Cottage Style Resource Guide
Everything You Need, to Learn About
Cottage Style Decorating
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Learning About Cottage Style
I’m new to cottage styles: If you’re new to cottage styles and want to learn more, a great place to start is with my article, What is Cottage Style? A big part of creating a cottage style home is collecting pieces you love over time. You may also enjoy my article on creating a Curated Interior Design look. Finally, you will enjoy getting inspired to create the cottage style perfect for your home with the resources below. Enjoy!
My house has cottage style, but more sounds great: If you are already creating a cottage style in your home and you’re looking to add layers, we’ve pulled together all the best resources we’ve found for curating the cottage style in our homes. We have included books, other blogs, YouTube channels, and Pinterest boards you can look to for design ideas. Enjoy!
Cottage Style Design Books
Over the years I have found a handful of interior design books that fuel my love for the English country style, mixed with classic, traditional elements of the gracious Southern style. Over and over I return to these books when decorating our home. Each time I look through the pictures, I’m either at a different stage in the decorating process or I’m facing a different decor challenge. Creative, gorgeous solutions always arise. Books, my friend, surpass the inspiration on a screen every time. Here are the core books in my design library.
Cottage Style Blogs
Tessa Foley Interiors
On her website, Tessa creates timeless and cozy English-inspired interiors for clients in their homes as well as offering sumptuous vintage-looking quality textiles for sale in her shop. Not only could I get lost soaking in the details from her portfolio with titles such as: “Village Colonial”, and “English Bungalow”, but the photographs of her own home are equally inspiring.
Most of all I adore her fabric choices and the perfect blend of casual, lived in comfort shown in her home and every project she creates. If you are looking for a laid back, cohesive, and timeless cottage style Tessa has it in spades!
Visit Tessa Foley Interiors
Pine and Prospect Home
The blog Pine and Prospect Home, by Andrea, is a rich, well developed resource for curating the English cottage style on a budget. Andrea and her husband, Mike, have been making their home a serene, minimal, neutral cottage retreat for several years. Much (if not all) of the work they have done themselves from disguising the dishwasher as a piece of built-in furniture, to adding reclaimed beams, and all the DIY projects in between.
This is a great place to find big or small projects to get that cottage style. Andrea has a discerning eye for color and has written several posts (as well as created YouTube videos) on soothing, fresh cottage colors. She is extremely frugal and finds wonderful bargains for their home from thrift stores, antique shops, and Facebook Marketplace.
Visit Pine and Prospect Home
Miss Mustard Seed
If you are struggling with making your home unique then you’re in for a treat with the blog called Miss Mustard Seed by Marian Parsons. She is well suited for taking the very beige, regular, suburban home and infusing it with character and old home charm.
She is also well known for applying elbow grease and making what she has the best. She has hung fabric as wallpaper, created her own custom bed crown, and is well versed in adding moldings and trims to a room for added depth and interest.
If you are looking for inspiration and instruction on painting furniture Marian has a self-professed weakness for adopting sad furniture, fixing it up, loving it in her own home, then sending it off to live happily in someone else’s home, simply to repeat the process.
Visit Miss Mustard Seed
French Country Cottage
On the French Country Cottage blog by Courtney, you will find endless inspiration for creating that rustic French romance in your home. Courtney has a knack for making spaces seem instantly aged, and homey. She has renovated their 1940’s house and guest cottage in the French country cottage style with a liberal sprinkling roses, chippy paint, and elegant chandeliers.
Courtney has a gorgeous, inspiring book called French Country Cottage that sharing the details of her journey. According to Courtney, her second book French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings “is about finding inspiration to stop and pause and break bread wherever inspires you – even if it is just in the backyard on a Tuesday.”
Visit French Country Cottage
YouTube Channels
Some of the ladies mentioned above have YouTube channels in addition to their blogs. Here are some additional YouTube channels that have inspired me along the way.
Old World Home
On her channel, Hilary shares her lovely home inspired by the classic, timeless New England style, and Ralph Lauren. She and her husband have been transforming their home for the last several years with hard work, creative DIY projects, and frugal second-hand shopping.
Her creativity and tenacious willingness to tackle things she has never done before are personally inspiring. From creating custom built-ins out of bookcases from Facebook Marketplace, to wallpapering her bedroom with wallpaper you are sure to gain some fresh ideas and some of Hilary’s can-do attitude!
Kirsten & Joerg
This German couple moved to England years ago and has been living in and remodeling an English Terraced home in the English country house style. They tour about England staying in authentic English cottages and taking their viewers along for the journey.
They also are decorating their charming little home with quintessentially English wallpaper, colorful paint choices, gorgeous fabrics, and lovely antiques for that perfect dash of quirk.
Quintessence
The Quintessence YouTube channel is another travel channel with visits to top designers and in their own homes around the world. You will tour these homes with host, and design author Susanna Salk the most inspiring interiors, design, and style.
Instagram Accounts
tale_victoria
On this account, you will find visually absorbing images of a home in South West England. It has been featured in Homes & Gardens, Country Living, and Period Living. The design style is classic, timeless, vintage, and utterly charming.
While the color palette is calm neutrals there are details in the basic construction materials that continually grab your eye… like trim work on the staircase, millwork on the doors and walls, and simply stunning tiling. This lovely backdrop makes the ideal canvas for wonderful antiques. If you are looking for classic manor house/English country house inspiration this is your account!
nineandsixteen
Tessa Foley appears again!
I’ve already raved about her home, her projects with clients, and her fabulous fabrics… but if you’re looking for more great photos inspiring you on ways to style your home with antiques, blue and white, natural woods, and brass this is your stop. Tessa has great color taste and a classic, Old World colonial cottage design style.
missmustardseed
Marian is so inspiring she also made the list twice! If her blog does not provide enough inspiration for you, check out her feed on Insta.
I love her way of taking a “normal” house and giving it an “old house” character. Plus, I love her mix of blue and green, and displays of ironstone and transferware. She also finds inspiration from the everyday items lying about her home. She has mastered the art of the flat lay or living mood board. This has inspired me to see my home through new eyes and to try a mix of things I hadn’t thought of before. Enjoy!
cathykincaidinteriors
Of all the designers I follow Miss Cathy has a delightful way of creating the absolutely perfect mix of English country and traditional Southern style. A few of her signature touches include mixing in lovely antique furniture, blue and white ceramics in every room, and silk smooth lacquered ceilings to reflect candlelight. Bedrooms just might be her strong suit with everything perfectly coordinated from the wallpaper, exquisite canopy beds, bedding, and pleated lampshades. All right down to the littlest dressmaker details!
Shopping For the Cottage Style
I love shopping at thrift and antique stores. Creating a layered, curated look is so much easier when you buy things second hand over a period of time.
A great place to start would be the Etsy Shop I have hand-curated with cottage style items from our second hand stores.
My Favorite Etsy Shops
Blue Garden Tiles
There you will find:
- Hand Painted Blue and white tiles
- Great for English or French Cottage style
Window Treatments
We have had good success using blinds.com for our home. Their products have been featured in several of our recent videos on our YouTube channel. They also sell curtains and other window treatments.
If you are shopping for Blinds for your home check out Blinds.com
Wallpaper
Wallpaper is one of my new favorite ways to add color and design to a room. We have ordered multiple times from Wallpaper Direct and have received good service every time. They have a wonderful selection that would fit any style.
If you are in the mood for wallpaper, check out wallpaperdirect.com
Also, if you would like our guide on how to select the perfect wallpaper, fill out the form below and it will be delivered to your email.