10 Ways to Create New Country Cottage Interiors
Country cottage interiors are ever evolving and ever-enduring because this style has its own spirit rather than a set of strict rules. These rooms can be informal, spacious or tiny but at the heart of it they are always intimate, have practical storage and nooks or alcoves that are functional and comfortable at the same time.
Country Cottage Interiors Elements
Country cottage interiors use aged elements, warm wood tones, clean finishes and weathered paints that reflect a lived in coziness from rooms that feel loved. Using vintage-styled hardware, fixtures and fittings and woodwork; these details create a nostalgic feel of a less stressful era.
Using a handful of these country cottage features can turn your rooms into inviting spaces no matter where you live. Borrow some of these key features and give your home an uplifting, loved-in feeling.
Use the following ideas in every part of the home and you will add a little country cottage comfort in every room.
1. Mix Fabrics – Country Checks + Florals
By mixing your fabric patterns with check, gingham and floral fabrics you’ll get a country feel almost instantly. You can go grand or homely; American, French or English, depending on your style and taste!
Plump beds with quilts and cushions and use soft feathery couches that you can fall into, sleep on and never want to leave!
2. Country Flower Arrangements
That ‘just picked’ look is very much in keep with a country cottage interiors look; unstructured flower arrangements work best.
Details such as using old silver teapots as vases or planters can add to the country feel; where everything is used and useful.
3. Tables, Plate Stacks and Table Settings
The kitchen is the heart of a country cottage home. With a large farmhouse style table as the focus for family gatherings, pots of tea, scones and home made dinners.
And when not used for eating, the country kitchen table is used for homework, crafting, or paying bills. A lot is expected from a country kitchen table, so it needs to be big enough and strong enough for most tasks, large gatherings and a little rough handling.
This kind of table looks best when plates are stacked in the center, strong cloth napkins are piled high and cutlery can be found in a jug, wooden or iron box.
Traditional blue and white patterned dinnerware is still found in classic country kitchens, but soft blues, white or even oatmeal colored plates all work well and never go out of style.
4. Baskets in Rattan, Cane or Wicker; Never Plastic
Use laundry baskets and other storage bins made from rattan, cane or wicker ones; never plastic. Earthy tones of natural fibers like bamboo and pine add to the country decor.
5. Strong Sturdy Walls
Wood is often used on country cottage interior walls. It can be painted, weathered, stained or natural and strong enough to withstand the odd ding; adding age and character with every dent.
Adding crisp white paint brightens the room and balances out the rough with a touch of smooth. You can add just a little wood detailing or cover your walls completely.
6. Practical Country Cottage Built-In Storage
Using every piece of available space, such as creating a wine rack or storage cabinet under stairs, maximizes floor space.
Using wood panels adds warm tones against the shine of stainless-steel appliances.
Clever tucked-in shelving, benches add storage but can also create cozy nooks for a desk; adding personality as well as functional furniture.
Convert a narrow space with a built in bench with storage into a cozy nook to be used all year round. Use colorful cushions and a throw to add comfort.
Create a small powder room or wet bar adding shelving between wall studs for extra towels, drinks, accessories or plants.
7. Country Cottage Kitchen Detailed Accessories
From bin pulls to a vintage-style faucet its easy to add well crafted details like a porcelain, cast iron or deep apron sink to get the country kitchen you want.
Using painted plate racks and hanging open shelves with oversized wood brackets take less space than free standing sideboards and hutches, adds casual charm while keeping your everyday plates close and on display.
Look for pieces with graceful arch, curved brackets, and bead board back for a country finish.
Chicken wire can be used on any kind of shelving for country cottage charm from linen closets to pantry doors, with or without glass fronts.
Originally used on kitchen pantry doors to help air circulate around food, it does the same today, allowing food and linens alike to breathe.
Throughout the house, use peg rails as mill-work accents as well as handy storage solutions in your hallway, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and mudroom.
8. Handsome Wooden Floors
Whether stained or painted, wood is very country and adds warmth and texture to your rooms. Show off their natural grain or create a traditional checkerboard style patterned floors.
Checkers of sunny yellow and soft cream or, red or black and white, change the mood of a living space instantly and hide flaws of older floorboards.
Don’t forget to add a fresh coat of paint to your wooden staircase to age beautifully.
Extending your painted wood floors up walls helps unify the look of your room and make your room feel larger. Planked walls add to the country cottage feel and have more character than plastered walls.
9. Mini Mud Room
An empty space becomes a very usable room with the addition of open shelves, hooks and a bench for storage.
Use battens to hold coat hooks and paint them the same color to make it look like a workable unit.
10. Interior Shutters
Internal shutters are functional and decorative. You can create a well-worn rustic paint finish using chalk paint or milk paint or go for a smooth glossy painted look.
There are more elements to creating country cottage interiors, but gone are the days of flowered wall paper and flora couches, today country cottage interiors are filled with modern spacious minimalist looks that look great anywhere.