HOW TO CREATE French Country CottageSTYLE IN AN EXISTING ROOM

By Cynthia Aiken

The French Country Cottage style of home interior relaxes a room and introduces the look that’s happy and humble with items to be touched. It’s the look of a comfortable lived in room. It is also a look of memories, a look of vintage. It’s a look that says, “Come in, sit, take in and touch everything.  Create a cottage corner filled with lots of things to touch and see. Start with French Cottage Furniture such as an overstuffed chair, then add vintage textiles, home interior art in framed prints and of course, flowers fresh from the garden.

Add a little Romance…The rough edges of the world outside your door soften when you come home to romance. When it comes to romance, decorating is easy to master, just follow your heart. Start with a pure white palette; add billowy, flowing sheer fabrics or lace panels to the windows. Think of wedding dresses and christening gowns, and you’ll know why a pure white-on-white scheme touches the heart. 

Add a little Provence…The classic French Country Cottage rooms create another interpretation of cottage style. Using the rich colors of a Provence landscape by using mustards, terracottas, poppy reds and brilliant celestial blue create the perfect combination for a French country style. French Country Decorating style has a free spirit that encourages mixing of what you love. Texture is key to Provencal style. Plastered walls create the perfect backdrop for any room.  Mix French Cottage Furniture finishes – light, dark, painted finishes, and distressed finishes will give your room a sense of age.

Add a little coziness…Because French Country Cottage style is one of the most intimate of interior design, it makes sense to introduce a cozy appeal with decorative details, such as Painted French Country Furniture, pillows, and lots of color.  Comfortable furnishings are always at the top of my list for any room. The other essential – an ottoman or sturdy coffee table you can prop your feet on after a tough day.  Mention cottage comfort, and you immediately think of sink-down seating, cloud-soft fabrics, and cushy pillows.   

Add a mixture of fabrics…The most loveable quality of French Country Cottage style interior design ideas is simply mixing lots of patterns and fabrics.  Of course, standard guidelines for good design apply. But to get your rooms in just the right cozy mood, go ahead and stretch your imagination. Cottage design is essentially a happy, fresh mix of different patterns that mimic an almost childlike sense of play.  When mixing lots of patterns, vary the scale, using large, medium, and small prints. Mix a wide stripe on a sofa with a small pinstripe at the window, floral fabrics mixed with small checks and large plaids. Small home interior art such as geometric prints and solid textures, which I call filler fabrics, create a nice blending of all patterns.  Contrast a room full of patterned fabrics with plain painted walls. A bold mix of patterns can turn a secondhand chair into a witty cottage accent.

Add a little wicker…Wicker brings an outdoor palette inside your home. Nothing is better that a wicker chair for adding a touch of nostalgia. It’s no wonder that wicker turns up in so many cottage style rooms. It’s just as at home on the front porch as in the living room. I like to introduce a pair of wicker chairs to a dining room. They can add a less formal look of cottage style to an otherwise formal room.

French Country Cottage style is forgiving, flexible and fun. Classic shapes of chairs and sofas can easily be refreshed with new fabrics, slipcovers, or even accent pillows as your rooms and taste evolve. Just let go, do your thing and have fun. The cottage style is layering of things you like. It’s anything that could be from a by gone era. A cottage style room is inviting and comfortable, a place where guests are instantly at ease the moment they enter your home.

 This is another in my series of home INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS; I hope that you can use them with your French Cottage Furniture and French Country Cottage décor.