I love the English cottage look. It’s light, cozy, and simple. If you’ve ever wanted to bring the look into your home, but didn’t think you could afford it, think again. Here are some ways to achieve the look without breaking the banks.
1. Change the mood with paint. Muted, drab tones like mouse’s back, wheat and duck-egg green are ideally suited to English cottage style. Try painting your kitchen cupboards and trim to match, and paint the walls one shade lighter.
2. Swap hardware for sturdy bin pulls and wooden knobs. Changing out the hardware on kitchen cupboards or a dining room built-in can make it feel like you have new cupboards. Channel an English country cottage with classic bin pulls or smooth wooden knobs.
3. Embrace workhorse textiles. Every fabric shop carries a wide assortment of solid fabrics in airy voile and gauze (perfect for floaty window treatments), checkered and ticking stripe cotton, and sturdy canvas at a low price per yard. If you don’t sew, you can use iron-on hem tape to make quick no-sew curtains and tablecloths; if you do sew, it’s not too hard to turn out your own pillowcases and duvet covers. Get creative with other easy-to-find, cheap fabrics as well — burlap can cover bulletin boards, and muslin, typically used in pattern making, can be used for curtains and for pillow covers primed for embellishing.
4. Roll out a rag rug. Rag rugs came about as a creative way to reuse scraps of fabric too small to sew into garments, and to put old, worn-out clothes and home textiles to work again. Today rag rugs are widely available and are quite inexpensive. But if you really want to save, try looking up a tutorial online for a DIY rag rug and craft your own using soft old T-shirts.
5. Use a rich color on walls and trim. Vibrant yet slightly grayed hues, like this lovely spring green, call to mind old and well-loved cottages tucked into the British countryside. Paint the trim, walls and cabinetry the same hue for a seamless look.
6. Try colorful trim. White walls and floors create a freshly scrubbed setting, allowing the pale duck-egg green trim to take center stage in this serene bedroom. A simple wooden bed, a pitcher of wildflowers and a white crocheted bedspread enhance the country cottage charm. Pale spring green, butter yellow or lavender would also work well.
7. Paint the floors. A floor painted a solid color adds style and freshness to a room for less than the cost of a new rug. Try painting the floors of a guest room, study or sun porch a cheerful spring green or pale sky blue.
9. Cover plumbing with a café curtain. Not so fond of your lower cabinets? Replace a few of the doors with cute café curtains. They are not expensive, but if you can whip them up yourself, so much the better!
12. Hang simple barn lights. Barn-style lights can be found at every price point, and they work just about anywhere. Try them on a covered porch and in the kitchen, bathroom and mudroom, for starters.
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