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Camp Meets Christmas in This Tiny Tennessee Cottage
Landon McAfee never takes a holiday from treasure hunting. The Tennessee native has interrupted countless vacations with trips to the post office after finding prized 4-H memorabilia, made pit stops for enamelware at antiques stores on the way to weddings, and even left in the middle of a Fathers Day lunch to nab a free church pew minutes after it was posted on Facebook Marketplace. (My parents understood, and I was back by dessert, he notes.) Ive been antiquing since I was six years old, explains the interior design consultant and creative. It all started when someone gifted me a thermos. After that, any time I was out and about, I was on the lookout. They were something affordable I could collect, and now I have 38 of them!Ian PalmerAn array of 4-H memorabilia, including a few pieces homeowner Landon McAfee earned back in his high school days, surrounds a childs armoire Landon scored for $10.All things camp come naturally to Landon. In addition to his outdoorsy 4-H undertakings, he and his Boston terrier beagle, Benjamin, lived in an Airstream for years until there was simply no room left in his parents closets for his stash of plaid thermoses, picnic baskets, flashlights, fishing gear, pennants, linens, and metal coolers. That led to the purchase of his most expensive antique to datea 1940s-era, two-bedroom, one-bath, 800-square-foot cottage on four acres in Stantonville, Tennessee (population 337). After nabbing it, he spent the next 15 months on a top-to-bottom renovation with the help of his father and brother. Stantonville isnt exactly bustlingtheres a single stoplightbut who needs a mall when you have antiques stores and a surprisingly active Facebook Marketplace community? Besides, when you grow up in a small town, extracurriculars are slim, meaning you pour your heart into your home. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at home, says Landon. My mother homeschooled us, and she took pride in her home. It wasnt unordinary for her to wake up one morning ready to wallpaper or paint a room. I now spend a lot of time in my own home and take the same pride in my space. It provides me comfort, shelter, and a creative outlet. I feel inspired when at home, and that is something that brings a lot of peace to my life.Tour More Homes All Decked Out for the Holidays:Piled-On PlaidsBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonIn the living room, an assortment of plaid motifs (on the roll-arm chair, sofa pillows, and wool throw) plays well with the hunt scene toile lampshade and understated seagrass rug. An unadorned white pine tree in an antique crock and a blue-and-green paper chain garlandintersecting at the schoolhouse-style light fixturebring holiday whimsy to the cozy and collected space. I went to our local print shop, and they cut the pieces for me, says Landon. Instead of reading, I spent a few nights putting [the chain] together. I think the whole thing cost $5!Meet the DogLandon adopted Benjamin, a Boston terrier beagle, while a freshman in college. Hes a homebody just like his dad, says Landon. Get the Look:Rug: Safevieh Souheir seagrass rug from Bed Bath & BeyondWall Paint Color: School House White by Farrow & Ball RELATED: More Merry Ways to Decorate Your Living Room for ChristmasHappy HuesBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonLandon gravitates toward the colors found on vintage camp gear, which is what inspired the ruddy red he used to paint the dining nooks floors. (The creamy hue is the same one used on the wallsSchool House White By Farrow & Ball.) Faded green checked draperiesmade from Pottery Barn tablecloths!are complemented by lush cedar-and-pine garland. A pretty, old pine table (also from Facebook Marketplace) makes good use of the space and echoes the warmth of the folding camp chairs doing double-duty as wall decor. A sole red transferware plate hints at Landons dishware obsession.Get the Look: Red Floor Paint Color:Schoolhouse by HGTV by Sherwin-WilliamsRELATED: Brilliant Painted Floors Ideas Thatll Add Instant CharmCampy Christmas TreeBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonThe red-and-white painted floor makes for a particularly merry and bright spot for the 7-foot white pine tree, which Landon trimmed with paper chain garland, camp-inspired mini thermos ornaments, and strings of colorful vintage lights. The lights up the camp vibe, he advises. When it comes to the presentation of presents, Landon is all business. I take it way more seriously than I should. Im sourcing paper year-round because sometimes the best stuff can be found in July, he says. I have two rules for wrapping presents: Wrapping paper should be colorful, and every present must be finished with a bow. RELATED: 40+ Festive Christmas Tree Ideas for Your Country Farmhouse Collected CanteenBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonAfter removing the doors from the original kitchen cabinets, Landon filled the shelves with a small sampling of his servingware. I have 35 place settings of Blue Willow alone, he