The Bee Cottage Story : How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness

Inspired by Frances Schultz's popular House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her East Hampton house, Bee Cottage, what began as a decorating book evolved into a memoir combining the best elements of both: beautiful photos and a compelling personal story. Schultz taps into what she learned during her renovations of Bee Cottage—determining how each area in the house and garden would be used and furnished—to unravel the question of how a mature, intelligent, successful woman could have made such a mess of her personal life. As she figures out each room over a period of years, Frances finds a new path in life, also a continual process. She comes to learn that, like decorating a home, our lives must adapt to who we are and what we need at different points along the way. The Bee Cottage Story is part memoir, part home decorating guide. Frances discusses the kinds of useful, commonsense design issues that professionals take for granted and the rest of us just may not think of, prompting the reader to examine and discover her own “truth" in decorating—and in her life. A house, a heartbreak, and how did I get here? Childhood to child bride The single years Nowhere good The Big C Mama Daddy Buying a house in the Hamptons A new beau, an old pattern Another loss Finding the house, losing the marriage Seeking a new path Detour How Bee came to be You have to start somewhere First steps: from the outside in The living room The garden room Tom Samet to the rescue The dining room and library The kitchen and butler's pantry The master bedroom The study and sometimes guest room The guest suite The pergola The garden Collections.