1. Distressed Furniture: Turn back the hands of time with chairs, tables, cabinets and chests that exhibit  the natural wear and tear of years of use. Remember: The dings, peeling paint and rusted hardware all add to the personality and individual character of a piece.
2. Flea Market Finds: Were you lucky enough to have inherited an eclectic assortment of Grandmother’s inexpensive goods? If not, shopping at flea markets and tag sales is a must! To give a new house an authentic old-fashioned feeling, decorate lavishly with quaint kitchen items, vintage signs and country store memorabilia.
3. Beadboard: A country favorite for 100 years or more, the simple, clean lines of grooved beadboard planks can look woodsy or beachy, depending on the finish. Install  beadboard halfway up a wall as wainscoting, or cover the entire room. Used on a ceiling, it lends the feel of an old-fashioned porch. Traditional beadboard comes in narrow pieces installed one plank at a time. Modern versions come in convenient 4' plywood panels. Faux painters can “fake it” by creating the grooved effect with paint.
4. Vintage Fabrics: Yesteryear’s fabrics have a place in today’s cottage home. The 1930s to the 1950s were the heyday of fancifully printed fabrics. Vintage tablecloth sets, dishtowels, handkerchiefs and other remnants can be found at most flea markets and antiques malls. Reproduction textiles are available at home sewing centers. Collect faded florals, bright fruit and vegetable prints, or retro motifs.
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5. Wicker Furniture: As at home on the porch as in the living room, wicker furnishings add a light and breezy style to your decorating scheme. Whether left natural or finished in summer white, camp green or a nostalgic pastel, wicker can be mixed with just about any other type of furniture to enhance your cottage look.
6. White, White, White: Adding white loosens up and relaxes any color scheme. White mixes well with a sampler of blues, pretty pinks or faded greens. An all-white room has a serene and spacious feeling  and allows you to concentrate on the texture of items, such as wicker and lace, and on architectural elements as well.
7. Herbs and Flowers: What’s a cottage without flowers and greenery? Add window boxes and large planters to your home’s exterior wherever you can, but don’t forget you can have them indoors, too! Just fill a planter with beautiful blossoms or fragrant kitchen herbs and place on a sunny sill.
8. Wrought Iron: The intricate patterning and
heaviness of wrought-iron pieces are just the things for bringing texture into a room. Mixed with wicker, distressed wood, flea market finds and fresh flowers, a striking piece of wrought iron can make a room come to life.
9. Outdoor Elements: Bring the joy of a garden indoors all year long with stenciled flowers, wall-mounted trellis work, botanical print slipcovers and outdoor furniture. In season, fresh flowers are a must. Instead of the usual vases or pots, use flea market finds such as watering cans or Mason jars
as containers.
10. Beach and Boating Motifs: Even if you don’t live near the water, evoke the tranquil sense of being at the shore with shells, starfish and colorful sea glass. Or, choose a nautical theme by displaying items in fishing nets or a small rowboat. |
