Christmas lights and marvel that so many of us take the time to pluck some holly, tie some ribbon, and decorate our homes. Outside it may be cold and damp but we can make our houses glow inside and out.

So our advice is not to grumble about the season;instead try to make it fun. Skip the malls this year. Look at what is available at your local markets and shops. Most of us in retail own our businesses because we are passionate about our products and--get this--because we like people. We like to hang out and schmooze; that is what we pay ourselves to do. Meet your local retailers and you meet your neighbors. Yeah, internet commerce takes but a click, but how much nicer to see and touch what you are buying. And when was the last time Amazon.com gave you the name of a good upholsterer?

Here are the 12 days of Christmas British Cottage Style...

A Long Print of Old London

2 Red Mailboxes

3 French Hens

4 Little Jars

5 Golden Things

6 Quail Escaping

7 Dogs from England

8 Cans a Watering

9 Buckets Standing

10 Pots with Spotting

11 Plates Displaying

12 Hay Forks Hanging

So ready (this is why I get no work done):

12 Hayforks Hanging

11 Plates Displaying

10 Pots with Spotting

9 Buckets Standing

8 Cans a Watering

7 Dogs from England

6 Quail Escaping

5 GOLDEN THINGS

4 Little Jars

3 French Hens

2 Red Mailboxes

and

A Long Print of Old London!

So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and best wishes to all this holiday season!

British Cottage News

November 2011

Nearly Thanksgiving and we have finally finished unloading all of our fall shipments.If you haven't got a table for the holidays yet, don't despair! We have everything in stock from the totally now raw wood trestle tables (ours arehardwood and naturally resistant to stains) to traditional country French cabriole leg tables to a brand new transitional design in a dark ebony stain we developed in Hungary. And we always have the classic English pine farmhouse tables in stock in a variety of sizes.

But let's get beyond tables and think holiday. We have a number of antique and vintage items that will make thoughtful, interesting and hopefully treasured gifts to be passed down for a few more generations at least. We've got a collection of wooden farm buckets and containers that are simply stunning and crying out for an arrangement of evergreens. Same goes for the large assortment of vintage pickling jars we bought in Hungary which would make fabulous vases or be simply beautiful filled with pine cones or sea shells or branches. Or think about giftinga vintage wooden dough bowl perfect for holding fruit or magazinesor one of our over sized maps of England, Ireland, & Italy...

Other meaningful gift ideas from British Cottge would have to includeour wide selection of antique majolica plates, beautiful handpainted Chinese porcelain lamps, blue & white China from England and our whimsical collection of ceramic hens and guinea fowl from France. Some of these itmes are available on shop.britishcottage.com but really you should come in for the best selection. And remember to takesome time to have a cup of tea and count your lucky stars...they're out theresomewhere!

September 2011

What an amazing summer we had. Usually one of the advantages of owning a smallish business is that you get to wear many hats. Keith is totally in charge of the warehouse and distribution side of things, which really means he personally makes all our deliveries in the tri-state area. Mostly I'm happy to leave him to it as I do not enjoy anything that even remotely involves heavy lifting, but this year I tagged along on the trips to Bennington, Vermont, Camden, Maine, East Hampton, Montauk and Block Island. What a treat! What beautiful homes!

But now it is time to get serious. Fortunately decorating has never been easier. When I was furnishing my first house we were living in England. Laura Ashley was all the rage and a room wasn't considered habitable unless there was a plaid, a stripe and three different size printed fabrics in the room. Probably half of you are too young to remember Mario Buatta aka the prince of chintz, but in the States, his rooms were the gold standard, riotous combinations of color and pattern. Curtains had to hang to the floor requiring yards and yards of material and then of course you needed a seamstress to swag and jabot, and the whole thing cost the earth and was nearly impossible to accomplish without a trust fund and/or professional help.

Now, a neutral wall color takes the place of wallpaper and classic linen (or cotton)slipcovers in pale colors continue the soft palatte. I have to admit I still love curtains, but not fussy, blowsy concoctions,just simple panels in a solid color that function as a fabric frame to outline your windows.  Affordable seagrass carpets the floor and then comes the fun part: finding a cool coffee table, hopefully a large, wooden organic presence that puts some architecture into your space, then add a coordinating table or cupboard to anchor the tv and voila! Your living room is livable.

The dining room, bedrooms, all should continue the flow. Finally, when you cannot stand one more second of neutrality, make something pop. Add coral cushions to the couch, a large painting over the mantle, or plunk a beautiful blue and white Chinese porcelain lamp on a side table.  Easy does it. One pink thing will make a neutral room pink; same goes for yellow, just try it if you don't believe me.  But trust me, you can do this at home by yourself.

Don't make the RH mistake and go all gray and gloomy; that look makes me want to jump off a cliff. Rooms should be happy; just stay on the top side of your paint chips and you won't be sorry. Whether you're into the taupes, the butters, the blues or the greens avoid the jewel tone versions and you will have enough color. If you have to express your inner Picasso do it in the powder room, a confined space where, if you must, let color and pattern run riot.

