Bee Cottage Story

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 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.

Frances Schultz’s popular blog at FrancesSchultz.com is a revealing window into her lively and sometimes laugh-out-loud writing as well as her inspiring style and taste. She is also author and coauthor of several books, including A House in the South, and for six years was on-air host of the award-winning cable television show Southern Living Presents. A contributing editor to House Beautiful magazine and former editor at large for Veranda, Frances has appeared on The Today Show, CNN’s Open House, The Nate Berkus Show, and numerous others. A North Carolina native, she resides in the Santa Ynez Valley of California and in New York City.