Cottage-Style Decorating

Cottage style is a relaxed and casual style, reminiscent of a small vacation cottage in the woods, at the beach, or in the mountains. There are no rules, except everything is usable, feet can be put up on the furniture, and charming is the word of the day.

Keep clutter down to a minimum. Have a place for everyday items, and keep your accessorising to your favourite pieces. You can even change them out with the seasons, just don’t feel the need to display everything you own at once.

COLOUR

Add white through the room. If you prefer colour on your walls, remember to add lots of white and light coloured accessories to brighten. White painted furniture, white plates on the wall and white fabric would all be great contrasts. If you have white walls, add a hint of colour to them with a wash of the palest pastels, and colour in the fabric.

Creative use of everyday items is the hallmark of the cottage style. A garden bench makes a great coffee table, a tin bucket is a perfect magazine rack, and a yard sale pitcher makes a terrific vase. Look around your house at what you already own, and see how you can repurpose things with charm.

LIVING ROOM

When the slipcovers get dirty, just toss them in the wash. Other wallet-friendly ideas include using washable flat paint on walls for easy wiping and opting for bare floors throughout.

FABRICS

Gone are the days when cottage style decorating involved matching your cottage style curtains with decorative pillows or matching your wallpaper with the same fabrics, well you get the idea. Today’s cottage style decorating is about soft colours, vintage furnishings, feminine florals and an eclectic mix of home accessories with a fresh twist.

Window treatments don’t have to be complicated — simply cut panels of raw linen fabric to length, leaving the edges unhemmed, and hang from a rod using drapery hooks.

Use lots of fabric in the room. Slipcovers, pillows, and tablecloths are all hallmarks of a romantic vacation spot. Combine patterns. An easy way to combine patterns in the cottage style is to look for different patterns that all have a white background and similar colour schemes.

LIGHTING

Cottage lighting ideas are one of the most overlooked aspects of renovating a room, often added in as a finishing touch rather than a key consideration. However, given the vital role it plays in creating the perfect atmosphere in a room, it is essential to consider from the start. Begin by thinking about how you use the room, if it’s a space where you like to relax, then create layers with dimmable lamps and wall lights that can be adjusted to suit your needs. Alternatively, if it’s somewhere like the kitchen, then good task lighting is a must.

KITCHEN

To give a cottage kitchen a face-lift on a budget, consider exposed shelving. This turns everyday objects into showpieces and encourages de-cluttering. An affordable striped runner adds a hit of colour.

FURNITURE

Use mismatched furniture. A room should evolve over time for maximum charm, just be sure that the furniture is all casual in nature, and tie it together by painting it all white, or using the same fabric on each piece.