Simplifying Fabulous! with DJ Carey of Cottages & Gardens Publications
ABOUT As editor-in-chief and editorial director of regional shelter publications Connecticut Cottages & Gardens and Westchester Cottages & Gardens respectively, DJ Carey is surrounded by inspiration at every waking moment! Simplifying Fabulous! sat down with the publishing veteran to discover how she finds her own fabulous! DJ lives in Norwalk, CT with her husband, daughter and basset hound, Dottie. 
Robin Baron: What do you love most about your work? DJ Carey: Being inspired by great design. In my role as editorial director, I see everything that is new from fabric to furniture to fabulous finds. We look globally for inspiration and we source locally. It is so thrilling to see all the possibilities.
Global-inspired Clarence House fabric RB:What does the word “community” mean to you and the Cottages & Gardens brand? DJC: In all of our magazines we bring together talented individuals who love great design, whether their aesthetic is colonial or mid-century modern. This shared interest builds a community, in essence, with a sense of place.
Cottages & Gardens annual Innovation in Design Awards highlights the best of the best of local design and architecture. RB: Tell us about your work space. What inspires you at the office? DJC: I would love to tell you that my desk is neat and full of beautiful objects—but it is not. It is filled with clutter! I grew up in a house with a mother who was a college professor, so our house was accented with piles of papers and books. I too surround myself with books—one could argue too many! When things get too crazy, I will often reach for one of those books and take five minutes to recharge. It is like a mini mental vacation.
Piles of books in DJ Carey’s editorial office act as a temporary escape from daily deadlines. RB: What do you love about your home and why? DJC: I love both my house and garden. I love the scale of my farmhouse; It always feels right whether for a dinner party for 12 or on a cozy night in front of our fireplace. The house mysteriously expands or contracts and somehow sets the right mood. I love to look out at my garden that is filled with beautiful shapes and textures that only Mother Nature could design. It is a daily inspiration that is just outside my window.
Ivy that grows up the chimney outside DJ Carey’s farmhouse bedroom acts as daily inspiration from Mother Nature RB: What elements in your house have you personalized? DJC: Everything in my house is a reflection of my taste! My family moved around the world when I was young so our homes were filled with objects that we had collected in our travels. Perhaps that is why I am always drawn to interiors that have a strong personality. My house like is filled with collections of quilts, pottery, and folk art and most things handmade. That I have picked up over the years. I find the connection to a handmade object powerful.
Frances Palmer pottery graces the cover of CTC&G RB: Do any aspects of Cottages & Gardens Publications align with the Simplifying Fabulous mantra that Confidence Begins at Home? DJC: Every home we feature in our C&G publications illustrates homeowners who are confident in their sense of style. The featured homes that have a personal point of view that is reflected in their interior design, architecture, art, or antiques. Take this image from the October issue of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens …it reminds us that each of these homes are unique and remind everyone that Connecticut is not the land of stereotypes!
Palms in Connecticut? They’re growing up in this home, featured in the October issue of CTC&G