The Old Painted Cottage-Cottage of the Month

Welcome to beautiful Ventura, CA....
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This month, I am pleased to welcome you into Melodys darling home, located in Ventura CA. Residing in her home for the past 9 years, Melody has completely transformed her "ordinary tract house" into a truly enchanting cottage. Describing her home as "Comfortable & interesting" Melody says "I think it truly reflects a part of who I am and my personality. One of the main considerations was creating an environment where my kids would be comfortable in and like to bring friends to." Melodys home has been featured in Romantic Homes magazine and Decorating Ideas magazine, as well as Landscape Ideas magazine. Describing her style as "shabby cottage", Melody says "I love the casual feeling and the comfort that it affords. It makes decorating a constant evolution, as I change it around as I pick up new things at flea markets or antique stores". Melody also adds "White slipcovers are a must. They look elegant, but can easily be thrown into the washer with a little bleach". Influenced by the many magazines and books that Melody collects, lately she's really enjoyed Mary Emerlings books for new ideas. Melody keeps her look fresh by changing things around all the time. She says "It keeps it interesting and your friends will always be surprised when they come over. I love moving my furniture, changing curtains & pillows, and adding new treasures on a regular basis. I keep a supply of items in the garage that come in and out". Frequenting the Santa Monica flea market for her treasures, Melody says "It's a little pricier than other flea markets, but the quality of the merchandise is great". Another favorite place to go is Downtown Ventura. As Melody says, "It's getting better all the time, with some wonderful new shops like B on Main, as well as some nice antique stores, such as Antique Collective. Currently collecting anything that is chippy and old, Melody has a love of garden urns as well as pink & white, blue & white, and brown & white dishes. Enjoying the serenity of her backyard, Melody experiences a daily joy in hand feeding a blue jay that waits for her every morning on her backyard chandelier. She holds out a peanut, and the blue jay lands her hand and takes it. It is what Melody describes as "One of life's simple pleasures".
If you like Melody's style, you can check out her new booth at the Agoura Antiques Mall, in Agoura, California for awesome old treasures and friendly prices! -JG
(Photographs and article by Jennifer Grey, owner of The Old Painted Cottage)

Would you like to have your home featured as a future Cottage of the Month? Because we all love to see how people decorate their homes, and gather creative inpiration from others, I have created this special Cottage of the Month page. Each month, I feature a different cottage style home, submitted by you...the viewers! If you have a beautiful cottage style home that you want to share with the world, I want to know about it! Please email me at least 10 of your best photos for me to review at jennifer@theoldpaintedcottage.com I ask that you please title the subject of your email "Cottage Photos" so that I know it's safe to open! All entries will considered, and will be submitted on a first come basis. I look forward to hearing from you! And remember to view my FAQ page first, before submitting your photos!

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