10 simple steps to achieve cottage style in your home.

The month of May tends to be the kick off to cottage season and the fact that Victoria Day/Memorial Day long weekend is in May also means the kick off to the summer season. For many this long weekend is the beginning of camping, opening up the cottage after all winter or taking the RV out to that favourite campsite. What better time to talk about one of my favourite design styles- Cottage Style.

What is cottage style?

For me its relaxed, cozy, layered and nothing too precious. It’s a style that just sort of happens over time with curated collections from walks on the beach showing up on table tops and perched on a  shelf. It’s a bowl of seaglass, a piece of driftwood, a seashell or a beach rock just placed here or there. You can’t over think it because that just goes against what being at the cottage is all about.

You don’t have to own a cottage to enjoy cottage style. Your home could be in the middle of suburbia and you can still surround yourself with this relaxed design aesthetic.

Here are my must haves to achieve that cottage style look:

1. Slipcovers.

Nothing says relaxed like slipcovered furniture. Plus it’s super versatile in that they can be laundered and if you have white ones, you can even bleach them. Want to change up the look? Have a couple of pairs in different colours.

2. Jutes and sisals

Jute and sisal rugs have come along way and are no longer rough underfoot especially if you have littles about playing on the floor. I love the texture they bring to a space and they are a great rug to layer. You can bring texture in via light fixtures, ottomans and don’t forget baskets.

3. Vintage linens

There’s just something so soft when it comes to vintage linens. I have a number of vintage quilts. If you can’t find vintage, you can go for new as linen is a fabric that softens and just gets better with age. I have a linen duvet and curtains that I’m still loving ten years later.

4.  Neutral wood tones in weathered finishes.

Natural wood tones will never look dated and I think that is one reason why Cottage style is classic and never looks out of place. Again cottage style is curated over time. Shop your local buy and sells, flea markets, second hand shops for those one of a kind pieces.

5. Tongue and Groove Pine or shiplap

Long before Joanna Gaines made shiplap a home decor phenomenon, those of us on this side of the border were well acquainted with pine tongue and groove paneling especially in cottages. Again it adds dimension, character and texture to a space. I do suggest painting or at least whitewashing the T&G panelling as pine will darken with age and too much of a good thing is never a good thing. You can install it horizontally as has been the trend for the past number of years or you can install it vertically which is what most of us are used to seeing and this orientation is making a comeback again.

6. Wood Floors

Nothing says cottage like wood floors, especially wide plank pine floors. However, I must suggest staying away from pine floors if you want pristine wood flooring. Pine floors patina over time and the dents and scratches just adds character.

7. Painted furniture

Don’t go crazy and paint all the things but a few select pieces placed around your space will add to that cottage charm and bring a pop of color to the space. Choose an accent color and repeat it several times through your home to ensure a cohesive look.

8. Add colour.

Blues and greens and sandy greiges brings depth to your space and these colours pair well with all the other elements I’ve discussed. When people hear colour, they automatically think it must go on the walls. No!! Stop right there! You don’t have to put the colour on the wall because then it’s competing with every other element in the space. You don’t want someone entering your space and going “Nice walls”. You want them to notice that flea market find that you scored the deal of your life on and brought home and refinished. You want the pieces that you have painstakingly collected over time that has a story to be the focus, not your walls.

9. Accessorizing

It’s not going out and buying every item that reads coastal in it from your home decor store. It’s not kitschy. It’s a curated , collected look. It’s simple, no fuss. Its a dish of sea glass from your many walks on the beach. Its a bowl of seashells that your children collected over every summer for the past 12 years. It’s that odd shaped piece of driftwood that washed ashore after a storm. With each piece, it tells a story, a memory to be shared. Who cares that you walked in to Home Sense and bought something off the shelf.

10. Last but not least, plants and flowers.

Perhaps it’s a vase of wildflowers, pussy willows in spring, a branch of apple blossoms or a maple branch in fall. (Please don’t harm any tree or plant when gathering for your home) Whatever it may be, greenery- real or faux- will add that organic feel to the space.

There you have it. My ten design tips to achieve that cottage style look. What do you think? Love it or hate it. The relaxed cottage style is definitely not for everyone. But, when done right, it is a classic style and that is timeless.

Want help choosing pieces for your home to achieve my signature coastal style look? Book your initial consultation with me today.