Oak Branch Cottage: A Sourcing Trip to Gulf Coast Home

There is a distinct kind of magic in shopping for a house that is still waiting to be lived in. Last weekend, J and I made our way to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, on a targeted mission to source key pieces for Oak Branch Cottage. We kicked off the day with lunch at our absolute favorite spot, Thorny Oyster, before spending the afternoon immersed in design details with Wendy and Theresa, the talented owners of the remarkably well-appointed Gulf Coast Home.

Moving into a space defined by light, open air, and soaring 12-foot ceilings changes the rules of decorating. Scale is everything. Small, low-profile pieces get swallowed whole by high walls, so every find on our list had to hold its own weight while matching the relaxed, coastal-cottage aesthetic we love.

After hours of cross-referencing our measurements and exploring their curated inventory, we checked off several major items:

• Front Porch Living: To match the generous scale of the front porch, we selected a outdoor sofa, two armchairs, and a matching ottoman from Kingsley Bate. The high-quality teak and classic lines will ground the porch perfectly. 

  
  
  
  
  
  

• Architectural Lighting: We ordered two Monterey-style gas lanterns through Carroll by Design. Gas lighting brings an immediate, warm intimacy to tall outdoor entryways, framing the front door with classic Southern charm.

  
  
  

• Grounding the Floorplan: We selected three distinct rugs from the Jaipur Collection to anchor the living room, dining room, and main hallway, defining each zone within the open layout.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Reflecting the Light: A classic Louis Philippe mirror will hang in the dining room, drawing the eye upward and bouncing light across the high ceilings.

  
  
  

• The Master Suite: We sourced a king-sized headboard with enough height to stand proudly against the bedroom walls without feeling lost. I adore any piece with cane.

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Beyond the shop, the visual board for the cottage keeps growing. I am finalizing an order for rich grasscloth wallpaper to bring texture and warmth to the bar area. Next on the agenda, J and I are meeting with Patricia at Fairfax Fabrics to select custom window treatments to frame those beautiful, tall windows.

Decorating a space with room to breathe is standard-shifting, and watching Oak Branch Cottage come together piece by deliberate piece makes the process worth every single decision.

Decorating & Sourcing, y'all!

Oak Branch Cottage: Landscape Demolition

Work is officially underway at Oak Branch Cottage, and this week brought a major milestone: full yard demolition.

Lackluster maintenance as of late had left the front, side, and back yards completely overgrown. To make way for a fresh vision, everything had to go. Trees, bushes, and outdated plantings were all cleared out, effectively creating a clean slate for the next chapter.

The Design Vision

The upcoming landscape design keeps things classic, elegant, and timeless:

• Structured Boxwoods: Creating strong, clean lines and evergreen framework throughout the property.

• A Crisp Palette: Dominated by rich greens and bright whites for a tailored, serene feel.

With the help of AI, I have collected some images to present to our landscaper. Remember, these are only ideas, not reality.

A project like this requires serious heavy lifting, and enormous thanks go to Jorge from JC Landscaping. Jorge has been managing the our current property’s lawn care since 2018, and he didn't hesitate to tackle this massive clearing job. Having a trusted partner on-site makes all the difference when executing a large-scale redesign.

The groundwork is officially laid, and the build-out phase is right around the corner. Stay tuned for the next update as the new plantings go in!

Demolished Landscaping, y'all!

Oak Branch Cottage: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly?

 At the very beginning of this journey, I promised to keep you posted on the renovations of Oak Branch Cottage—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, it turns out you really do have to push through the ugly to get to the fun stuff!

The Heavy Lifting

Last week was all about the gritty, essential updates. We officially kicked off the week by tackling the ancient knob-and-tube wiring. Done and check!

Before: Furnace

After: Repaired

Before: Laundry floor rotten wood

After

Living Room floors

From there, the focus shifted to the original hardwood floors. The crew got to work cleaning, sanding, and restaining them to bring their natural character back to life. In areas where the wood was rotted, fresh boards were woven in, and we finally removed an old, bulky furnace, patching up the flooring where it once stood. Meanwhile, plumbing work is well underway. You couldn’t pay me enough money to crawl under the house, so I am endlessly grateful for the team taking that on!

Looking Ahead

J and I meet with our contractor every Sunday morning to map out the strategy for the week ahead. This coming week is all about prepping the canvas:

• Removing various old doors throughout the house

• Prepping and cleaning up the interior walls

• Diving headfirst into paint, paint, and more paint

Even when the daily progress feels minor, I absolutely love watching the cottage transform bit by bit.

Exterior & Finishes

Outdoors, things are moving just as fast. I'm meeting with the cloth awning specialists this afternoon to finalize those details, and the landscaping crew arrives tomorrow morning to clear out overgrown brush and remove a few problem trees.

Best of all, we got to squeeze in some of the fun design work this past weekend! On Saturday, J and I took a trip to Gulf Coast Home in Bay St. Louis to meet with the owners, Wendy and Theresa. We spent the day selecting and ordering rugs, a Louis Phillipe mirror, a new bed, and outdoor furniture for the porch. {Photos to come....}

Seeing the design elements come together makes all the dust, noise, and rewiring entirely worth it. Stay tuned—the best is yet to come.

Work, work, work, y'all!