How to go Country Cottage Chic"� in every room!

Even if you do live a quaint and quintessentially English country cottage, keeping the décor in tune with the theme of rustic slow living can be difficult to do when furniture shops and homeware stockists are full of new bold contemporary-style pieces. Yet even as the interior design market trends fluctuate and change, there is plenty that can be done to give your rooms a charming vintage twist with shabby chic pastels, French country artistry and eclectic artisanal features. 
The good news is that vintage and shabby chic style designed pieces are still fairly easy to come by; you just may have to seek them out a little more and shop somewhere other than chain homeware stores. Even better, why not upcycle old pieces you find online and makeover your home with a DIY job? The possibilities are endless, and with so many rooms to cover, Refresh Renovations' top tips will help you make a great start…

Stick to Minimum Colour, Maximum Detailing

In the opposite manner to the interior design found in bold bright new spaces, instead mix and match the minimum amount of colours possible and keep them neutral, pastel or cooling. Instead, take your understated colour theme and decorate everything with it – layer accessories and texture, mix up photo frame styles for a gallery wall, add an ornate headboard to the bed and select every possible furniture item with a curve or detail. Fabrics and soft furnishings can give the feel of comfort and the single colour theme brings consistency so things don’t look messy.

Don’t Be Afraid to go Artisanal

Artisan pieces and art commissions may be associated more with modern hipster homes, but this needn’t be the case. Grab what you can from junk emporiums and vintage yards and add in your own arty feel with subtle brushstrokes in paint, Bloomsbury prints, mismatched accessories and display items and distressed furniture and flooring. If you can’t find the real thing, fake it!

Bring the English Country Garden Inside

Florals and roses scream English charm. Nowadays there are several brands that offer rosebud prints and country-esque designs across furniture and furnishings, but don’t be afraid to break away from repetitive prints and bring something more classic in its place. Complement cream colour palettes with floral reds and pinks, hang floral prints on the walls, hand pick garden bouquets for sporadic jug displays and leave scented potpourri in strategically smelly corners! Nostalgic vintage accessories are often adorned with floral prints and if you have white or cream walls, why not paint some on yourself?

Embrace Curves

Much modern furniture is angular and sharp, but curvy muted shapes and classic design bring a real feel of rural France to any home. If the colours don’t quite fit, repaint, and distress wood where needed to make it really stand out. Although there are many great reproductions of period country furniture in unusual shapes and designs, the best place to buy them is social media network marketplaces, car boot sales and pre-loved vintage shops. If you’re lucky and need a new colour, you may even find the seller willing to paint it for you too!

Let the Kids Get Shabby

Children are, for the most part, pretty naturally messy, so some distressed furniture or a peel of paint here or there will fit right in! Charming ballerina prints and pastel pinks are ideal for a little girl’s bedroom and blue hues with neutral backdrops make for a great base for a boy-style space; or ditch the gender stereotypes completely and opt for yellows, browns and beiges. Shabby chic makes for a real ‘grown-up’ feel bedroom and this calm feeling is ideal for situations where you’d like to encourage a good nights’ sleep… if such a thing exists for young children! If you’re unsure about bare floorboards with children, fear not – there’s plenty of vinyl and floor coverings that give the same aesthetic but with a softer feel.

Don’t Forget the Conservatory!

Somehow the concept of bringing the outside in is often forgotten when it comes to interior design and no matter how great the rest of your house looks, somehow the conservatory ends up with just garden furniture inside. Instead, choose classic woven furniture and paint any exposed walls in a cooling shade. Mix and match fabrics for soft furnishings and complement with mismatched vintage accessories. If you have flowers in your garden, bring them in and take full advantage of the great light to help them blossom.

Mix and Match… Everything

Those who love vintage and shabby chic finds will be no stranger to the concept of mismatched home accessories, and these little quirks really round up country cottage chic beautifully. Furniture and homeware can be sourced from a huge variety of places and with online sales blooming during lockdown, there’s loads to be found from the comfort of your own couch. What’s more, picking up bits and bobs as you go means that you can amass quite a collection of home accessories at a low cost over time, so there’s no need to set a big budget or break the bank when you stock up.

Ditch the Chain Stores

Independent boutiques, antique stores, vintage emporiums and online marketplaces are the best possible places to find country cottage chic pieces and are considerably cheaper than high street homeware shops. You can mix and match with standard store-bought pieces to create a charming aesthetic that’s completely unique to your home and style. What’s more, you’ll have finding and buying them – visiting an auction or searching an emporium is much more fun than walking round a retail park on a weekend!
Country cottage and shabby chic is timeless, and you don’t need to actually live in a cottage to replicate the style. Get creative, have fun, and get decorating!

Get in touch!

Refresh Renovations can help you create that perfect extension to add a spot of country cottage chic to your home. To find out more, talk to our specialists for a free no-obligation consultation.