Antique Newell Post

THE NEWELL POST:Defining cottage style

Define Design: Cottage chic

Perhaps my favorite, the casual and comfortable elements of cottage style spell home to me. It encompasses everything that is light and bright, from walls to the furniture to the fabrics. The style suits primary or secondary homes, any place you want to feel comfortable and casual. Additionally, you don't need a seaside shack to decorate your home in the cottage style. A suburban ranch or bungalow can be your own cottage if styled appropriately, according to CottageStyleDecoratingGuide.com.

This look also allows and encourages homeowners or designers to think creatively.

"Many things that may serve one purpose, can be used as another purpose when decorating in a cottage style," said Jacksonville designer Julie Dewhurst Terrazzano, owner of Stage the Sale. "Remember that old wood or wicker trunk that's been in the family for 50-plus years storing old blankets, quilts, or even the old hope chest? In a cottage style, that is perfect for a coffee table."

The style is most apropos in this economy because it lends itself to garage sale and flea market finds. Better Homes and Gardens calls this personal and forgiving style "pretty decor your way." It calls for a mix of old and new, rare and expensive, simple and ornate. And there's always room for another find.

"If you have plates that were in your family, or mismatched ones, you can purchase plate hangers and hang them on the wall in a gallery fashion," Terrazzano said.

Similar items, like antique serving trays, baskets and copper pots work equally well.

"I recently purchased, at a neighborhood garage sale, an old wood window frame that once held glass squares," Terrazzano continued. "I spray-painted the frame and then used some light sandpaper and sanded areas of the frame to give it a weathered look and hung it on a wall."

She took the project a step further by hanging 4-by-6-inch frames in each window square, creating a customized family photo gallery.

When it comes to cottage-style furniture, you probably think wicker. While this is an appropriate, if not defining, element of the style, other materials work, as well. Slipcovered furniture is a good example.

"Slipcovers give a more casual, comfy look than that of something upholstered, which is more tailored looking," Terrazzano explained.

The cost-effectiveness of a slipcovered piece also keeps with the style. According to the Cottage Style Decorating Guide, this allows homeowners to purchase a quality, perhaps unattractive, budget piece and slipcover it, giving the furniture new life.

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