by Tierney O'Hara

Created on: August 11, 2011

Easy country cottage decorating ideas

Country cottage design is not a color, a type of wood or a style of furniture. Country cottage design is more about how the space makes you feel than what furnishings, colors or accessories you have in the room.

Country cottage décor evokes a sense of coziness, comfort and casual living. It makes your family or your guests feel instantly welcome to curl up on an overstuffed chair, rock in the white wicker and chintz rocking chair or plop down on a slip-covered sofa and read the daily newspaper.

Pick up a copy of Country Living magazine, and you’ll see there are no hard and fast rules on the best way to create a country cottage look – no matter what room of the house you choose to decorate in this style and no matter where you live, from condo to farmhouse, you can embrace and create this budget-friendly, family-friendly decorating style.

Country cottage decorating highlights simplicity, ignores “perfection,” and embraces easy, relaxed living. Here are a few of the ways you can bring country cottage design to any room in your house.

- Highlight a collection

Maybe you collect china teacups and saucers, old bottles, straw hats or milk pitchers. Almost anything you collect can become a focal point in a country cottage room.  Pile up teacups in a cupboard or display a collection of mixed Chintz china pieces.  Frame a collection of mismatched, old wool mittens or create a shelf for your collection of calico cats and gingham dogs or wooden candlesticks.

- Create a snapshot wall

Sure formal portraits are lovely and if you have some you can certainly display them in your country cottage home, but how about making photos more fun by designing a wall of snapshots – old and new, sepia toned and black and white.  Page through your mother’s or grandmother’s photo albums and with permission, grab some old-time photos to mix with contemporary photos you have of your friends and family.  Be sure to include friends, cousins, children’s school mates – this snapshot wall should reflect important people or times in your family’s life.

Cut down the expense of framing by buying up any small frames you can find at tag sales or consignment shops. Buy discounted frames on sale or at dollar stores, then spray the frames black or white or whatever color suits you and the same color on each frame will give cohesiveness and structure to your snapshot wall.  Or

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