Look We Love: How To Create Cozy English Cottage Style

First and foremost, you’d be hard pressed to find a sitting room in authentic English countryside cottage that doesn’t boast a mix of upholstery and patterned textiles. Using a variety of throws, pillows, and rugs throughout your home creates instant warmth and homey vibes. If you have a chair or sofa without at least one throw and pillow on it, you’re doing it wrong. Also, don’t be afraid to scour the Goodwill bins! Florals, plaids, stripes…all of these would fit into the look seamlessly.

Cozy nooks, like the above fireplace situation via Period Living, are quintessential in most traditional English cottages.

Cozy nooks love reading material and you don’t need fancy built-in shelving to display your collections beautifully. Pile your tables, benches, and even floors with good reads to be available on the ready (bonus points if you top those stacks with curious little trinkets like a rooster or a model car as seen here from Period Living). Any books will do, but opt for leather bound or worn-and-tattered titles when possible to bring richness and character to empty surfaces.

No English cottage fantasy is complete without a stroll through the ground’s overgrown gardens. Bringing in simple arrangements of fresh flowers and herbs, preferably those found in an English cottage garden, is a great way to give your home that pastoral feel. Lavender, violet, thyme, and sage, are a great place to start and, when put in a vase or planter, have that subtle wild quality that’s unfussy (a hallmark of this look).

Speaking of that Nancy Meyers-esque house swap, this shot from the set of “The Holiday” via Hooked on Houses is the home of Kate Winslet’s character. Taking a closer look, no English cottage would be complete without a well-worn armchair upholstered in a toile or paisley, as well as draperies and throw pillows in the motifs.

An English cottage without comfortable guest quarters is like a Jane Austen novel without a female protagonist. Treat your guests like royalty, and, more importantly, treat yourself like a guest! Keep all of your bedding simple with crisp, white linens, a plush blanket or quilt, and pillows stacked neatly (as shown above from Period Living) for an optimal cozy-yet-uncluttered sleeping situation.

Using muted yet rich tones when painting your walls, cabinets and/or furniture ensures that your cozy, peaceful environment won’t be disturbed with distracting hues. Above, Green Smoke from Farrow and Ball was used in designer Emily Henderson’s Mmodern English country-inspired kitchen.

Replacing your hardware with basic wooden knobs or old-fashioned brass drawer pulls like the ones shown here from deVol Kitchens is a quick and easy way to add style to any room (well, as long as it has drawers or cabinets). Renters, just check that your new hardware doesn’t require any additional drilling so you can easily stash the old knobs and replace them if you move out.

Always have a pot of tea on and plenty of saucers and cups ready to be filled. Mismatched china arranged on a tray or open shelving provides functional decor. Also, you can’t put a price on the sweet scent of fresh baked bread and nothing looks quite as delightful as a pile of rustic buttery scones next to a jar of lemon curd and a dollop of clotted cream. Take the time to bake from scratch and savor a cuppa on the regular.

and lastly…

Nancy Lancaster, the 20th century Virginia-born tastemaker often credited with categorizing the English country style, suggested every room in a home should have “something a little bit ugly.” Because “ugly” is such a subjective term, we’ve chosen to let you use your imagination here. Whether it’s an ominous portrait or a gaudy patterned tablecloth, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and add some unconventional charisma to your cozy quarters.