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Budget Decorating: Adding Cottage Style to Your Home on a Shoestring


© L.C. Dumke

May 9, 2001


Cottage style gives an all-around "lighter feel" than American Country. Painted wood furniture, white on white rooms, and airy pastel paintings are key.

Easy, Low-Cost Cottage Decor Ideas

If you're wondering how to make your home into a cozy, romantic cottage, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Whitewash some of the heavy wood furnishings you already have - or pick up something inexpensive, like a dark wood shelf or hat rack at a yard sale, and start there. Just thin the paint with a bit of water before applying, or apply paint then sand off in a few places to let the wood stain show through.
  • Introduce garden-style, iron furniture into your home. A dainty, curvy chair can be a wonderful addition to any room. Add a small floral pillow for more interest.
  • Try your hand at decorative painting or stenciling, instead of wallpapering or using just plain paint. A topiary stenciled next to the front door, for example, is a warm addition to a "cold" foyer.
  • Mix your patterns liberally. Stripes, solids, florals, and polka dots can all go together in one room. Especially if you tie them all together with a common color or two, and if you keep the colors low-key rather than overpowering.
  • Hang up your plates, trays, teacups, and saucers for a "grandma's house" kind of atmosphere.
  • Lighten up your windows with a wisp of lace instead of heavy curtains.
  • Every cottage needs fresh flowers - the more the better.

For more information on cottage style decorating, check out these sites:

Mary Engelbreit.com
Romantic Homes Magazine
Chapman Cottage.

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The copyright of the article Budget Decorating: Adding Cottage Style to Your Home on a Shoestring in Budget Decorating is owned by Jill Florio. Permission to republish Budget Decorating: Adding Cottage Style to Your Home on a Shoestring in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages
3.   Oct 3, 2001 6:09 AM
Thank you for your nice compliment. It IS lovely - to me! Most of my guests seem pleased.

As for the boring dining room I have decided to wallpaper the dining room in a mottled paper with several ...

-- posted by countryhausfrau
2.   Oct 2, 2001 9:51 AM
In response to message posted by countryhausfrau:

Well it sounds like you have a lovely cottage home! To add some color to yo ...

-- posted by Lu
1.   Oct 1, 2001 11:44 AM
Hello:

My home is a farm in rural South Carolina and I have decorated in a cottage style.

My dining room is small, 12x12 with a set of double doors on one wall, the other walls are as follows: a ...

-- posted by countryhausfrau



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