How to Decorate Your Living Room in Cottage Style

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (11 Ratings)

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.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Craft Paints
Curtain Rods
Fabrics
Flowers
Home Furnishings And Accessories
Picture Frames
Plants

Step1

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.

Step2

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.

Step3

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.

Step4

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.

Step5

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.

Step6

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.

Step7

Hang old-style pictures in old-style frames. Look for quilts and collectible plates to hang on walls, too.

Step8

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.

Step9

Use light-colored paint or a small-print floral on the walls to keep the look cozy but light.

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.