Inspire Me!: Bahamian Cottage

Friday, July 22, 2011

Bahamian Cottage

Some of my fondest childhood memories are summers spent in my grandmother's cottage in the late 1970's.

As I was researching for a project, I came across this article in the February 2011 issue of Coastal Living Magazine. Although my grandmother's cottage was not quite as glamorous, the article reminded me of those beautiful summers.

As I turned the pages of the magazine, I felt like I was walking back in time. I instantly fell in love with Bahamian shop owner, Marcie Bond's 1963 cottage. Her charming home, renovated in 2005, is located in New Providence Island.

Marcie collaborated with decorators, John Fondas (her brother and shop owner) and friend Amanda Lindroth. I love the fact that they used retro pieces and fabrics all in keeping with the era in which the cottage was built.

This year, this will have to be my virtual vacation spot!

Fabrics on seat cushions and panels by Quadrille in blues and whites.

The majority of the furniture pieces date back to the 60's & 70's. The scale is just right for a small cottage. Love the white lamps with the pink shades.

I love how she used tourism ads from the 60's & 70's as artwork in her banquet area. The hot pink matte and bamboo frames really stand out against the white walls. Coastal Living, February 2011

The canopy headboard hangs over a mirrored lattice headboard. The China Seas fabric used for both canopy and bed skirt has been in the line since the 1960's. The silver garden stool and floor lamps keep in line with the era.

About vanCollier

Established in 1995, vanCollier began as an antique and interior design firm. With backgrounds in art history, fine arts and decorative arts, vanCollier marries old world elegance with contemporary design. The married couple behind this firm-on-the-rise is Beth and Chris Collier, who work together on their wide range of projects domestically and abroad. Their philosophy: Use traditional influences to create sophisticated and approachable environments. Says Beth, "Rooms should be masculine and feminine while conveying both traditional and eccentric details."

To contact Beth, email her at vancollier@suddenlink.net

About Eatman's Carpets and Interiors

Eatman's Carpets and Interiors is my family's business. My grandfather, Bill Eatman, opened its doors in 1957 in Downtown Raleigh as a design studio/upholstery workroom selling high end fabrics, wool carpeting, and wallpaper. My father, Woody Eatman, the current president, followed in his father's footsteps joining the family business after school. Years later, with her Design degree in hand, my mother was hired as a designer by Eatman's. My Dad and my Mom fell in love and married. Over time, Eatman's became a innovator in the world of flooring creating computer systems specifically for the industry as well as adding to the business a supply and installation divisions. Fast-forwarding through my arrival and my sister's, the business is now a hybrid of the past and the present. We continue to be a leading supplier of carpets residentially and commercially, and we continue to expand into the world of interior design with new fabric, furniture and lighting lines. But more than all that, it is where our family hangs its hat. It is, in every sense of the word, a labor of great love.