And I'm not saying you have to do any of this.  If you are comfortable with wallpaper, love chintz, and couldn't live without an oriental carpet or two by all means don't.  But if you are like the many people who come into the store who saythey are clueless about decorating and just wish someone else would do their house over for them then this is the way to get the job done. Trust me. Decorating has never been this easy!

Almost Summer!

We've had quite the busy spring. Besides our normal seven days a week retail, we had a trip to England where we bought everything from a 9' pine table in original paint to a dozen grape picking baskets. Then we had a new shipment of antique and reproduction pine arrive from Hungary so we have been just a loading and unloading fast and furious.

Still we were willing and able when we got the call from the showhouse ladies asking if we would furnish the greenhouse being used for their admissions area. For those of you not in the know the showhouse is in Navesink at a house called Holly Hill and it finishes June 11 so if you're going get moving. Anyway I think we really lucked out. The house is beautiful, of course, but the grounds are stunning. The property is high on a hill over-looking the Navesink River and reminds me mostly of being back in Hampshire in England: rolling hills, mature trees, stone walls and long views. So schlepping more furniture was a small price to pay for the chance to hang out on a multi-million dollar bluff.

And really in my next life I am going to be a landscape designer. Look how this group of plants:

Gets turned into this:So of course I had to try it at home--actually in this--case the store:

Okay maybe not the same but you get the idea. I will take this photo again without the weed in the spirea and more of the stones showing.

Almost Spring 2011!

I can't wait...everytime I step outside the days feel a little warmer, the sun seems to shine a little brighter;I can't believe it is almost spring; it can't get here soon enough. I do not remember a longer, colder, duller winter in my life...Fortunately there were a few highlights to help dispel the glooming.

First was The New York International Gift Show in late January. A to-the-trade only show designed to spotlight the latest(or greatest, I guess)in home furnishings and accessories, we were pleased to exhibit our wares to a national audience. As many of you know we have been building our own line of furniture for years. Using pine from a managed forest in Scandinavia and working with a small manufacturer in Hungary, we've been able to produce furniture that is attractive, affordable and sustainable. At the show we featured our farmhouse tables and used our television breakfront as a backdrop and then glammed up our booth with fabulous antiques and one-of-a-kind accessories we bought in England.

About 35,000 people attend over the course of five days and you basically have three seconds to catch their attention. And we must have because we practically sold out the first day! With buyers from stores as big as Bergdorfs, as far away as the Dominican Republic and so diverse you now can find British Cottage products in Bozeman, Beverly Hills, and Isleboro, a small island just south of Bar Harbor, Maine we were very pleased with the results. Now we are in the planning stages for the summer show in August so if you would like an advance preview, just stop by the store.

The other big news is February marked the 25th anniversary of British Cottage. I'm not sure what the exact day was but we opened up our first store at 125 West Front Street in Red Bank in February, 1986. Somehow we will have to figure out how to celebrate the occasion--I mean it's not as big as the royal wedding but still clearly up there.  Maybe we can figure out how to coordinate the two.

So beware the Ides of March, have a happy St. Patrick's Day, and keep checking this page for the Official British Cottage 25th Anniversary Celebration and the Unofficial Royal Wedding Extravaganza...

Cheers!

Tricia & Keith

BRITISH COTTAGE NEWS

December 2010

As we are continually reinventing ourselves here in British Cottageland we thought it might be a good idea to let you all know what we have been up to and at the same time spread some holiday cheer. Although some people dread them, we adore a nice, newsy seasonal update and if we can motivate you to put down that egg nog and come and see us, more the better.

As we come to the close of 2010, we're mostly just happy to still be in business. Between the recession, the demise of small business banking, and then the internet, independently owned stores like ours have taken a beating. However it would have been much worse without the support of our fabulous vendors. Our European pine range is simply the best and then we started working with another company that provides us with a line of French country furniture in darker woods. Bench-made copies of actual antiques these pieces work for those who want a slightly more formal look without the headaches--and price tags--that come with owning an actual antique.

And then this month we introduced a collection of create-your-own upholstered couches and chairs. Made in America, with hardwood frames and lifetime warranties, these pieces can be ordered in a wide variety of fabrics and are competitively priced. We love them because they can come slipcovered so when the fabric wears out or seems dated, voila, you just order a new one. Let's face it, it may be the neutral look now, but, hey, who knows? In ten years it could all be about chintz.

Another area we have been dabbling in is vintage maps and prints. This spring we met an English map collector/printmaker who enlarges antique maps, applies them to a canvas backing and then sells them to fabulous English stores like Harrods and now British Cottage. We stock everything from a 60" wide map of Paris c. 1844 to a captivating mid-century Ireland to a variety of 17th and 18th century plans of London. (We know the dreaded RH is stocking large maps too, but ours are not mass-produced and cost a lot less to boot.)

So we wish you a happy Hanukkah, a most Merry Christmas, and of of course peace on Earth and good will to all. We feel we've been very, very lucky to be in thisbusiness, and to have met so many wonderful people, and we thank you for your support over the years. Believe it or not, in early February we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Red Bank store. Clearly time does fly...

Here's to a fabulous New Year!

Tricia & Keith