Cottage Style Furniture

Cottage style furniture is an eclectic mix of old and new, worn and freshly upholstered pieces and family hand-me-down’s. In English cottages the furniture may have come down from the manor house when it became unfashionable or no longer wanted in the country house. It is this wonderfully eclectic mix, layer upon layer of pieces that all seam to work together that make the cottage style.

Cottage furniture can be comfortable with fabrics, cushions and plush upholstery or made of wood with a more simple beauty. Old worn wooden pieces of furniture can be painted to add your personality and breath life into an old piece.

Furniture and furnishings can be found from travels abroad, exotic mirrors, oriental rugs, European antiques, a touch of the Orient here and there. It is how the English decorate the country home and cottage and how the English cottage style became so eclectic.

If you are furnishing an English cottage, or trying to create the English cottage style think of the cottage itself. The English cottage is born from vernacular architecture which means built from local style and material. Think about vernacular furniture when you decorate. Find local craftsmen and local, sustainable, wood to create a piece if you want something custom made for filling in a difficult corner or recreating a piece of furniture perfect for your cottage.

Above all furnish with things you love, show your personality and lifestyle and create the country cottage retreat that you dream of.

Modern cottage interiors can also be furnished with contemporary pieces and a more minimalistic look, it all depends on your style. This look can often brighten up a darker room.

In this chapter you can discover all about cottage furniture. If you live in an English cottage or just want to furnish a room with English cottage furniture you will find the information you need in this chapter.

Photo © Helen Green. www.English-Cottage-Lifestyle.com

Above Photo: Antique shop on the waterside, Exeter, Devon

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything; this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or belive to be beautiful.”

William Morris.

British craftsman, designer, poet and one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England