How to Decorate Your Living Room in Cottage Style
The cottage-style living room invites you to slouch on the couch, put your feet up and sit a spell. Furnishings are relaxed and unpretentious. Here are some examples. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Craft Paints
- Curtain Rods
- Fabrics
- Flowers
- Home Furnishings And Accessories
- Picture Frames
- Plants
Instructions
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Choose a sofa with a relaxed attitude, such as an overstuffed style with a homey fabric like a floral, an awning or pillow tick stripe, or a nubby cotton. Look for big rolled arms and a cushioned back; wicker porch-style settees work well, too.
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Look for easy chairs that are in the same general style but don't match - cottage style is eclectic. Keep the budget low with an Adirondack chair - just add cushions.
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Go for casual lamp tables: Outdoor furniture can be painted white, stenciled or trimmed with painted-on flowers. Or look for wicker tables or spool and turned-spindle styles.
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Set out traditional, low-key lamps with fabric shades in gingham or floral prints. Add a lamp with a wicker, terra-cotta or vintage-looking ceramic base, or consider candlestick lamps.
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Make sure the coffee table invites you to put your feet up. Try to find an old kitchen table that you can cut down - or even a chicken coop to which you add a glass top.
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Dress the windows simply or leave them bare - you want lots of light in a cottage-style room. Choose simple unlined curtains or plain white wood blinds if you must cover them.
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Hang old-style pictures in old-style frames. Look for quilts and collectible plates to hang on walls, too.
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Top tables with folk art sculpture and casual flower arrangements. Use dried flowers and potted plants in the room, and try to keep the containers humble.
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Use light-colored paint or a small-print floral on the walls to keep the look cozy but light.
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Tips & Warnings
Because cottage style is humble in nature, it can be executed on a budget. Don't feel you must have new pieces; you can make finds at flea markets, tag sales, thrift shops and secondhand stores.
Make the sofa and chairs more comfy by adding pillows, possibly in vintage-look fabrics such as 1940s florals, salvaged quilt pieces or old-style cotton chenille.
Slipcovers and quilts can cover up upholstered furnishings that have seen better days; a pretty quilt also makes a great wall hanging for cottage-style rooms.
