Mix prints for a homey, inviting feel.
Cottage-style decor is aimed at bringing the outdoors in and providing a comfortable space that feels homey and inviting. The worn, faded and rustic aesthetic of country cottage-style decor is reproducible by high-priced designers and bare-budget shoppers alike. Incorporate your individual likes and dislikes with the tenants in the style to design just one room -- or a whole home -- that you love. Let your inner child out to play by giving yourself permission to color outside the lines and mix and match, leaving you with a decor you adore. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Furniture
1. Mix touches of modern and vintage. Scour thrift stores and estate sales for plush sofas, or invest in a cozy slip cover to breathe new life into your existing seating.
2. Stick with lighter woods and metals. Cottage-style d cor has a clean, fresh feeling. Your furniture should reflect this.
3. Opt for wicker tables and chairs to provide additional seating.
4. Invest in woven chairs to update a basic kitchen table.
5. Decorate your bed with a wooden headboard. Intricate scrolled-style headboards add a hint of elegance, while plain wooden headboards appeal to a stark sense of style. Decorate wrought iron headboards with trailing silk vines or flowers to evoke a country garden.
6. Play with colors and textures. Revitalize plain pieces by painting them solid colors. Warm tones, such as yellow, orange and red, invite warmth into your d cor. Investigate painting techniques that add texture -- use unusual brushes and tools to achieve this.
Textiles
7. Stick to light, breezy fabrics. Sheer white curtains on the windows allow you privacy but also mesh with cottage-style d cor.
8. Be bold. Gingham fabric evokes the feel of a rustic picnic. Stripes add interest and contrast to expansive surfaces. Floral patterns are a mark of cottage-style decorating. Choose smaller prints for smaller areas -- such as a pillow. Larger prints are suited to larger expanses -- for example, a large flower print fabric might be right at home on an overstuffed couch.
9. Add warmth with fabric accessories. Scatter pillows on your sofa. Add cushions to your furniture. Floor cushions provide additional seating for guests without sacrificing storage space.
10. Make a quilt. Quilts can be used as bedding or decorative wall hangings. Do-it-yourself beginner quilting kits are available. Some quilt styles, such as tie quilts, involve minimal or no sewing at all.
11. Decorate with area and throw rugs. Braided throw rugs, rag rugs and Oriental rugs all work with cottage-style d cor. Defy tradition and opt for a modern-styled area rug with bold blocks of color. Choose colors to match your palette.
Accessories
12. Provide visual interest and extra storage with baskets. Woven baskets fit country-style d cor and provide a functional space to store your stuff.
13. Bring the outdoors in with fresh flowers. If you have a green thumb, grow a container garden. For the less agriculturally inclined, add fresh-cut flowers to a vase on a sunny windowsill or table.
14. Display collectibles with pride. Everyday home items, such as wooden bobbins, kitchen spoons or even bottles bring hints of authenticity to cottage-style d cor. Add collections of natural items -- such as rocks, feathers, leaves or shells -- as a way to connect with nature.
15. Spice up your entryway with farm equipment. Use a beat-up wheelbarrow to hold shoes. Hang coats on a pitchfork. Use an antique wagon wheel outside your doorway as a planter for petunias or other annuals.
16. Mix it up. Cottage-style d cor isn't about matching and getting a sleek, modern look -- it's about displaying the things that are important to you and creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Don't be afraid to pair stripes with plaids, or display your child's artwork next to a reproduction Monet.
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