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Photo courtesy TalesFromCarmel.com
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Universal in their appeal, cottages inspire cooing sounds usually reserved for puppies and newborns. And most of the time, unlike the elusive castles of the Brothers Grimm, the fairytale appeal of a cottage is within reach.
Geography matters, however. While a diamond-paned charmer in University City might be acquired for a reasonable sum, be prepared to add a comma to that number if your cottage fantasy is a Comstock original in Carmel-by-the-Sea. And Newport, Rhode Island? Now we’re back in castle mode. Marble House, the Vanderbilt “summer cottage” built in the late 19th century and presented to Alva Vanderbilt for her 39th birthday, cost around $11 million. But honestly? What’s so cozy about 500,000 cubic feet of marble, anyway?
For pure girly romance, it’s hard to beat the woodland confection created by Sandra Foster in the Catskills. Fashioned from an old hunting cabin, her tiny hideaway is a study in white—from the petunias (in a window box, of course) to the lace curtains and flea-market chandelier. The loft bed (think clouds and marshmallows) is tucked under the eaves, accessible only by ladder. The cottage has no kitchen, no bathroom. It might not be practical, but it’s practically perfect.
In 1924, with no previous building or architectural experience, Hugh Comstock built his first cottage, dubbed “Hansel,” to house his wife’s doll collection. His whimsical artistry was embraced by the locals, who asked for fairytale homes of their own. Today, if you’re dreaming about a cottage on Secret Garden Passageway or Cinderella Lane, be prepared to part with at least $1 million.
From the Channel Islands to Rhode Island and beyond, Victorian gingerbread or half-timbered Tudor, it’s easy to fall under the magical spell of a cottage.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Comstocks’ second house was christened “Gretel.” What else?
Comstock’s 2nd creation: “Gretel”
Photo courtesy TalesFromCarmel.com
Sandra Foster’s cottage in the Catskills
Photo courtesy Trevor Tondro for The New York Times
The dreamy interior of Foster’s cottage
Photo courtesy Trevor Tondro for The New York Times
Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island
Photo courtesy NewportMansions.org
Gabled, cottage-style pool house in Georgia Photo by Joan Lerch
Stone cottage on Guernsey in the Channel Islands Photo by Joan Lerch
