Our Story
Your Modern Cottage was built on the belief that good design matters. It surrounds us and significantly influences our lives—positively or negatively. We aim to promote the importance of good design and its ability to shape how we feel, act, and live.
With the launch of Your Modern Cottage Home Plans, we’re dedicated to making quality design accessible to all. Our thoughtfully crafted home plans prioritize the end user, focusing on beauty, efficiency, and creating a sense of peace and calm in your daily life.
Rick Staub, AIA, LEED AP, MBA
Every home designed by Rick Staub embraces a natural simplicity and an overall feeling of contentment. Stepping inside is an idyllic experience much like his formative years in the mountains of Northern Utah, skiing and playing golf. Having a mountain valley as the backdrop to his childhood explains his love for big sky views and the order of gridded streets with fun little interventions along the way. It also clarifies his designs — creative thinking balanced with the order of the day and characteristic details.
From an early age Rick had a passion for design. After all, it’s in his roots — both his father and grandfather were creators. His father designed and built homes and his grandfather was a millworker. Ironically, Rick’s success during his 25 years as an architect, comes from understanding the roots to a design challenge. His unique process, called Design DNA, is empathetic and centers on the human experience. He designs homes that are user responsive and ultimately make the user happy.
Rick is a founding partner of Point One Architects, located in Old Lyme, CT. He founded Your Modern Cottage to share insights and ideas on how good design can help people reconnect with what’s important in life.
Jennifer Carmichael
Since high school, Jennifer Carmichael knew she wanted to pursue a career in writing. Much like finding the exact piece to fit a jigsaw puzzle, she has always enjoyed choosing the perfect string of words.
Upon obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, she’s been writing and editing for large and small companies, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers for more than 25 years. She developed a unique niche and passion writing about trends and topics in architecture and interior design.
As co-founder of Your Modern Cottage, she splits her time among looking at beautiful pictures, chatting with talented designers, and sharing what she learns with all of you. Truly a perfect gig, since at the heart of what she loves to do is make connections and tell a good story.