TIMELESS DECOR: Good as Old

Natural elements and folksy finds infuse this 1886 Georgia cottage with warm-fuzzy charm

- MARY SHANNON HODES

KATIE AND JARED HYATT planted roots in Madison, Georgia, by chance. On their drive back to Atlanta from looking at a house in another Peach State city, the couple passed through the small town and decided to stop for a bit. "It felt like a mini Savannah or Charleston with the grand homes and the beautiful gardens," Katie says. "I've always wanted to live in an old house since I was a little girl." She landed her dream in the form of an 1886 cottage on Main Street, complete with original windows and exterior trimwork. "The first woman who owned it was named Minnie Few, so it's kind of like Many Few," she says. "We got a plaque and called it The Few House for her." Katie, the shopkeeper and owner of Saint Signora (an online store that sells handpicked home goods and antiques), had just the know-how and special pieces to fill the place to the brim with stately antiques, thrift store gems, and tokens from European travels.

Her signature patinaed style grows only more winsome during the holidays, with a tree bathed in tinsel and her homespun decorations in every room, for a snug and cozy Christmas that stirs nostalgia and sparks delight.

SET A FRIENDLY TONE UP FRONT

She admits that the front door's abundant greenery, fastened together with chicken wire and zip ties, wouldn't be possible without a healthy dose of Southern hospitality. "I'm so lucky that I have some really amazing friends and neighbors who let me pillage their magnolia trees," says the homeowner.

"I'm sure everyone around town was like, 'What is Katie doing? Why is she in everyone's yard cutting leaves and branches?'"

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