There are three keys to successfully furnishing a Cottage-style room: white paint, slipcovers and creativity. White paint breathes new life into mismatched, old and discolored furniture and creates a unifying theme that lets all sorts of style blend well into a room. Some furniture on the market today, especially children's furniture, already comes with white paint, distressed edges and a Cottage-inspired design, conveying the popularity of this relatively new style. The result of a few coats of paint is an airy, bright and cheerful mood within the home.
Slip covers perform the same function for upholstered furniture as paint does for wooden furniture. Worn out flea market finds and hand-me-downs will perk up under a pale (think white or cream) slip cover that may or may not have prints that match your braided rugs and accents. Don't worry if the slipcovers show a wrinkle or two-you want to look as though a guest can have a seat without disrupting the room. You want the room to look lived in, but avoid crossing the line to unkempt.
Lastly, tap into your creative side as you plan your furniture layout. Consider using items for something other than their obvious function. Turn a favorite chair into a console table that holds a favorite hatbox or a collection of teddy bears. Old cupboards can be used as shelving to hold your collection of teacups and saucers. With Cottage-style rooms, you're truly limited only by your imagination.
One of the few styles in which stains are a good thing, tea stained textiles in Cottage designed rooms fit the antique and charming image built by eclectic furniture and distressed wood. Tea-staining makes new fabric look well-loved and dulls the sharpness a fresh, white textile can have. Additionally, keep window treatments relatively uncomplicated and airy to let natural sunshine and warmth filter into your room. Complement this natural lighting with bunches of flowers in vases. For extra detail and interest, use trunks, particularly beautiful or quaint plates, mirrors, frames, and lace linens. Don't be limited by this list; you can find other items to populate your room when browsing attics, vintage stores, flea markets and more.
Cottage Style Interior Decorating
Decorative Accessories are the icing on any design theme and will help pull your Cottage style decorating theme together. Try to use light and comfortable decorative accessories which give you the relaxing and unique ambiance of a vacation cottage. When selecting pieces to compliment your Cottage décor, you'll want to consider decorative accessories like wall art, pillows and knick-knacks.
Wall art is a terrific way to add unique appeal to your walls, but most homeowners don't know the correct way to hang them. When displaying art, think like a gallery and have the middle of the piece at eye level. When working with a collection of photos, prints or paintings, try working out the design on the floor to get it most suitable before you start hanging things on the wall. The Cottage style decorating theme can be accentuated with beach and flower prints which you can put in light frames.
When looking for knick knacks for your decorating scheme be sure to find ones that compliment your décor and also bring in your unique style. To compliment your cottage decorating, think of using accessories with a relaxing and unique charm. Deploying large shells set here and there can result in a nice look and so can pastel flower arrangements in large crystal vases. Spend time choosing various knick knacks that really display your personality. Contrary to what you might have been told, you don't have to spend a bundle to have pleasing decorative items. Shopping at thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets can provide interesting accessories for a lot less.
Decorative pillows are another item you can decorate with to jazz up your design theme. They're fun to buy and you can use them in any type of room. Arranging them in rows in front of your headboard serves to give a professional allure to your bedroom. Pillows on your chair or couch may help give a sense of the cottage decorating ambiance to the furniture. Pillows can be used in the bathroom and kitchen, think about using them in chairs, on the hamper or on shelves. Pillows which are made with vintage barkcloth or chenile fabric will help enhance your decor.
Some other items which can help add interest to the ambiance of a vacation cottage include wicker, vintage signs, and old hand fans. To better augment your decorating theme, you should pick accessories that not only enhance each other, but also the decorating theme. If you choose pieces to widely, then you may end up mucking up the ambiance you are endeavoring to develop.
Adding interest to your Cottage style decorating theme with seashells and seaside artwork can help pull your room together. It's essential, though, that you have a vision of the kinds of pieces you need so you can stick to taking home just those that suit. You should be sure your accessories in in the ideal scale to each other so you should be aware of the sizes of your items when purchasing them. Pick your decorative pieces with care and your room is sure to look terrific!
Both James Allen & Lee Dobbins are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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