topic Re: COTTAGE STYLE in Home

COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sat, 16 May 2020 20:41:49 GMT

This was a fun "Style at Home" feature. They analyze these photos of different rooms in different houses, and pick out 3 elements that make the room an example of "vintage cottage style". I don't necessarily agree with every assessment, but it's a good way to sharpen recognition of a diverse decorating style like this.

In the retro kitchen above, their three key components were: retro aqua appliances, rustic wood, and beveled subway tile. (The beams and painted wood ceiling are two more, for sure.)

Screened porch:

Graphic tablecloth, solid placements, and old school screens.

Den:

Patterned sofa, gingham curtains, antique poster. I LOVE that vintage poster, and have just one myself. It's a framed travel poster from the Forties called "The South Pacific" that shows a seaplane arriving to a blue lagoon on a mountainous tropical isle. It's the biggest conversation piece in my little dining room!

Another kitchen:

Blue painted cabinets, retro hardware, nostalgic accessories. Is that a metal paper towel dispenser--- keen-o! Love those vaguely Deco ribbed canisters.

Sitting room:

Bright florals, rattan coffee table, bamboo blinds.

Hallway:

Confident colors, white trim, original hardware. Of course, a fourth vintage cottage component is a painted floor. Have always loved those, but concerned about how they wear over time. Anyone here have a painted floor?

Bedroom:

Turquoise glass chandelier, iron headboard, bold pillow shams. Do not like chandelier! Whoa, talk about Scandi/ pyschedelic /60's Mod-- those crazy pillow shams! Combining a midcentury modern item like that Saarinen-esque table with the lacy headboard and homespun bench-- that's so "eclectic cottage".

Another bedroom:

Watery wall color, orange accents, mismatched lamps. Even though some of the colors are bright, I love this.

Bath:

Beadboard walls, pedestal sink, minty floors. Beadboard is a favorite cottage item that I have in my kitchen.

Breakfast nook:

Industrial lamp, modern (midcentury) table, Pop art palette.

Another kitchen:

Flat front cabinets, large mosaic tiles, weathered stools.

Dining nook:

Teal walls, warm wood cabinet, checkered tablecloth.

Hutch:

Open shelving, diner-style dishes, milk glass lamp. I like the typical juxtaposition of the modern chair with the more nostalgic elements, like the enamel soup pot and lamp.

What they are considering to be "vintage cottage style" is a pretty forgiving category, encompassing everything from 19th century, to sweet vintage, to 60's Mod, to midcentury modern and its close cousin, Fifties Scandinavian. It's one thing I like about the style, all the influences. But I suppose the common denominator is a concern for cozy comfort, freshness, simplicity, cheerful color, unpretentious nods to the past, and fearless combinations.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

GingerPeach — Sat, 16 May 2020 20:56:32 GMT

This sweet cottage is reminiscent of an old favorite of mine. It was one I thought I'd saved from a magazine years ago. It was a home in the Los Angeles hills redone by someone (I think the article said she owned a decor store or something like that) and tiny, but adorable.

Her bedroom doors opened onto a small deck area that she'd set up with lanterns on the top boards of the surrounding small fence. Her front yard even had a picket fence.

I haven't been able to find it since. Each time I do a search for even "tiny cottage," the results shown are huge mansions. I need to keep revising my search terms.

Thanks for the reminder, @Oznell

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

DREAMON — Sat, 16 May 2020 21:16:43 GMT

I really like the first kitchen. The only rooms I don't care for are the ones with vivid bright furniture and piant colors.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

jeanlake — Sat, 16 May 2020 21:17:19 GMT

Thank you for sharing. Very nice. This isn't my decor style at home, however, In my mind's eye, I visualize a second home in a quaint town - cottage style. It reminds me of my NC grandmother's house. But she didn't have that fabulous red coffee table!

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

J Town Girl — Sat, 16 May 2020 21:35:16 GMT

I liked all of the rooms except the sitting room. I'm not a big fan of florals. I liked the simplicity of the bathroom and I really liked the beadboard.

I loved the orange chairs in the breakfast nook. They gave such a happy pop of color to that room.

Thank you so much for posting these pictures. Even though my home isn't done in a vintage style, I really enjoy seeing designs and decorative items from homes that I remember from growing up.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sat, 16 May 2020 21:52:24 GMT

Keep looking for that little house, @GingerPeach -- I went on a long hunt for one I remembered, and finally found after googling a million different key words!

Yeah, @GingerPeach , @DREAMON , @jeanlake , @J Town Girl -- the cottage thing seems to have gotten more high-profile lately especially with the phenomenon of "grandmillenial" (sp?) style. Apparently a lot of millennials and younger Gen Z are flocking back to "cozy", and newly appreciative of the interiors of their grandparents and even earlier generations.

What's termed "grandmillenial style" doesn't appeal to me as much, since it seems more "twee", fussy or cutesy perhaps-- almost a stereotype of nostalgic looks. But good old serviceable, freewheeling, more eclectic "cottage"-- that's my speed, I think.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

ECBG — Sat, 16 May 2020 22:28:11 GMT

Personally, I never liked turquoise in the kitchen nor the style of cabinets and hardware in the second kitchen. We had turquoise in the house my parents built as I was going into the second grade.

I do like "peace" of the bathroom and screened in porch with the dining table.

