Posts Tagged ‘French Country Furniture’

INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

CREATING A COMFORTABLE COTTAGE STYLE HOME    

 Whether it’s a French Country Cottage used as a seaside escape, a rustic mountain English Cottage, a woodland retreat overlooking a wonderful view, or a lakeside cottage just for summer getaways, they all have a common spirit. It’s almost guaranteed that if you have a cottage by the water or a wonderful view, you’ll be spending a great deal of time outdoors. Nonetheless, once inside you’ll still want to be able to gaze upon the view that drew you to this special place. As with other types of cottages, windows are an important feature. Often windows are left bare for a look of simplicity. Cottage Style Interior Design evokes a feeling of serenity and a sense that, for the moment, time is standing still…proving that simplicity can be both inviting and elegant.

Cottage Style Interior Decor conjures a feeling of quiet contentment, recalls sweet memories of summers past, and sparks a longing for a simple and relaxing life. The dictionary defines a cottage as a dwelling of a small home of a peasant or farmer, often found in Europe centuries old. And from this lifestyle a certain manner of decorating has emerged – one that is gracious yet unpretentious, free of any formal constraints, a style creating a snug and cozy home. French Country Decorating has become the trend in recent years, because we are looking for more comfortable rooms and the perfect place to relax. “Cottage Décor” is a free spirit. There are no rules, but there is an underlying sense of playfulness and ambience. Since the main objective is relaxation, you should outfit rooms to be welcoming, comforting, and casual enough that you can kick off your shoes, curl up on the slip-covered sofa, and devote time to simple pleasures. French Country Décor can be informal with just a hint of elegance, or it can be completely casual and laid-back. Often, an air of romance pervades. As a designer, I have a passion for the cottage style of decorating. I love the mix of casual elegance with a touch of Country French and English Country, then I like to throw in a little bit of rustic, especially if you are in the mountains.

A lakeside cottage is big on theme accessories. A wooden canoe is a great way to draw the eye up toward a vaulted ceiling. As with any cottage, Cottage Furniture for a lakeside home should cater to comfort in a casual and carefree style. French Country Window Treatments hanging from large oars are a perfect accent for a lake house. The façade of a cottage usually makes a decorative contribution to the front porch. Adding comfort and beauty means accessorizing porch chairs and other seating with not only plump cushions, but colorful pillows and throws as well. For a rustic décor, Navajo prints, checks, and deep-colored floral patterns are an excellent choice. Stripes and large, bright floral designs, on the other hand, are better suited to a Cottage Style seaside escape or a farmhouse in a rural setting. No porch would be complete without flowers or greenery.

There is something mystical, even spiritual, about being surrounded by towering evergreens, a French Country Cottage nestled in the woods or in the embrace of a mountainside is at one with nature. The interior of a woodland cottage pays tribute to the great outdoors. Each room should have a focal point. In a rustic living room or great room, that focal point is usually the fireplace. While some fireplaces are typical in size, others can be quite massive in a mountain cottage. When decorating in a mountain style you can go in many directions. The great camps of the Adirondack’s has contributed much to the rustic style we use in decorating today.

By adding a bentwood chair or a piece of willow French Country Furniture, you can create a woodsy style to any room. I love to mix a few rustic pieces to a cottage style, and you’ve created rustic elegance. I like to use a willow canopy bed painted white mixed with painted pieces, accenting the windows with French Country voile sheer fabric and you’ve created a light, airy space with a rustic mix. It’s a refreshing look.

French Country Interior Decorating and collecting seem to go hand in hand. While many accents are indicators of style, collections reveal the personality. Your collections will give your cottage its individual character. The cozy comfortable style of cottage living is so popular today. It’s a great design to live with for a comfortable lifestyle.

Email me at caiken1@windstream.net if you would like to discuss a decorating idea or dilemma.  This is another in my series of home INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS from your Atlanta Interior Designer; I hope that you use them to help you create a comfortable cottage style home.

 For more decorating ideas or to browse our interior design catalog that feature lots of Mountain Cottage and French Country Furniture just click here.

 

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Faux Finishing Interior Design Ideas

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Lets try Faux -By Cynthia Aiken

If you create the perfect background to a room, then it follows that the rest of the  Décor will fall into place.

The easiest way to create a dramatic look is with a faux finish. And the best thing about faux finishes is that there are a multitude of techniques to choose from. As an illustration, to create an elegant French Country look use a faux finish that reflects light, as is the case with a hand striped finish using a tone on tone color e.g. a stripe of shine and a stripe of a matte finish. This finish will look fabulous in both a dark tone as well as a light color. Places in the home where this technique can be used include the dining room and the bedroom. I’ve also used this finish to break up the length of a long hallway creating interest by using wide stripes. In fact, wide stripes are more elegant than narrow stripes. The additional benefit is that this approach is more cost effective than filling the wall with art.

Anita Bellinger, a fine faux artist and neighbor in Big Canoe, GA says faux finishes we’ll be seeing more of in coming years are metallic finishes and waxes. Today Anita does an incredible job of creating the illusion of very elegant Venetian plaster. It looks like polished stone, is very refined, and makes a powerful statement. Even though you know it’s a faux finish you can’t resist touching it to make sure. Another benefit of this approach is that it makes an otherwise mundane color spring to life.

Done correctly faux finishes can be a wise investment.

Glazes are another finish that makes a dramatic statement. This is a great finish for trims and wood ceilings. You see glazed finishes on kitchen cabinets, where they are ivory or cherry glazed with chocolate or charcoal. Glazing can be an easy solution to soften white trim and is much faster than repainting. An example, built-in white bookcases flanking a fireplace can become unique pieces of French Country Furniture and a focal point to any room simply by glazing the white finish.

Using glazed French Country Furniture against a faux finished wall is a terrific look. For example, I love to create an old world plaster finish in a kitchen or a keeping room and then used glazed woodwork or furniture to compliment the look. The two together creates a more cozy and mellow felling. Visualize this in an old European farmhouse where the combination oozes character of a French Country Style.

The master bath is the perfect place for creating a French Country look. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the norm. You may create something unforgettable.

Tromp l’oeil is a term for a mural that deceives the eye. This technique can be so realistic that often you must touch it to be certain it is not real. For example you will often see a piece of furniture painted on a wall that looks three dimensional and actually creates the illusion of a genuine piece of furniture. Tromp l’oeil is a great solution if you want to hide something. Like a door that is rarely used. Paint a mural over the door and it becomes art. You’ll probably forget that the door is there. Certainly visitors will never know. 

You will be surprised to find that most finishes are very reasonable; often the cost will be less than wallpaper. Some finishes are easy enough that with the proper tools you can crate them yourself, but if you want the right look, I’d recommend a professional. And most artists are happy to create a preview board for your approval so there will be no surprises when the job is completed.

Please visit our website for some of our top articles on interior design.

As an Atlanta Interior Designer, I love to work with faux finishes. It makes the fabrics and the design of the room more distinctive. 

Email me at caiken1@alltel.net if you would like to discuss a decorating idea or dilemma.  This is another in my series of home INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS from your Atlanta Interior Designer; I hope that you will try faux finishing on a wall somewhere in your home it is inexpensive and very effective.  

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