How to Achieve an English Cottage-Style House

How to Achieve an English Cottage-Style House

The quintessential English cottage is a style based on comfort, homeliness and tradition. It’s no wonder that this style endures; it is a timeless style which can be easy to achieve, and yet bring to a home an enviable but relaxed chic. There are no strict rules for this style, it is one which is hard to define and yet is instantly recognizable.

Floral prints on fabrics are a must. This carried through the living room area can bring the theme through in drapes and cushions adorning your Palliser if you’re lucky enough to own some. Bedspreads should be floral too.
The traditional country cottage has a wooden floor, and this effect can be achieved with modern laminates at the fraction of the cost of a real wood floor. Cover with ornamental rugs to soften the coldness of the wood.

Frame pictures with gold ornamental frames, paintings with scenes such as the English countryside give a feel of the British culture. Ornamental pieces such as plates on display in the kitchen or dining area give a real feel of a welcoming home. Flowers on display, artificial, dried or fresh, always make a house feel more homely and adding these is an essential part of the look.

The furniture used depends on the room. English cottages tend not to have dining rooms, and tables are located in the kitchen area, the hub of the English country home. Bedrooms lean towards pine or white painted furniture, which may or may not be in a distressed style. The bedroom furniture tends to be a full wooden bed, a chest of drawers and a full dressing table and wardrobes. These match in style but not necessarily as a set.

Kitchens tend to be full wood affairs, with a light coloured varnish or painted in a light pastel colour. A light green is effective. Dining tables are usually located in the kitchen, but it is not essential that they match so in a separate dining area could still be effective. Gingham fabric seat covers give that country feel.

Old chesterfield couches and non-matching high backed chairs are very much a part of the sitting area. Scattered with the floral cushions this is a very relaxing, unpretentious fashion which will never date and can be updated regularly by accumulating new items. It is a hotchpotch of furniture, fabric and decorative pieces which you can add too throughout a lifetime and bring your own personality to.