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Cottage Style Decorating on a Budget!
by Kathy Wilson, The Budget Decorator
Description: Inexpensive ways to give your home a cozy cottage feel.
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Cottage decorating is meant for real living, which makes it
perfect for the budget decorator!
Cottage style is a relaxed and casual style, reminiscent of
a small vacation cottage in the woods, at the beach, or in
the mountains. There are no rules, except everything is
usable, feet can be put up on the furniture, and charming is
the word of the day.
That being said, there are certain things a budget decorator
can do to bring the cottage style into ones home.
* Add white through the room. If you prefer color on your
walls, remember to add lots of white and light colored
accessories to brighten. White painted furniture, white
plates on the wall and white fabric would all be great
contrasts. If you have white walls, add a hint of color to
them with a wash of the palest pastels, and color in the
fabric.
* Use lots of fabric in the room. Slipcovers, pillows, and
tablecloths are all hallmarks of a romantic vacation spot.
Combine patterns. An easy way to combine pattern in the
cottage style is to look for different patterns that all
have a white background and similar color schemes.
* Use mismatched furniture. A room should evolve over time
for maximum charm, just be sure that the furniture is all
casual in nature, and tie it together by painting it all
white, or using the same fabric on each piece.
* Keep clutter down to a minimum. Have a place for everyday
items, and keep your accessorizing to your favorite pieces.
You can even change them out with the seasons, just don't
feel the need to display everything you own at once.
* Creative use of everyday items are hallmarks of the cottage
style. A garden bench makes a great coffee table, a tin
bucket is a perfect magazine rack, and a yard sale pitcher
makes a terrific vase. Look around your house at what you
already own, and see how you can repurpose things with charm.
* Everything old is new again...weathered finishes, faded
florals, and furnishings with history are ideal fits into
the cottage decor. A budget decorators trick to avoiding the
high price of antique furniture, garden accessories or
architectural elements--buy them new at a discount or home
improvement store, and age them yourself! Lattice,
decorative shelf brackets, or tin buckets can be painted and
sanded to look 100 years old, at a fraction of the price. Do
a google search for "faux antique finishes" and you'll have
all the info you need to create a one of a kind vacation
home cottage decor!
Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The
Budget Decorator and other popular websites. For hundreds of
free budget decorating ideas, visit her at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. Also visit her other
website at http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com.
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