Decorating Your Bedroom Cottage Style

Originating in Great Britain, "Shabby Chic" or "Cottage Style" décor is defined as a way to decorate a room using light colors, vintage furniture, and weathered items. The effect is classy and casual, lived-in and sophisticated. Achieving this style in your bedroom is easier than you think!

There are two ways to go about achieving a cottage style room. For a romantic, regal look, incorporates the use of French-style furniture, such as overstuffed chairs with scrolled backings, or loveseats with a light prints and curled designs on the arms. The bed should make the most of a combination of textured fabrics, but all in a light, worn colors. Padded headboards and baseboards are common. Throws and pillows should be light colored and not stand out against the furniture, but rather blend-in for a seamless look. A chandelier tops off the room as the centerpiece. Use a large mirror, the fancier the better. Gilded frames with flowers and swirls are the norm for a room such as this. Curtains should be light and airy, usually an off-white. The room as a whole should look regal, yet comfortable.

Another option is a more traditional, European or country cottage look. This is achieved by the use of tailored wooden furniture such as a classic streamlined hutch, straight backed chairs, and old crates. These items are often distressed light colors, providing a beaten, weathered look, very similar to a beach motif. Again, the use of light colored curtains and throws brings this look together. If you prefer something more bold, you can choose darker, more colorful furniture as long as it balances the light, airy décor.

You can redesign your bedroom into a country cottage for pennies on the dollar by visiting your local thrift store. While you may not stumble upon true antiques (then again, you might get lucky) you can find good pieces to adapt to your style. Keep an eye open for older mirrors with decorated frames. Go through pastel prints for fabrics to cover a table top. Take a piece of sandpaper to old wooden chairs with faded paint, carefully wearing down the wood so that the chair looks used, but not abused. Put the chair in a corner with a flower-print pillow in the seat.

Hang long, thin, white breezy curtains in your window. Place iron lamps on your bedside table and hang paintings of beaches or meadows on light colored walls. Add some vintage signs, or knick-knacks, but don't crowd the room. Plants help ground the airy feel. An area rug can bring the look together. Choose one with a romantic pink rose print. The aim is a dreamy, romantic, classic room. There is no better way to create your own personalized haven than to adapt this style.

For more information, try these sites:
www.hgtv.com
www.bhg.com