Cottage Style Remodeling

Relax in a cottage style home.

Your home is your sanctuary. It's the place where you relax and escape the stresses of day-to-day life in the outside world. To make your home even more relaxing, decorate it with a style decor that is comfortable and invites you to unwind. Cottage style decor is warm and welcoming. It's far from pretentious, and in fact, is rather casual. Think antique store finds, muted colors and comfortable furniture.

Things You'll Need

• Flooring, such as wide planked bare wood floors or slate tiles
• Braided area rugs
• Pastel paint
• Furniture
• Sandpaper
• Window treatments
• Accessories

Instructions

1. Choose flooring. Flooring in a cottage-style home is unpolished and informal. If you're replacing your current flooring, replace it with wide planked bare wood floors or slate tiles. Add warmth and softness to the wood or tile with braided area rugs. If you're remodeling a carpeted home, simply lay colorful braided area rugs over the carpet.

2. Paint the walls. Pastel colors are soothing and welcoming, making them an ideal choice for a cottage style home. When selecting paint colors, pick pastel hues that suit the room you are decorating. For instance, pastel blue, lavender or green for a bedroom and bathroom and subdued yellows and peach for the kitchen, living room or dining room. Use warm white shades for the trim and other accents, such as cream or eggshell.

3. Choose furnishings that invite people to sit and stay awhile. Furnish a living room with an overstuffed couch upholstered with a simple floral print or gingham. Surround a bed with a brass frame. Use wood pieces that have a worn finish. Tables constructed of reclaimed wood are ideal. Give painted wood pieces an aged look by using sandpaper to remove some color.

4. Cover the windows with informal fabrics. Light and airy sheers allow natural sunlight to filter through and don't completely block out the view. Cafe curtains and valances are another option. Use solid colors or simple prints. White or light colored wooden plantation shutters also fit in with this decor.

5. Accessorize your home. Use wrought iron or brass lamps topped with gingham shades. Display a collection of antique plates in a china cabinet or on a wall. Hang vintage prints of the beach or other landscape settings on the walls. Place arrangements of wildflowers and vases and set them on tables. Mirrors framed with vintage brass frames or large wooden frames brighten up the interior of your home and make small rooms look larger.

References

• Cal Finder: Cottage Style-Home Sweet Home
• Cottage Style Decorating Guide: Welcome to Cottage Style Decorating