Have you been dreaming of a cottage-inspired living room where you’ll feel like you’re on another planet? Well, with a bit of work and a lot of attention to detail, your dream can come true.
The cottage interior design style originates from the stunning cottages in England. Thankfully, you can recreate parts of it by getting a new sofa, decorating with wooden details, choosing suitable curtains, and going shopping for antiques and a vintage cabinet.
Check out our living room essentials checklist that you need to keep in mind before you start shopping.
1. Wooden Details
The beauty of cottage-inspired interior décor is that it encourages you to mix prints, textures and materials. Aside from the colorful florals, fun plaids, and pretty stripes, you should focus on wooden details all around the room.
Wood is a material that spreads cozy vibes, and you can use it to your advantage to create the perfect atmosphere. Some of the wood details that you can add are striking wood curtain rods, rings, curtain accessories, wooden shelves, a unique wooden coffee table and more. An issue with wooden curtain rods is that they don’t glide as easily as metal/iron curtain rods. This is due to the friction of the wood material on the glides/rings. However, you can solve this problem by purchasing iron curtain rods that look like wood from Drapery Curtain Rods.
2. Antiques
Antiques are not only valuable, but they are also the perfect addition to a cottage living room. No matter if you opt for light or dark cottage style, antique decorations are a must.
We’re talking about unique decorations that will make the space even more welcoming and special. Most English cottages are filled with antiques, starting with comfy armchairs, gorgeous vases, lamps, mirrors, frames, and other vintage furniture pieces.
3. Vintage Mirrors
The mirrors you’ll get can all feature a different shape, size, color and material. If you can, find several vintage mirrors that you’ll place as frames on an empty wall. This will be one of the most vibrant and stunning corners in the room.
Mirrors are perfect for smaller and dark rooms because they make the space appear large and capture natural light.
4. Nail The Curtains
The curtains can either make or break the final look of the room. Since the cottage interior design style is all about layering, mixing, and matching, we recommend combining sheer curtains with heavy, rich, plush draperies.
If the rest of the room is more on the minimalist side, you can choose an eye-catching print for the drapes. Colors such as emerald, royal blue, burgundy, and violet will work wonders for your new living room.
5. A Striking Cabinet
You can’t really capture the cottage feel without a striking rustic cabinet. This can be a classic large cabinet where you’ll place your decoration, or it can be a gorgeous cabinet to put the TV on.
Think about going vintage furniture shopping. The pieces that you’ll find will be a perfect addition to your room. Find a cabinet made of wood to rework it in a color that you love and even add unique hand-painted details everyone will love.
6. Cozy, Comfy Sofa
A gorgeous rustic-inspired sofa will most likely be the centerpiece of your new living room. If you’re obsessed with how cottages are decorated, this is your time to recreate those magical vibes. The design you choose should be comfy and beautiful, with a striking upholstery to fit the cottage-like style. The best version is a rich, baroque-like floral print in muted, subtle shades.
If you prefer a more minimalist style, you should opt for a white or cream sofa that encompasses style and comfort in one. This design will allow you to get creative with the sofa accessories. Get cute floral and plaid cushions, a soft knitted throw blanket, and you’re ready to go.
7. Artwork
You can’t really decorate a cottage-inspired room without including artwork. Although there aren’t any rules, large and striking paintings should be your choice. Bigger sized paintings will create an illusion that the room is quite large. When you opt for many smaller ones, you can make the living room feel cramped.
Don’t be afraid to add many paintings in pretty frames all over the living room. Make sure that the frames are as unique as the artwork.
Final Thoughts
Although achieving the well-known coziness and uniqueness of a cottage-inspired living room might not be simple, it will be worth it. This checklist is ready; now, all you need to do is start shopping for the essentials.
Some of the items that will help you achieve the popular English cottage style are a vintage cabinet, carefully chosen drapes, wooden details and antiques, mirrors, and a great sofa.
Are you ready to get into action and decorate your new living room?
Zana Dodig is a window treatments consultant with over 20 years of experience and loves helping others to cover their windows stylishly. She works as a window treatment consultant and writer at DraperyCurtainRods.ca – a place where you can find everything to treat your windows!
Thanks to draperycurtainrods.ca for consulting.
