The cottage decorating style is a favorite of many and it's no surprise as the pull of the country cottage is oddly powerful for anyone caught in the confines of todays cities tightly squeezed accommodations. With the image of the city within your house, which one of us wouldn't seek a something less citified?

Instead of shucking your worldly belongings and heading off to the mountains, you might explore creating a country getaway in your city home with some basic cottage decorating or, as it is sometimes called, "shabby chic decor".

The first rule of decorating in a cottage style is to make your place seem more spacious. Get rid of all that clutter you no longer use. If items can be reused as storage containers to store those things than that is great. Use suitcases as drawers, or breadbins as document storage. Making new uses of older items is part of the country decorating appeal.

Get good quality yard sale finds that require fixing and do it yourself. Using older, time worn pieces is part of cottage decorating. Colors should be simple. Really the best selection could be the simplest color of all; white. White helps you have an illusion of space in addition to acting as an interesting backdrop for your personal touches.

Throws, pillows and quilts in vibrant colors work great in any cottage decor. Here is where you can really let out your unique creative flair show through. Shop at garage sales and flea markets for anything from window drapes to towels. A lot of times you can get excellent artwork at festivals and colleges for a bargain, and this has the added advantage of you being able to boast to your friends "Of course, I liked his stuff better before he was famous".

Old items look a good deal better with the cottage decor then newly bought items from the department store so don't be afraid to stock up at the yard sale. Old lamps, wrought iron pieces, chairs, coal scuttles and even vintage linens can all be a part of to the shabby chic appeal. And you will be acquiring unique items which you won’t find in every one else's home.

You can employ the cottage decor to bring the country inside your home. Add softness plus country interest to your home with a container garden. You may grow herbs right on your windowsill - they are good to look at and you can utilize them for cooking as well. I am fortunate enough to have a little roof overhang outside my window where I have an old rain-barrel which will hopefully soon grow a lot of lettuce.

Cottage decorating is fun and functional. It permits you to keep using your favorite furniture and accessories. The cozy and warm country cottage in the city will be your treat for the care you have shown your home.

Lee Dobbins writes for Perfect Home Decor where you can get more decorating ideas and learn more about the cottage decorating style.

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