says. Also in rotation: green-striped campware, blue-striped English pottery, enamelware, splatterware, and other everyday dishes. Its a problem, he says. There are dishes all over the house, hiding under furniture. Copper pots remain at the ready above the stove, along with more dishes, mugs, and a colorful painting. Bedecked with a bow, a camp lantern hangs out on an old Hitchcock chair.Get the Look:Cabinet & Trim Paint Color: Techno Gray by HGTV Sherwin-Williams RELATED: Dreamy Open Shelving Ideas for Your KitchenRec CenterBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonLandon spied the old desk that sits in his office at a nearby antiques store. I had to take the legs off so I could get it in my car, he says. Now, its paired with a vintage post office chair he tracked down in Mississippi and an old cooler filled with rolls of wrapping paper. For a sporting spirit, the walls are spruced up with croquet mallets, an old pennant, antique antlers (I got them from a guy in a sketchy parking lot for $15, says Landon), and a college fraternity photo in a simple Adirondack frame. The color-blocked chaira bargain he picked up at an estate sale in Linden, Tennesseeis one of Landons most prized possessions. It sits in his office surrounded by a stack of galvanized metal coolers, thermoses, and a quartet of dart boards. Ive never played darts, but Im always searching for ones that have fun colors, he says. Arts & CraftsBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonBy the time Landon arrived on the scene, the homes hallway was the only space that had walls in good enough shape to leave them unrepaired and unpainted. He doubled down on the rusticity by hanging a few fishing rods and vintage camping stools. To continue the period charm, he replaced the bathrooms 1980s-era hollow door with a vintage pine piece he found on Facebook Marketplace.The storied pew that caused Landon to skip a Fathers Day lunch now occupies a space of honor in the hallway, along with a medley of items hes collected on road trips, inherited from his grandparents, and received from friends. When it comes to art, I try not to limit myself [to traditional framed pieces]. If it can be hung on the wall, Ill hang it on the wall, he says. Ive become friends with an 88-year-old woman who used to own the local frame shop. She lets me romp through her stash of old prints, and then she frames them for me.Woodsy SurroundingsBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonIan PalmerBecause the bathrooms original cast-iron tub and sink were so heavy, the floors had to be torn out and reinforced to carry the extra weight. Landon shored up the base and installed a fun black-and-white tile. He further freshened up the space with a leafy green wallpaper and a sprig of white pine plucked from the Christmas tree. He found the petite stool at an antique market. Get the Look:Wallpaper: Valley Oak Stripe by Nathan Turner via Wall ShoppeRELATED: Inspiring Ways to Use Wallpaper in Your BathroomSleepaway StaplesBecky Luigart-StaynerThe bedrooms antique maple spool bed was a Facebook Marketplace freebie. I saw it posted online, and I messaged the guy immediately. It turned out he was actually giving it away, says Landon. I stopped what I was doing and went straight there! Vintage art, a chippy side table, and a lamp made from stacked Shaker boxes add nostalgic patina. The new braided rug feels like its been underfoot forever.Get the Look:Braided Rug: Oval Braided Wool Rug from L.L. BeanRELATED: These Rustic Bedroom Ideas Will Inspire You to Design the Most Relaxing Retreat Grand InspirationBecky Luigart-StaynerAfter visiting Mackinac Island and seeing the haint blue ceiling on the Grand Hotels large porch, Landon was inspired to duplicate it in his own home. Although he had originally planned to make the porch a potting station, it became a cozy seating area after his grandmother passed away, and he inherited her floral sofa. (Every other member of my family wanted to throw it away, he says.) The colors perfectly complement the paper-chain garland hung with care around the windows. An old trunk is now a coffee table where Landon stores an array of vintage horticulture and landscape design books. His grandmothers picnic basketstwo of 10 around the houseare now a side table, and a vintage geese painting and rusty vintage tray usher in more color. Get the Look: Ceiling Paint Color: Light Blue by Farrow & Ball Floor Paint Color: Hanging Vine by ValsparRELATED: Add Character to Every Room in Your Home with These Wainscoting IdeasGorgeous GreensBecky Luigart-Stayner, styling by Matthew GleasonLandons green thumb inspired the color choice for his 1940s cottages front door and window trim. Come Christmas, he doubles down on green with a massive wreath, garland around the entry, and greenery swags on the windowsillsall a mix of Leyland cypress and white pine.Get the Look: Door and Trim Paint Color:Bunker Hill Green by Benjamin MooreRELATED: 40+ DIY Christmas Front Door Decorations for Ultimate Christmas Curb AppealFind More Ideas To Decorate Your Home For Christmas:
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