Mercer Cribs: The Cottage

Much like how Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, the Cluster is bringing “Mercer Cribs” back, which is arguably even sexier than Justin Timberlake. Mercer Cribs will highlight houses or dorms Mercerians have worked hard to make feel like home, and what could be sexier than that?
The little blue house on Adams Street can only be described as colorful. The living room and dining room walls are painted varying shades of green, and the kitchen boasts pretty pink walls.
Mercer students Amanda Rutherford, Brooke Schermerhorn and Jessica Walker share the house with their friend Elizabeth Chapman, who works in Macon.
The walls aren’t the only colorful aspect of their home. When asked what her favorite piece of the house is, Schermerhorn laughed, “I’m tempted to say the red chandelier, because it’s so eccentric and such a conversation starter. People either love it or hate it.”
Before the girls moved in, the president of one of Mercer’s sororities lived in the house, which according to Rutherford explains all the colors.
The girls named their house “The Cottage,” and it is their little sanctuary from the busy life of college. Rutherford enjoys the fact that coming home is a definitive end to her day, and that it breaks the monotony of school. “It’s an escape from campus,” said Rutherford.
Schermerhorn said, “It’s my space. It’s my way to take ownership, and do what I want with it and be an adult.”
Another benefit of living off campus is that Schermerhorn can garden. Her whole family likes gardening, so many of her plants come from their gardens.
Schermerhorn likes having enough space to have a lot of people over. One of Rutherford’s favorite rooms is the living room, “just because it’s big and it seats lots of people,” she said. Having a house makes it easier for the girls to host bible studies and have many people over for dinner.
The challenge in furnishing and decorating the house was trying to incorporate Schermerhorn’s love of color with a desire to have an adult home. Many of the pieces are hand-me-downs, and most of the items bought came from thrift stores.
The most money the girls spent on one piece of furniture was for a mirror, which cost $20.
One painting in the dining room came from a mission trip Rutherford took to Haiti. Other pictures and paintings were made by Rutherford, herself.
The Cottage was built in the 1960s, which means it’s too recent to be considered historic. Luckily, that means the house can be updated and renovated.
The dining room, for example, was added onto the house sometime after it was built. “I’m a particular fan of this room,” said Rutherford about the dining room, “I always sit here and do homework. I always feel very productive when I sit right here by the window.”
Rutherford does, however, feel a little disconnected from campus. Unless she goes out of her way to see people, it is easy for her to simply go to class and come home every day.
Schermerhorn just doesn’t like having separate bills to pay.
Overall, the girls love their sanctuary. “I feel like Macon is home, because my home is here,” Schermerhorn said.