I'd love to have the first physical kitchen.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:00:51 GMT

I really enjoy English cottage style too, which is usually subtly just a bit different from "cottage" this side of the pond. They're so lucky when they have architecture that is several hundreds of years old to enhance the feeling!

I was loving this English sitting room, enjoying the leaning column, etc. when I noticed the huge, egg-like glowing thing on the dresser-- that's a quirk too far for me!

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:30:33 GMT

And then there's French/Belgian/Nordic cottage style, different yet again, and so charming:

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

stevieb — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:42:48 GMT

Thanks @Oznell for posting so many examples of 'vintage cottage' style in your initial post... In my experience, it isn't always simple to post here... These pictures do, though, bring home to me why I guess I'm no longer much of a proponent of 'cottage style' (vintage or not...) as it's used in common shelter magazine parlance... I guess I have my own vision of what a cottage should look like and it seems to me it's come to mean everything from soup to nuts with a heavy emphasis on any number of aesthetic visions that don't really do much for me... I'll have to give some thought to how I'd describe my own vision or version, as the case may be... As for the first group of photos, in candor, none of them really much appeals to me, though I like some elements and clearly like some better than others...

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

vsm — Sun, 17 May 2020 00:13:59 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
And then there's French/Belgian/Nordic cottage style, different yet again, and so charming:

This is much closer to MY idea of country cottage style, @Oznell . Not a mid-century modern element anywhere to be found...

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:24:20 GMT

Oh, I think I understand, @stevieb and @vsm , anyone preferring a more "defined" sort of version of this particular style. I don't know how to explain it, but in my case, as I've gotten older, I seem to want to pull away from anything that is too, for lack of a better word, "formal". Even though I'm a traditonalist at heart. For example, heavy, festooned or elaborate window treatments give me the heebie-jeebies, for some reason.

So I love cottage-y interiors but seem to have to throw in a few of those other, newer or "retro", Thirties "moderne" elements a bit, to feel comfortable.

Although, @vsm , the French cottage style that you commented on pleases me just about as much, maybe because in some versions at least it is less "twee" or precious, and more austere and classical. Preserve me from the cute!

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sceniccoast — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:32:46 GMT

@Oznell

The first 2 pics are my favorites, kitchen & screened porch. I'm just not crazy about the distressed look of the island in the kitchen. I may just be tired of seeing it but I'd rather it be a plain white.

Thanks for posting all your unique pics.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

beautybee — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:47:45 GMT

I couldn't really see any of it because I got swept up with looking at that adorable dog in the bathroom. Oh my gosh she/he is so cute!

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spiderw — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:23:27 GMT

While my taste leans toward formal and elegant, these cottage pictures are lovely! I especially admire the rooms with lots of color and love the artwork, sitting room and blue bedroom.

I have a cottage or small home in the mountains which I rent. I spent many summers there growing up and as an adult, it was a family home which was passed down to me. I furnished it with my formal taste and it just didn't look good at all, too dark and heavy. I realize that cottages are meant to be light and airy, colorful and cozy. The pictures reinforce what I know and should have followed.

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ID2 — Sun, 17 May 2020 10:47:07 GMT

These photos look like my home! I live in a cottage on a lake in the upper part of Michigan. My decorating style is definitely cottage! Love, Love!

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PamfromCT — Sun, 17 May 2020 12:25:36 GMT

Thank you for these photos. While not my style, I have incorporated a bit into our home, in our sunroom. While we have a cathedral ceiling and huge windows, I wanted more of a vintage look. We have old-fashioned white wicker furniture, and we found a lovely round glass dining table, white wrought iron base, and matching upholstered chairs. In perfect condition. It’s a change from our colonial home, and we really enjoy it.

I love to see all decorating styles, i especially enjoy rooms that would be attainable for me. I’ve spent a lifetime looking at magnificent spaces. But I realize many love that.

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sun, 17 May 2020 13:02:00 GMT

Oh, I so envy you having a sunroom, @PamfromCT -- how I would love that, and probably live in it most of the time!

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Somertime — Sun, 17 May 2020 13:42:36 GMT

Oh, Oznell, what a fun post! Love seeing all the differences in cottage style! Some are a little to sharp in color for me but still fun to see.

You had a question regarding painted floors. In my son's room, I removed the carpeting and underneath was a concrete floor. I decided to paint the floor black as well as the baseboards and closet doors with the walls being a light cream with a grey tint.

Once painted and dried and set, I used polyurethane to seal the floors, Since there is not much heavy traffic in his room, I reseal it every three years. It goes quickly when resealing about an hour to seal and overnight to dry & set. If it is a heavily trafficked area, seal every other year. Friends of mine have used gym seal which is used on the gym floors and it holds up longer but if you have a light floor or have done a patten it is not a "clear" coat and can alter the color. The best part is it being fully washable!

The photos are, always, great looking but there is maintenance involved especially on a wood floor!

Re: COTTAGE STYLE

Oznell — Sun, 17 May 2020 21:58:39 GMT

Oh, that is great to know, @Somertime , thank you for your detailed response. I toy with the idea for our upstairs, sometimes. We have hardwood throughout the downstairs, but a mix of carpet and bare floors on the second floor. The old wood floors up there are in varying degrees of shape, none of it that good! Painted floors would suit this 1910 house up there, but have never been able to decide...